2869 - Sex & Sexuality: Culture and Ideas 英授 Taught in English

Sex & Sexuality: Culture and Ideas

教育目標 Course Target

This course explores body, gender, and sexuality in pre-modern Western and Chinese cultural discourses. We will examine representations of gender, sexuality, and sex change in the following sources: 1) Hermaphroditism (intersex) and same-sex desire from Greco-Roman medicine and mythology; 2) Queering Jesus: hermaphroditic Jesus in alchemy (煉金術); 3) The yin/yang 陰陽 androgynous body and sexual vampirism in bedchamber arts (fangzhong shu房中術); 4) Sexual anomalies, sexual relationships between female ghosts/fox spirits and men in Chinese tales of the strange (zhigui志怪). We ask how these imaginative ideas of human anatomy and cultural expression of gender and sexuality challenge our understanding of what it means to be men and women today. Critical examination of these representations suggests that sex, gender, and sexuality were largely social and cultural constructions before modern biomedical knowledge about human bodies took hold.

Upon completion of this course, students will:
1. Demonstrate a fair understanding of cultural discourses on gender and sexuality.
2. Exhibit a comprehension of the interdisciplinary approaches for analyzing gender, sex, and sexuality.
3. Demonstrate adequate written and oral communication skills within various formal and informal circumstances.

This course explores body, gender, and sexuality in pre-modern Western and Chinese cultural discussions. We will examine representations of gender, sexuality, and sex change in the following sources: 1) Hermaphroditism (intersex) and same-sex desire from Greco-Roman medicine and mythology; 2) Queering Jesus: hermaphroditic Jesus in alchemy (六文); 3) The yin/yang 金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金金Sexual vampirism in bedchamber arts (fangzhong shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu shu sexuality were largely social and cultural constructions before modern biomedical knowledge about human bodies took hold.

Upon completion of this course, students will:
1. Demonstrate a fair understanding of cultural discussions on gender and sexuality.
2. Exhibit a comprehension of the interdisciplinary approaches for analyzing gender, sex, and sexuality.
3. Demonstrate adequate written and oral communication skills within various formal and informal circumstances.

參考書目 Reference Books

Leah DeVun. “The Jesus Hermaphrodite: Science and Sex Difference in premodern Europe”. Journal of the History of Ideas 69 (2): 193-218.

Gavin Francis. “Gender: The Two Lives of Tiresias”. In Shapeshifters: a doctor’s notes on medicine and human change. Wellcome: 2019, pp. 143-56.

Veronique Mottier. “Before Sexuality”. In Sexuality: a very short introduction. Oxford University Press: 2008, pp. 3-24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHDKk0rshtM

Gan Bao 干寶. In Search of the Supernatural搜神記: The Written Record. Translated by Kenneth DeWoskin, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1996. (selected passages)

Pu Songling蒲松齡. Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio 聊齋誌異. Translated by John Minford. Penguin Books, 2006. (“The Merchant’s Son” 賈兒, pp. 133-40; “Lotus Fragrance” 蓮香, pp. 211-28)

Susan Mann. “The Body in Medicine, Art, and Sport,” in Gender and Sexuality in Modern China. Cambridge University Press: 2011, pp. 83-94.

Fuchsia Dunlop. “Dick Soup”. Lucky Peach 2014.
https://medium.com/lucky-peach/dick-soup-b3c7f5651b7a

Viagra Craze: Does Medicine Makes the Man?
Susan Bordo. “Pills and Power Tools”. In Gender Relations in Global Perspective: Essential Readings. Edited by Nancy Cook.

Leah DeVun. “The Jesus Hermaphrodite: Science and Sex Difference in premodern Europe”. Journal of the History of Ideas 69 (2): 193-218.

Gavin Francis. “Gender: The Two Lives of Tiresias”. In Shapeshifters: a doctor’s notes on medicine and human change. Wellcome: 2019, pp. 143-56.

Veronique Mottier. “Before Sexuality”. In Sexuality: a very short introduction. Oxford University Press: 2008, pp. 3-24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHDKk0rshtM

Gan Bao. In Search of the Supernatural: The Written Record. Translated by Kenneth DeWoskin, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1996. (selected passages)

Pu Songling. Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. Translated by John Minford. Penguin Books, 2006. (“The Merchant’s Son” Jay, pp. 133-40; “Lotus Fragrance” Velvet, pp. 211-28)

Susan Mann. “The Body in Medicine, Art, and Sport,” in Gender and Sexuality in Modern China. Cambridge University Press: 2011, pp. 83-94.

Fuchsia Dunlop. “Dick Soup”. Lucky Peach 2014.
https://medium.com/lucky-peach/dick-soup-b3c7f5651b7a

Viagra Craze: Does Medicine Makes the Man?
Susan Bordo. “Pills and Power Tools”. In Gender Relations in Global Perspective: Essential Readings. Edited by Nancy Cook.

評分方式 Grading

評分項目
Grading Method
配分比例
Percentage
說明
Description
In-class
In-class
35 Attendance, Discussion, and Participation.
Midterm
Midterm
30 Create a 4-5 mins video or a picture book illustrating key ideas about sex and sexuality discussed during week 1-8. Present it during the midterm week. This can be done individually or in a group of 2-3 people.
Final
Final
30 Create a poster (PDF) illustrating key ideas about sex and sexuality discussed during week 10-17. Present and talk about your poster during the final week. This can be done individually or in a group of 2-3 people.
Self-study (weeks 17 and 18)
Self-study (weeks 17 and 18)
5 students are to comment on the ideas of sex and sexuality introduced in the selected reading, Gavin Francis. “Gender: The Two Lives of Tiresias”. In Shapeshifters: a doctor’s notes on medicine and human change. Wellcome: 2019, pp. 143-56.

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選修-2734
英授 Taught in English 國際學院1-4 盧盈秀 四/2,3,4[PG301] 3-0 詳細資訊 Details

課程資訊 Course Information

基本資料 Basic Information

  • 課程代碼 Course Code: 2869
  • 學分 Credit: 3-0
  • 上課時間 Course Time:
    Thursday/2,3,4[PG301]
  • 授課教師 Teacher:
    盧盈秀
  • 修課班級 Class:
    國際學院不分系1-4
  • 選課備註 Memo:
    國際學院2734課程併班上課
選課狀態 Enrollment Status

目前選課人數 Current Enrollment: 5 人

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