How did doctors and patients in China, Japan, and Korea define what it meant to be male, female, or androgynous/non-binary? How did these different gender ideologies and practices influence people's approaches to illness and health? And how were gender and medicine intertwined with larger contests for social, cultural, and political power? We will explore these issues through selected case studies from the seventh century to the present, with particular attention to four themes: reproductive medicine; bodies and sexualities; medicine and state-building; and the modernization of traditional medicine.

Course Requirements:

This is a seminar course and requires active participation and leadership in class discussions and activities, three short essays, and an independent research project.

Intended Audience:

Suggested advisory prerequisite is a class in either Women's and Gender Studies, Asian Studies or History. Please email the instructor if you have questions about the advisory prereq.