This first-year seminar will introduce students to the incredibly rich, diverse, and complex Israeli culture and its approach to women, gender, and sexuality. We will trace the codes of masculinity, femininity, and queering in the dynamic climate of contemporary Israeli Jewish and Palestinian realities, engaging with a selection of films, long features and documentaries, short stories, novels, and poetry. Discussions will not only provide the opportunity to address the intersections of religion, nationalism, ethnicity, race, or class but will also help us develop critical tools to approach their historical development and potential for future change.
Course Requirements:
In addition to weekly writing assignments, and class presentation, students will write a short midterm paper (4-5 pages) and a longer final paper (7-8).