Sexual Identities in Modern Italy

This course traces the historical development of sexual categories, norms, and behaviors in Europe from the 18th century to the present. We will examine how understandings of sexuality have changed from the emergence of Western notions of sexual identity in the 19th century, through the politics of sexuality in the early 20th century and the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, to contemporary debates about LGBTQ rights in a multicultural Europe.

The construction of normativity, such as heteronormativity, will be discussed, as well as the intersections of gender and sexuality with other fields of power, including race and class. The course also traces the evolution of the term "queer" from its early contestation to its current use as a broad framework for non-normative forms of knowledge, cultural practices, and political activism.

This course provides students with insight into the social and cultural dimensions of human sexuality and offers opportunities to trace the historical roots of current attitudes toward gender and sexuality.