HMUS 530 - American Material Culture: Gender and Domesticity 3 s.h.

Contrasts in male and female roles often correspond with differences in the material world, perhaps most notably in clothing and activities within the home. This course focuses on the importance of gender in American material life, the variations among cultural groups, and both change and continuity over time. Students are introduced to the decorative arts canon, but core readings and class discussion extend both the types of goods and the cultural perspectives covered with an emphasis on items women made and used and images meant to represent them during the long nineteenth century. Students complete a final research project related to American material life. Elective.
Prerequisite(s): GrS. Permission of the instructor and the director is required for students not enrolled in CGP.