History 3119: History of Sex in the United States: Sexual Reproduction and Social Equality

Students in this course will be introduced to the burgeoning scholarship on the history of sexuality in the United States. Although there are many subfields within this history, this class will focus on books that explore the connections between sexual reproduction and social equality (or its lack) in different periods of U.S. History. Students will be required to read five books, take two exams, and write one book review with an oral presentation component. In order to help students make the link between historical and contemporary issues surrounding sexual reproduction and social equality we will engage in a service-learning activity that will help us explore how the relative availability of insurance coverage for contraceptives impacts women. In order to do this, students will collect, reflect on, transcribe, and submit three oral history interviews related to the course topic.