GSS281
Upstairs, Downstairs, and Outside: Gender, Class, and the Household in British History
Subject code
GSS
Course Number
281
Department(s)
Instructor(s)
C. Shaw
Course Long Title
Upstairs, Downstairs, and Outside: Gender, Class, and the Household in British History
Cross Listed Courses
Description
If the home was the “Englishman’s castle,” its walls were porous. Liberal culture called for separating private from public life, yet households were key sites for negotiating classed, gendered, and racial relationships. Fear that family units might break down spurred social movements and governmental reform. Modern life tends to be understood as the rise of the presumptively white, male individual, someone independent of his surroundings. By flipping the script, this course demonstrates the centrality of women, family, and community in defining and redefining society. Topics explored include work, motherhood, property rights, and the everyday life of politics, capitalism, and empire.
Modes of Inquiry
Analysis and Critique [AC], Historical and Social Inquiry [HS]
Writing Credit
No writing credit
Departmental Course Attributes - Major/Minor Requirements
(History: European), (History: Modern)