With more and more women serving in the military today, it is crucial to understand women's long history of contribution (and resistance) to warfare. This class will start with World War II and cover the wars that follow, looking at the way in which women have been victimized, resisted, or actively participated in warfare. We will also discuss the impact of war on intimate relationships, including the consequences of rape as a weapon of war, the difficulty of raising children in a war zone, and problems with PTSD.

Finally, we will analyze connections between nation building, war, and notions of masculinity. We will discuss these issues in the context of contemporary fiction and nonfiction about wars, including Marguerite Duras's The War, Ibtisam Barakat’s Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood and Kazuo Ishiguro’s A Pale View of the Hills. We will also read from the anthology Women on War: An International Anthology. 

WARNING: THIS CLASS WILL COVER GRAPHIC MATERIALS.