230274 Cross-Dressing and Gender-Bending in Fiction and Film (S) (WiSe 2014/2015)

Contents, comment

The English, among all Western cultures, seem to have a particular affinity to cross-dressing: not only did they insist, longer than other countries, on boy actors playing female parts on stage; they also delighted in plays that showed these female characters playing boys. The English Christmas pantomime has preserved this quaint custom of bearded ladies and girls in breeches. In the 20th century, this cultural practice has become a tool to explore gender identities in ways that are often playful and occasionally radical and dangerous. Focussing on English (or at least British, mostly) history, fiction and films, we will discuss and try to assess why and to what effect men have dressed as women and women have dressed as men, and how they have been represented.

Bibliography

To be announced. But we will start by looking at some scenes involving female characters dressed as boys in English Renaissance drama, i.e. scenes from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and As You Like It, possibly also Cymbeline, and Middleton & Dekker's The Roaring Girl. Virginia Woolf's Orlando is on the cards, as is a recent romantic genre novel by Australian writer Anna Cowan, Untamed.
As for films, there will be Stage Beauty, and a comparison of Tootsie (by the well-known British director Sydney Pollack and the equally well-known British actor Dustin Hoffman...) and "Albert Nobbs" (with Glen Close, the well-known... yes, you geddit).
I may be open to suggestion; so if there is a title you would like to discuss, send me an email.

Teaching staff

Dates ( Calendar view )

Frequency Weekday Time Format / Place Period  

Show passed dates >>

Subject assignments

Module Course Requirements  
23-ANG-AngBM2 Basismodul 2: Introduction to Literary and Cultural Studies 2.3 Basisseminar: Genres, Authors, Periods Study requirement
Student information
- Graded examination Student information
23-ANG-AngBM2.1 Basismodul 2.1 (Basic): Introduction to Literary and Cultural Studies Basisseminar: Genres, Authors, Periods Study requirement
Student information
23-LIT-LitP8 Englischsprachige Literaturen Englischsprachige Literaturen in exemplarischen Lektüren 1 Study requirement
Student information
Englischsprachige Literaturen in exemplarischen Lektüren 2 Study requirement
Student information
- Graded examination Student information
30-MGS-3_ver1 Hauptmodul 2: Sozialisation und Bildung Seminar 1 Study requirement
Student information
Seminar 2 Study requirement
Graded examination
Student information

The binding module descriptions contain further information, including specifications on the "types of assignments" students need to complete. In cases where a module description mentions more than one kind of assignment, the respective member of the teaching staff will decide which task(s) they assign the students.

Degree programme/academic programme Validity Variant Subdivision Status Semester LP  
Anglistik: British and American Studies / Bachelor (Enrollment until SoSe 2011) Kern- und Nebenfach BaAngPM4; BaAngPM3    
Anglistik: British and American Studies / Master of Education (Enrollment until SoSe 2014) BaAngPM3; BaAngPM4    
Anglistik: British and American Studies (GHR) / Master of Education (Enrollment until SoSe 2014) BaAngPM4; BaAngPM3    
Frauenstudien (Enrollment until SoSe 2015)    
Gender Studies / Master (Enrollment until SoSe 2013) Hauptmodul 1   3 (bei Einzelleistung 3 LP zusätzlich)  
Geschlechterforschung in der Lehre    
Geschlechterforschung in der Lehre    

Members of this class are expected to upload preparatory pieces of homework on the topic/text of the week.

No eLearning offering available
eKVV participant management:
eKVV participant management is used for this course.
Show details
Limitation of the number of participants:
Limited number of participants: 40
Address:
WS2014_230274@ekvv.uni-bielefeld.de
This address can be used by teaching staff, their secretary's offices as well as the individuals in charge of course data maintenance to send emails to the course participants. IMPORTANT: All sent emails must be activated. Wait for the activation email and follow the instructions given there.
If the reference number is used for several courses in the course of the semester, use the following alternative address to reach the participants of exactly this: VST_48307771@ekvv.uni-bielefeld.de
Notes:
Additional notes on the electronic mailing lists
Last update basic details/teaching staff:
Friday, December 11, 2015 
Last update times:
Thursday, September 18, 2014 
Last update rooms:
Thursday, September 18, 2014 
Type(s) / SWS (hours per week per semester)
seminar (S) / 2
Language
This lecture is taught in english
Department
Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies
Questions or corrections?
Questions or correction requests for this course?
Planning support
Clashing dates for this course
Links to this course
If you want to set links to this course page, please use one of the following links. Do not use the link shown in your browser!
The following link includes the course ID and is always unique:
https://ekvv.uni-bielefeld.de/kvv_publ/publ/vd?id=48307771
Send page to mobile
Click to open QR code
Scan QR code: Enlarge QR code
ID
48307771