This course will introduce students to some of the major themes in the study of women in a global context. We will gain knowledge of how women’s experiences changed over time and varied according to location through an examination of the construction of womanhood in the political, cultural, institutional, and intellectual frame-works of different societies and in different historical periods. Students will develop an appreciation of how a focus on gender transforms the traditional historical narrative and also enhances our understanding of contemporary global politics and culture.