CMPL 246 - Sex under Socialism: Narratives of Sexuality and Ideology

FC ARHU CD

4 credits
This course aims at exploring the unlikely combination of sexuality, ideology, and art in Socialist states. Focusing on literary, cinematic, and musical narratives from the Soviet Union and East Germany, we will look beyond the obvious flaws of the political systems infamous for their authoritarianism and total control. We will discuss sexual liberation and reproductive rights, shifts in gender roles and the family structure, and the development of the feminist movement and LGBTQ culture. While investigating the artistic representation of these topics, we will consider how artworks of different genres depict human experiences on the edge between the private and the ideological. Readings, subtitles, and discussion in English.

This course is appropriate for new students.
This course is cross-listed with GERM-246, RUSS-246