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The Body in Global History
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:48:17
Abstract
While being the universal constant which is common to every human being in history, the body is also culturally and historically specific. In this seminar we will examine how ideas of the body have changed throughout history and how these ideas of the body can be useful to understand political, social, and cultural phenomena in particular historical settings.
Objective
Students learn the history of the body from mid-eighteen century onwards through examples taken from the multidisciplinary scholarship on the body with a special, albeit not exclusive, focus on colonial and postcolonial contexts. More specifically, students are sensitized to the historical and cultural variabilities of the human body that challenge scientific understandings of it as an unchanging biological entity. Adopting a humanities perspective on topics like anatomy and surgery, the treatment of the insane, sexuality, physical culture, eugenics, and body productivity, the course looks at shifting attitudes to body health and fitness and the ways these have been shaped by considerations of gender, race, and class as well as by socioeconomic circumstances of modernity. It considers how bodies have historically concerned governments who have classified different (sections of) populations as 'fit' or 'unfit' to be members of a certain community. The ‘long durée’ approach of the course allows to consider the continuities and changes in terms of scientific epistemologies and practices regarding the body. In doing so, debated contemporary issues such as assisted reproductive technologies and wearable systems of surveillance of the worker fatigue in the workplace are discussed. The course is structured thematically, adopts a multidisciplinary approach, and uses academic texts as well as concrete examples. It intends to a) enable STEM students to develop new perspectives on their core subjects by bringing them in dialogue with the themes dealt with and by raising ethical questions; b) familiarise students in general with major topics in the field of the recent scholarship on the body and make them mindful of the multiple ways in which understanding the body and its relationship with culture and power can help think critically of the present we live in.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- DS , DR , MSC
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 50
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar | The Body in Global History |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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GESS Science in Perspective (Only the topics listed in this paragraph can be chosen as GESS Science in Perspective. Further below you will find the "type B courses Reflections about subject specific methods and content" as well as the language courses. 6 ECTS need to be acquired during the BA and 2 ECTS during the MA Students who already took a course within their main study program are NOT allowed to take the course again.)
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Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Competence (Suitable for all students. Students who already took a course within their main study program are NOT allowed to take the course again.)
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Type B: Reflection About Subject-Specific Methods and Contents (Subject-specific courses: Recommended for doctoral, master and bachelor students (after first-year examination only). Students who already took a course within their main study program are NOT allowed to take the course again. These course units are also listed under "Type A", which basically means all students can enroll)
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Doctoral Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (More Information at: )