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Women in Global History: An Introduction (c. 1800–1950)
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:38:04
Abstract
The course explores women’s contributions to global history between c. 1800 and 1950. Using family structure, gender ideology, and social hierarchy as analytical lenses, the seminar focuses on several themes like state formation, industrialisation, nationalism and colonialism, the emergence of feminist movements, and women’s intellectual achievements especially in science and historical writing.
Objective
Students approach the history of women in different historical and cultural contexts from around 1800 to 1950 through examples from the relevant multidisciplinary scholarship with a special, albeit not exclusive, focus on colonial settings. More specifically, students are sensitized to women’s relationship to world developments and their role as global actors in the past two centuries. The course is structured thematically, adopts a multidisciplinary approach, and uses theoretical texts as well as empirical case studies. At the end of the course, students will be able to a) develop new perspectives on the ‘gender of history’; b) familiarise with relevant topics in the field of the recent scholarship; c) think critically of the present through a better understanding of the history of women.
Content
Explaining why women’s history exists and why it complicates our understanding of the past, the course critically engages with debates about the role played by women across time, space and cultures. In doing so, it considers key developments in the history of the modern world – and in the particular in the colonial world – that have been traditionally analysed through a masculine lens. Some of these developments are: the formation of the nation-state, nationalism and nation-building in the context of imperialism and anti-colonialism; the emergence of feminist movements and the role of women in the birth control movement and eugenics; women’s activism in social reform and colonial ‘civilising missions’ with a focus on their role as medical doctors and scientific experts; women’s achievements in the scientific and academic fields and how these contributed to challenge the ideology of gender. The attention to science and gender paid by the seminar intends to foster discussions on the persistence of the gender gap in STEM fields as well as on the cultural beliefs about the meaning of gender that still permeate scientific knowledge.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- DS
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Registration & Places
- Max Places
- 30
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| seminar | Women in Global History: An Introduction (c. 1800–1950) |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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Science in Perspective (In “Science in Perspective”-courses students learn to reflect on ETH’s STEM subjects from the perspective of humanities, political and social sciences. Only the courses listed below will be recognized as "Science in Perspective" courses.)
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Type A: Enhancement of Reflection Competence (SiP courses are recommended for bachelor students after their first-year examination and for all master- or doctoral students. All SiP courses are listed in Type A. Courses listed under Type B are only recommendations for enrollment for specific departments.)
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