2014-2015 Academic Catalog

Sep 27, 2024

2014-2015 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

ENG 269 - Transgression and Policing: Eighteenth-Century Culture and Society

Transgression and Policing: Eighteenth-Century Culture and Society/Seminar In Britain and France, the 18th century was a time of momentous and uneasy transformation. Political, economic, social and scientific shifts undermined old political systems, as well as hierarchies of rank and gender. In every way, Europeans were overstepping the boundaries that had, at least in theory, defined their reality for preceding centuries. As old norms were threatened, efforts were made to carefully “police” political and social acts. Essential to this policing was the redefinition of what was considered transgressive. Using an interdisciplinary approach that will combine the study of history and literature, this course will examine the social, cultural, political and intellectual developments of 18th-century Britain and France through the lens of policing and transgression. We will explore the conditions that defined these movements as transgressive and track how forces of policing and change together created new norms. Students will read historical monographs, literature and other primary sources, which will be interpreted both as literature and as historical evidence.

Prerequisites: Permission of instructors. For undergraduate English majors, this course satisfies the Period (C-2) requirement.

Anticipated Terms Offered: Periodically