This discussion-based seminar will give you the opportunity to articulate your reactions to various controversial texts and films on gender and sexuality. More specifically, in class we will explore representations of masculinity and femininity from various regions of the French-speaking world, including France, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Quebec. Attention will be given to how our understanding of gender differs from region to region and has evolved throughout the centuries. Important questions that we will ask include: How is gender defined in relation to biological sex? What roles does gender play in the formation of one’s overall identity? How is gender related to transvestism and drag? What is the relationship between gender and sexual attraction? How is our notion of gender shaped by religious beliefs? In our discussions, we will pay especially close attention to the emergence of the notions of transgenderism and non-binary gender. We will study works that assert an essential difference between “male” and “female” genders, and other texts that challenge this assertion by suggesting that gender is a social construct. We will also analyze literature and films that depict the evolution of women’s place in Western and non-Western societies. To inform our understanding of the primary texts, we will also study theoretical models of gender and sexuality. No language skills in French are required, as we will be reading the texts in English translation and viewing the films with English subtitles.