History Midterm Flashcards
Gender
Social and cultural constructions of masculinities, femininities, and non-binary genders. As a social construct, gender varies from society to society and can change over time.
Sex
The different biological and physiological characteristics of females, males and intersex persons. At birth, infants are usually assigned a sex based on the appearance of their external anatomy (usually genitals). A person’s sex, however, is actually a combination of bodily characteristics including: chromosomes, hormones, internal and external reproductive organs, and secondary sex characteristics. Gender interacts with sex in various ways and is distinct from sex.
Gender Identity
Gender identity refers to a person’s deeply felt, internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond to the person’s physiology or designated sex at birth. Gender identity intersects with gender and sex in various ways, but is also distinct from both.
Gender Expression
External manifestations of gender, expressed through a person’s name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, and/or body characteristics, comportment etc.
Gender Expression
External manifestations of gender, expressed through a person’s name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, and/or body characteristics, comportment etc.
Gender Binary
the classification of gender into two distinct, opposite forms of masculine and feminine. In a binary model, sex and gender are often assumed to align by default.
Heteronormativity
The attitude that heterosexuality is the only normal and natural expression of sexuality. It assumes a gender binary and the natural alignment of gender, sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality.
Patriarchy
A system in which males and men hold primary power and dominate in politics, economy, social structures, family life, etc. Patriarchal theory asserts a gender binary in which females and women are viewed as inherently inferior to males and men. Patriarchal theory asserts that gender inequity is an inherent part of human social structures and human nature. Patriarchy upholds heteronormativity.
Misogyny
A hatred of, aversion to, or prejudice against women based upon their gender and/or sex. Also refers to speech or behavior that reflects, fosters, or supports misogyny.
BCE vs CE
BCE before common era
CE common era
PMN
Paleolithic period: roughly 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 BCE
Mesolithic period: roughly 10,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE
Neolithic period: roughly 8,000 BCE to 3,000 BCE
How is gender depicted in stone age on social media?
Men are depicted as being dominating women, sexualization of women, early history being depicted with white people, rape culture, true masculinity as strong and broad and women are responsible for childcare.
Brain pelvis disjuncture
Brains got larger and they used them to understand them, it evolved quickly and tripled in size. The size of brain meant flared pelvis. Narrow pelvis meant you can stand/walk longer. Narrow pelvis became as brains got larger. Birth canals have gotten smaller making birth hard and dangerous.
Implications:
Birth required help
Very early on they made processes and rituals to help give birth
Men and women helping them.
Mothers relied on others.
Conclusion:
Males and females were involved in same labour practices
The Venus of Willendorf
Fertility, goddess, self-representation (the way you’re looking down at your body and what you see).
What emerges in the Bronze Age
-The rise of urban developments, directly tied to the emergence of large-scale sustained agriculture.
-A system of authority and hierarchy emerges (male patriarchy and gender hierarchy)
-Major shifts in architecture(roads, buildings, sewage)
-Writing emerges
Fertile Crescent
Refers to area that today is modern day Seria, Iraq, Jorden, Palestine, Israel and into Egypt (the middle east).
Polytheism
believe in many gods, main(widely followed) god is Inanna/Ishtar goddess of life and war; have many tempal structures dedicated to this goddess.
Earliest writing we have from Mesopotamians are about ?
temple, religion, and beer (used cuneiform clay writing)
Women in bronze age
-occupied roles in beer making and selling
-roles in the temples
-roles in taverns (tavern keepers)
Tavern Laws in Bronze Age Mesopotamia
Rules about tavern and beer drinking
The advice of an Akkadian Father to His Son
-There is an established hierarchy between genders and class; gender hierarchy should not have power in household and a good wife will be reverent and submissive.
-Slaves considered to be a low class and not an ideal wife is not a Slave girl.
-Don’t marry a women devoted to Inanna
- Very heteronormative view, in the sense that only thinking about the sex between men and women.
-Clear patriarchy but on the other hand that not always the case, perhaps anxiety of women being able to dominate men.
The Parthenon
temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, inside there’s devotional objects for the goddess, statue of Athena.
Hellenism
to speak Greek or identify with the Greeks (Greek culture, habits, education, architecture etc.,)
Hellenization
-The spread of Greek culture throughout the ancient world.
-The apex of Hellenization occurred between 300’s BCE
-Alexander the great did lots of campaigns in middle east to spread Greek culture
Hermaphroditus
beautiful son of Aphrodite and Hermes, mixing of 2 genders
Hippocrates
-Physician and philosopher
-Humoral theory
-Hippocratic Oath
Aristotle
-Philosopher
-Taught in gymnasium in Athens
-Aristotelian Thought.
Galen
-Physician who worked and lived in Rome.
-Galenic Theory & Hippocratic-Galenic Theory
What are the 4 humors? (aka 4 liquids in the body)
Black bile, phlegm, blood and yellow bile
- Need to keep all 4 in balance*
What did to much blood mean?
Short-tempered
What did too much black bile mean?
Depressed
Female body based on humors
Cold, wet, soft, incomplete, weak, passive/inactive, irrational, and emotional
Male body based on humors
Hot, dry, hard, complete, strong, active, rational and logical
Heat during pregnancy
Male-cooked
Female-uncooked and therefore lactating and mentruating
Sexuality
The way individuals and groups express themselves, feel, and behave sexually. This involves physical, psychological, social.
Agape
divine love, community love, love of God, love of family/children/husband/ wife etc
Eros
Sexual love and passion, profound or idealistic love.
Philia
affectionate love, friendship, can be sexual or non-sexual. Dispassionate and virtuous love
Storge
love and affection for parents and children
Pothos/ Himeros
Desire, longing, yearning. Uncontrolled
Platos-The Symposium
Greek banquet/symposium where guests include Socrates
Throughout the philosophical text the characters debate topics such as the nature of love(eros), self-control, the nature of human behaviour, human sexuality etc.
Aristophanes story in The Symposium
Zeus slices the double gender (Androgynous) in 2 and then sews there back and that’s what made a belly button.
The humans felt lost without their other half after that and are always looking for each other (soulmate).
Conclusion: Same-sex relationships are a part of human nature
Putting cloak around partner means?…
sex/ marriage
Hand under the chin of someone means?
sexual suggestive and erotic gesture – it’s a sexual relationship
Older men and younger youth depictions
sexual relationship and this is a common relationship
Older man- active role, giver
Young man-passive role, receiver
Pederasty
sexual activity between a man and younger man/ youth/ boy
Tondo of the two brothers
Adrienne and Antonos
Lover died in river so he named the founded land “Antonos” (deceased lover)
How do we know that Adrienne and Antonos are lovers?
-Age difference is visible
-The outfits tell you this (Red is the young and white toga is older)
-Passive was depicted with lighter skin and Active with darker
Lesbian relationship depictions
Giving wreaths and chin tucking means love sex and desire
Going under the cloak
Sappho’s love for women
Homosocial & Homosocial Spaces
social bonds, relationships, and rituals between individuals and groups of the same gender. Homosocial spaces are the physical places that host, encourage, and require homosociality (ex. Locker rooms, boarding schools, sports teams, sleepovers).
What did the Symposium entail?
drinking wine, music, feasts, and sex. Where the wealthy people got together and debated political issues. Power gender and class dynamics were shown. ! Masculinity!
Symposium
Wealthy person has banquet in a big house. Group of men gather, and they eat lying down. They would then be washed by enslaved people.
Then the symposium begins, and the room is doused with a perfume to shift the mindset of the men. Garlands are presented and drinking begins.
Diluting of wine and masculinity
Masculinity occurred as some men were like “lets only dilute it a little bit”. They also all had to drink at the same time so some would show masculinity by drinking quicker.
Women at Symposium
Women attended as flute players (low class, sex worker, beautiful, enticing and nude). These women were very vulnerable, and they are in a homosocial space with men, and are the only woman there. These women can’t decline, saying no is not simple. As the men get more drunk, they get sick and windows get smashed, flute girls get assaulted.
Tavern drinking parties
drinking parties that are less homosocial because it is less elite and more public
Homosocial spaces among women-
cult of Dionysus was usually devoted by women
Maenads
-Nurses & companions of Dionysus
-Mad-women, frenzied dancers, crazed devotees.
-Historical: women devotees of Dionysus cult and rituals
Plutarch
These women would travel town-to-town to do these frenzied rituals. Women scared that soldiers would assault them for devoting to Dionysus. Strong women came together and protected each other.
Women Worshippers of a Dionysian Deity, Demosthenes and how they are similar to symposium men rituals.
-Women were also diluting wine
-They were dousing themselves with perfume
-They would dress in leopard and fawn skin
-Sing hymns and songs
Diodorus of Sicily
Women drank undiluted wine more than men. Women get a state of madness by doing this.
The rape of Europa
Zeus lusted Europa. He turns himself into a white bull to get her.
She jumps on the back, and he carries her away in the water.
Europe- imbedded in rape narratives
Roman myth: Romulus and Remus
God raped Rhea Silvia and gives birth to Romulus and Remus and Rhea sends them away. Romulus decided to host a big party and invites a bunch of men and their daughters, the early Romans kidnapped the Sabean women and raped them. Rape means kidnapping. Raptio can mean abduction and rape.
The Rape of Lucrecia
Lucricias husband and Sextus are fighting in the war. They start drinking wine and start a heated debate about who has the best wife. They go see where their wives are and see what they’re doing.
The women are partying and drinking except Lucrecia, so her husband wins the debate.
Sextus will kill Lucrecia if she doesn’t have sex with him and ruin her honor. So, he rapes her.
She knows she is innocent but wants to die because she doesn’t want to carry on with what happened, so she kills herself. “I will die so my name is never used unchastely”
Roman Family ‘familias’ Structure
- Paterfamilias (Father/Oldest Man in the household)
- Sons
- Daughters
- Servants/enslaves
Patria Podestas
Power of the Father
Patria Podestas
Power of the Father
Augustus Caesar
First emperor of Roman Empire (after defeat of Cleopatra and Marc Anthony)
Enlarged Roman Empire
He has overthrown the last obstacles in his way and established as an empower.
Establishes a series of moral reform related to marriage, procreation, and sex called the leges Juliae (Julian laws) between 18-17 BCE
Augustus Caesar
First emperor of Roman Empire (after defeat of Cleopatra and Marc Anthony)
Enlarged Roman Empire
He has overthrown the last obstacles in his way and established as an empower.
Establishes a series of moral reform related to marriage, procreation, and sex called the leges Juliae (Julian laws) between 18-17 BCE
How is gender, sex and sexuality used to consolidate political power?
- Core of who we are. By applying laws to organize society
- Time where kids are not looking like their paterfamilias and women are sleeping with everyone
- He establishes moral reform
- Mothers are praised for offspring resembling father
Example of a Julian Law
Husband cannot kill wife when she performs adultery, but if he does, he is to be punished leniently if justified by suffering
Adultery was seen as rape
Sulpicia
Wrote of love, sex and desire in woman’s words
Corpus Tibullianum
-I’m in love and I’m going to shout it!
-Women have their own sexual desire
Love between father and daughter: Cicero and Tullia
Feel compelled to commemorate her because he loves her
Autonomous women: Julia Felix, Pompeii
Self-made, probably a slave
No clear parentage
Jews in the ancient world:
sacred writing including the Hebrew Bible were written and collected over hundreds of years
Hebrew bible
tells stories of the Israelites political histories with surrounding groups including Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians etc.
What does Yahweh mean?
God
Jews are…
Monotheist in a polytheist world
Genesis 1
Created humankind as a male and female in a single act
Genesis 2
God creates man, puts him in a garden and tells him not to eat from this try, woman was not there to hear this
Then God creates woman through the rib of a woman to be his helper, not being told to not eat from the tree
Then was tricked to eat the apple from the forbidden tree and was reprimanded for it
Eve has committed the original sin; original sin is something that later Christians speak about. Therefore, every human is born from Adam and eve, and we all bare the effects of this original act.
Trope of all women as being a sinner, seductive and can’t be trusted, have no self-control are rooted back to this moment but we don’t know if eve was ultimately even responsible.
God told the man first showing sins of patriarchy in this story
Christianity was seen as a…
sexual deviant movement
The Octavius tells us that within Christianity…
incestual acts, eating ritual meals, getting really drunk and then having orgys. (Christians call each other sister and brothers) (early Christians used Agape to refer to these gathering)
Agape Feasts for early Christians
drinking, eating, and orgies
Blood of the martyrs are…
the seed of the church
What is Martyrdom of Perpetua?
Describes how her and other Christians are arrested and placed in jail due to refusal to the participation of the cult of the gods. They are sent to the judge and sentenced to death for refusal to participate in the cult of the gods by an area to fight to the death. She then experiences visions in her jail cell before entering the area and describes her body changing by her breasts not being swollen and hardening and turning into a man.
Talks about her breasts vanishing, then being unrobed and being a man, then describes the fight with masculine language .
Martyrdom of Polyeuct and Nearchus (Queer love)
They are two roman soldiers (saints in the church now)
Nearchus is Christian and other is not, nearchus is arrested for being Christian and condemned to death for not participating in the cult to the gods.
Polyeuct converts to Christianity so they could die together because he didn’t want to life without him
“Remember our secret pledge”
Gospel of Mary
Wither women could hold positions of authority in the church
Suggests it was written during the lifetime of Jesus (2nd century 100s)
Mary is preaching, she is the authority in the community. People in the community and peter think she’s lying because there is no way god would set her up to be the authority of the community.
This did not make it into the bible.
What changed while transforming to Medeival Era?
Big period of ruralisation and places become wild
Small communities moved to higher places to protect themselves and then move down for agriculture.
Commodities become rarer (wine, gold), and are replaced by trees, wool
Women turned old coins into necklaces
Clothing changed and became for local (style and what they were made of)
Peasant homes- medieval village
Homes would be shared amongst a lot of family
Christianity carries through and becomes the dominant religion in medieval times
Santa Christina de Lena church
Humble churches become these grand churches (cathedral)
Medieval becomes predominately Christian in politics and daily lives
The local level christianity
Mixed religious beliefs and local practices
Debates of what priest was
Mystic beliefs
Pilgrims
Tales of dragons, mermaids, and fairies
Would distinguish between magic and Jesus
Mappa Mundi-packed of clues that point out that Christians mixed mystical and Jesus
-Worldview is Christian
-Whole bunch of mythical creatures
-Unicorns could fight big creatures and were prone to beautiful maidens that could calm them
-Werewolves; Transformed from men
Spells:
Reverse miscarriage for women
Praying and spirits
Say the spell and then go to church
Interest in fertility and efforts around birth
Division of labour according to gender
Women: cleared wood, spinning wool and flax
Men: plowed fields
Women working song:
Extra marital relationship and husband knows
They are poking fun out of the fact they are doing this
Male honour
Shows lax about sexuality as they joke about it
Often, we don’t find rigidness about sexuality in local level. Reflect openness and humour about sexuality and marriage.
Marriage at local level:
women beating up husband with a distaff
Marriage is fraught
Women is active and male is passive
Using symbol of femineity to castrate/ beat men
Showing emasculation; failed masculinity
Elite Level of christianity : Augustine of Hippo (St. Augustine)
Christian that lived just as roman empire ended
Original sin: Notion before Adam and eve sinned
Separated Jesus from everyone
All women descendent of Eve, Men descendants of Adam
Inherited the original sin from Adam and Eve
Lust and sexual desire were a product of original sin and there was no lust and desire before original sin
The fact that we experience lust and desire, that is proof we lack freewill, and we are therefore sinful
Women were inherently second of men
Eve ate first so she carries a heavier sin
Women are more corrupted than men because of this original sin
St. Augustine: City of God
Not sex positive at all and should not have sex at all, ideally.
Virginity and chastity brings them closer to god
On Lust
In paradise people have sex by deliberate choice (to reproduce) and not by lust or desire
Desire is bodily and that is bad, the soul is with God and not a part of lust.
Lay peoples
regular people, reproduce, have jobs, get married
Monastics (monks and nuns)
took sacred vows to not have sex/chastity (thinking on Augustine’s teachings), the vow of poverty, and vow of obedience (follow their religious rules).
Virginity and Monasticism
If you have sex, you are far from being man (ideal)
Male is ideal and women can achieve that if they follow Christ
Depending on how you live life you can change gender
Trans acceptance? Or honorary title?
Medieval monasticism emerges as a site of gender fluidity, bodily commentary, spiritual eroticism, and sometimes explicit sexuality.
St Marino’s, Lebanon
Medieval trans narrative in the context of Monasticism
Assigned female at birth, but transitioned to male in the monastery
Dresses as man
Accused of raping- “ the young monk… the attractive one called Marinos”
“I have sinned as a man”
But we know he is assigned female and cannot conceive a women’s baby
He takes care of baby, but when he dies they find out he was wrongly accused
What is dead naming?
to name the person their assigned name at death- happened to Marinos
Red line depictions
vasectomy, removing of breast
St Bernard of Clairvaux, France
Monk and head of monastic order
Very devoted to virgin Mary- Marian devotion
Mary becomes anecdote to Eve
Mary seemed accessible to people
Huddle under her cloak
St Bernard said that Mary fed him breast milk because she came to life when he was devoting to her
Spraying her breast milk to save people from hell
Carry vile with virgins breastmilk for protection and purity
St. Hildegard von Bingin, Germany
Pope authorized her to preach in public
She was a beer brewer, gave reproductive care, provided help or abortion
“Woman may be made from man, but no man can be made without a woman.”
Women should have sex and be pleasured
Pleasure is necessary in the act of sex
Describes women orgasms
The entire universe is shaped like the vulva
Pilgrim vulva Badges- protect from evil eyes or illness
Could be rejection of sexuality
Symbol of availability for sex, up for grabs
St Brigitta of Sweden- had vision of Christ showing the wound on his side and of her eating his foreskin
St. Catherine of Siena – had a mystical vision of marrying god and the ring was foreskin
Very devoted to body and blood of Jesus Christ
Circumcision of Christ- they wanted the foreskin to have a “piece of god”
Transgender
An umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth
Cisgender
An umbrella term for people whose gender identity aligns with what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Genderqueer/ Non-binary
An umbrella term for gender identities that are outside the gender binary, including identities that are neither male nor female.
Intersex/ Hermaphroditism (outdated):
People born with sex characteristics (including genitals, gonads, and chromosome patterns, etc.) that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies. Intersex is an umbrella term.
Transvestism (a largely outdated term)/ Cross-dressing):
The practice of occasionally or often wearing clothes and accessories traditionally associated with a gender different than that which the individual identifies with or is perceived as. (Not drag and not same as being drag, not done for entertainment/ performance)
Evidentiary sites of Medieval Genderqueer & Trans History: LITERACY
St. Marino’s
Qalonymos:
* Struggling with gender identity
* They desire to be a women
* “To fashion me with a lasting deformity”- how he wants to be a woman and being male is his deformity
* Queering the binary, but confirming the binary as well
* Writes about how wonderful it would be to be a women
Qalonymos- Even Bohan: wrote about what it would be like to be a women (jewelry and making bread etc)
Evidentiary sites of Medieval Genderqueer & Trans History: Material/ Archeological
Suontaka Burial Site
* someone wearing jewelry and cloaks and broach and then a sword that is associated with men
* Mixing of gender material objects
* High status/ wealthy
* Could be 2 people in the grave people thought, but it was a grave for one person. They also thought it could be a Viking woman, but women would not be buried with the mixing of gender material at this grave site.
* This person has Klinefelter’s disorder so they had an extra X chromosome, they have breasts, can have fertility issues and have more feminine features.
* Genderqueer possibility in viking times and was embraced in the community
Evidentiary sites of Medieval Genderqueer & Trans History: Archival
The case of Eleanor Rykner- arrested and brought into court
Man that dressed as women and was a sex worker
She was also an embroideress
Hegemonic masculinity
A dominant socially constructed form of masculinity which is normalized and “culturally exalted above other expressions of masculinity”
Normative masculinity
A particular understanding, expression, and framing of masculinity that is presented as the most natural and most ideal expression of masculinity. All other masculinities are presented as deviations from this norm and inherently less masculine.
Toxic masculinity
Refers to elements of hegemonic masculinity that can be harmful to men, women, and society overall.
How particular hegemonic, normative, and toxic masculinity are often rooted in (mis)interpretation of the medieval referring information from left visual field period.
Chilvalry- princes and kings, fighting, aggressive, rape, damsel in distress
Hate groups and medieval symbols:
Unite the right rally, black eagle in a round shield. Neo-Nazi supremacy groups. Racism of Muslims. The black eagle is related Saint Maurice.
Crusading symbol
Flag with the othala rune-reclaiming the white homeland
These extreme group use these medieval symbols for misogyny, hegemonic masculinity, and white supremacy.
Viking Gender Roles- Daniel McCoy
Man- honorable warrior and farmer, they are more accomplished and renown
Woman- housekeeping duties, they were appreciated but it is not as valuable
He presents this as it is facts
He is using his own thoughts and tries to back it up with medieval past, when in reality it is his personal thoughts on gender roles
Birka tomb
- women warrior, this tells us that women were warriors in medieval times
Some Viking basics
- Centered in Scandinavia
- Largely an oral culture & Runic carving. Most writings about Viking societies were recorded by non-viking authors
- Vikings did not collectively refer to themselves as “Vikings”. The term is derived from an old norse verb that means “to go viking” “to go travelling”
Odin
god of knowledge and death: One eye and gave his eye away, shown with ravens who get infor for him.
Goldgubber
Gold foil plaques.
Depicts a richly dressed couple standing up and embracing.
Ritual items are perhaps used for weddings, fertility, and context related to sexual intimacy.
They have also shown same-sex marriage
