Prepare an essay of 1250-1500 words (~5-6 pages) addressing the following question:
How do primary sources help us better understand the history of sexuality? The paper should analyze either a) how ideas or practices around a particular topic changed over time, or b) different perspectives on a particular historical event, or c) both. Follow the steps below in planning your paper:
Step 1. Select two (2) or more of the following primary sources available from the readings or lectures in Weeks 5, 6, 7, and 8 to analyze in your paper:
The 1946 film made by Disney & Kotex, “The Story of Menstruation” (Week 5)
Any or all of newspaper articles on HIV/AIDS (Week 6):
“A 2D AIDS Epidemic,” Op-ed by William Beauchamp, The New York Times, August 7, 1983
Michael Specter, “AIDS Onrush Sends Russia to the Edge of an Epidemic,” The New York Times, May 18, 1997
“In Debate on AIDS, South Africa’s Leaders Defend Mavericks,” The New York Times, April 21, 2000
Geeta Pandey, “The woman who discovered India’s first HIV cases,” BBC News, August 30, 2016
Loretta Lynn’s 1975 song “The Pill” (Week 7 lecture)
The 1982 documentary filmed in Puerto Rico, “La Operación” (Week 7)
The 1969 Bolivian film “Blood of the Condor” (clip shown Week 7)
The “Open Letter to President Museveni from mothers of LGBTQ+ individuals,” The Monitor, Uganda Edition, March 28, 2023 (Week 8)
Step 2. Use at least one of the following chapters from A Global History of Sexuality assigned for Weeks 6, 7, and 8 to help you interpret and contextualize your primary sources:
GHS, Chapter 4: Laura J. McGough and Katherine E. Bliss, “Sex and Disease from Syphilis to AIDS,” pp. 89-118.
GHS, Chapter 5: Eithne Luibhéid, “Sexuality and International Migration,” pp. 119-150.
GHS, Chapter 8: Richard Parker, Jonathan Garcia, and Robert M. Buffington, “Sexuality and the Contemporary World: Globalization and Sexual Rights,” pp. 221-260.
Step 3. The (very important!) fine print:
The Basics: Your paper should have a clear argument stated as a thesis statement in the introduction and backed up with sub-points and specific examples throughout the paper.
Format: If using a word processing application like Word or Google Docs, make sure your paper is double-spaced, with 12-point font and one-inch margins all around. Please include your name, the date, and your paper’s title.
Citations: If possible, use Chicago Manual of Style footnotes or endnotes to give citations. For information on Chicago style, see: https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/documentation/docchicago/.Links to an external site. Given the fact that we are all working on different digital platforms, you may opt to copy and paste your paper directly into the text box if you cannot upload one of the accepted document versions. If you copy and paste your paper, be sure to use in-text citation or manual endnotes for citations as footnotes will not appear. You must cite your sources in some way. Citations should include full bibliographic information (author, title, publisher info) and page number. Outside research is neither necessary nor encouraged.
No outside sources: If you feel compelled to include sources beyond the course materials, you must cite the source and use quotation marks around any borrowed text. But the paper should be based on course materials.