FRS 002D — Sec. 001 — (2 unit) — CRN 55896 — R 9:30-11:20am — 203 Wellman
Weddings and Marriage in America

Instructor: Elizabeth Freeman, Department of English, College of Letters and Science

Description: This course explores the history and function of marriage in the United States, as it has been and continues to be shaped by Anglo-American customs, Christianity, U.S. law, and global mass culture. We will use the “traditional” Anglo-American white wedding developed in the mid-1800s and beyond as a touchstone for discussing which institutions control marriage, how people symbolize their social world, and how our expectations about couplehood have changed over time. We will also examine the ways women, lesbians and gays, and people of various races, religions, and ethnicities have fought for the right to marry, for rights within marriage, and for radical restructurings of social life. Course includes readings and materials from a wide variety of disciplines and political perspectives, so please come with the understanding that you will be asked to read things you don’t agree with, and that your values will be respected in the classroom.

Format: The seminar will meet for two hours each week. The time will be divided between informal lecture presentations, discussion, and student presentations. Reading material will be provided. There is no text for the course. Grading: Students will be asked to do an in-class presentation for 1/3 of their grade, and to write a final paper (4-5 pages) for 1/3. The final 1/3 of the grade will be based on frequency and quality of discussion.

About the Instructor: Professor Freeman is a member of the faculty in the Department of English. Her research interests include nineteenth century American literature and culture and studies in gender and sexuality. She has written a book on the history of marriage law and its relation to wedding performances in U.S. culture, and is now working on a book on sexuality and time.