Megha Khanna

HIST 8520: Digital Historiography

HIST354        Gender, Sexuality, and History in the Digital Age

Instructor Name: Megha Khanna

Class Day and Time: Monday – 2 pm-3:15 pm, Wednesday – 2 pm-3:15 pm

Number of Credits: 3

Course Level: This is an upper-division undergraduate university course.

Email Address: khanna2xxxxx.edu

Phone: (864) 865-xxxx

Office Location: Hardin Hall, Clemson University

Student Hours: Monday – 3:30 pm- 4:30 pm, Wednesday – 3:30 pm- 4:30 pm

Course Description

This course offers an interdisciplinary exploration of gender and sexuality across historical periods, utilizing digital tools to enhance research, analysis, and presentation. By integrating gender and sexuality studies with digital humanities, students will critically engage with historical narratives and develop digital fluency alongside scholarly research skills.

Learning Objectives

Upon completing this course, students will be able to:

• Analyze and contextualize gender and sexuality within various historical periods.
• Evaluate the impact of digital tools on historical research and presentation.
• Utilize digital platforms like Zotero, Voyant Tools, ArcGIS, Airtable, Timeline JS, Canva and Zooniverse for scholarly research.
• Construct well-supported arguments incorporating both traditional scholarship and digital humanities approaches.
• Collaborate effectively in a scholarly community that values inclusivity and diversity.

Digital Tools

• Zotero: Reference management software.
• ArcGIS Online: Geographic information system.
• Timeline JS: Digital tool for interactive timelines
• Airtable: Relational database and collaborative workspace.
• Canva: Graphic design platform
• Zooniverse: Citizen science platform.

Assessment and Grading

• Class participation: 10%
• Assignments and activities: 30%
• Midterm Paper: 20%
• Final Project and Presentation: 30%
• End-of-Semester Reflection Essay:10%

Letter	Points/Percentages
A	91-100
B	81-90
C	71-80
D	61-70
F	Below 60

Weekly Course Schedule

Weeks 1-2

Introduction to Gender, Sexuality, and Digital History

Core Themes: In these introductory weeks, we will also explore core concepts in gender theory. This includes understanding how power structures shape gender roles, how identities are formed and challenged, and the concept of agency – our ability to act and make choices within social constraints.

• Introduction to Digital Research Ethics: As we delve into digital tools, it is crucial to understand ethical considerations for research. This includes respecting intellectual property, protecting privacy, and being aware of potential biases within digital resources.

• Foundational Concepts in Digital History: We will explore the need for digital history and how digital tools and methodologies can enhance historical research. The relationship between technology and the study of the past.

Readings:

• Tanaka, “Pasts in a Digital Age”, Part 1, Writing History in the Digital Age (2013), 35-46.
• Sunnucks, Lisa. ‘Introducing Gender’ from ‘The Routledge Companion to Gender History’. 

Assignment and Activities:

• Reflection Paper: Write a short paper (1 page) reflecting on your understanding of gender and how digital tools might influence it.

Weeks 3-4

Gender in the Ancient World and Zotero

Core Theme: Unveiling Gender Roles in Mesopotamia

This week delves into the roles and representations of women in early civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt. We will explore:

• Social and legal expectations for women based on primary sources like the Code of Hammurabi in Mesopotamia.
• How women were viewed by their societies through analysis of historical documents and artifacts.
• The lives of influential women during this period.

Digital Tool: Zotero

We will discuss about research methods in digital history. We will utilize Zotero, this reference management software helps you organize your research materials, create bibliographies, and cite sources in various styles (including Chicago!).

Readings:

• Cohen, D. J., & Rosenzweig, R. (2005). Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web: Introduction. To introduce the concept of digital history and its potential for transforming historical research and presentation.
• Halton C, Svärd S, eds. Mesopotamian Women. In: Women’s Writing of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Anthology of the Earliest Female Authors. Cambridge University Press; 2017:3-15.

Assignment and Activities:

• Digital Tool Exploration: Spend time exploring potential digital tools relevant to our course themes and create a Digital Archive with Zotero for this semester.

• Reflection Paper- Write a reflection on the analysis you have made on primary sources on how female roles are portrayed in Mesopotamian and Egyptian texts. 

Week 5-6

Women’s Lives in the Roman Empire: Voices and Spaces

Core Theme:  This week explores the complex lives of women in the Roman Empire by examining their social roles, legal status, and contributions to society. We will utilize digital tool to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences in different facets of life like legal status and social roles, education and literacy, family life and domesticity, religious practices and beliefs or economic activities and professions.

Digital Tool: Canva

Digital exhibitions and presentations are powerful tools for historians to communicate their research findings in an engaging and accessible way. They allow historians to:

• Engage a wider audience: Digital exhibitions are accessible to anyone with an internet connection, making historical research more public and inclusive.
• Enhance storytelling: By combining multimedia elements and interactive features, digital exhibitions can create a more immersive and engrossing learning experience for viewers.

Readings:

• Cantarella, Eva. Pandora’s Daughters : The Role and Status of Women in Greek and Roman Antiquity. Translated by Maureen B. Fant. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987. Pg 132-70
• Bowen, Sydney. ‘Using Temporal Word Embeddings to Reveal the Shifting Notion of Beauty in Vogue’ from Robots Reading Vogue 

Activities and Assignments:

• Collaborative Canva presentation – Work in small groups to curate a digital presentation on the lives of Roman women.
• Class Participation: Active participation in discussions and insightful contributions.

Weeks 7-8

Medieval Women and Witch Hunts

Core Theme: This week, we delve into the complex phenomenon of witch hunts in medieval Europe. We will explore the social, cultural, and political factors that contributed to the persecution of women accused of witchcraft.

Digital Tool: Timeline JS

Timelines are valuable tools for visualizing historical events and processes over time. By creating timelines, we can see how ideas, events, and persecutions unfolded in relation to one another. This week, you will utilize Timeline JS, a user-friendly platform, to create interactive timelines related to witch hunts in medieval Europe.

Readings:

• Sinclair, S., Ruecker, N., & Radzikowska, J. (2013). “Information Visualization for Humanities Scholars”, in Literary Studies in the Digital Age.
• Michael D. Bailey, Magic and Superstition in Europe, chapter 5 

Activities and Assignments:

• Timeline Creation with Timeline JS: You will create an interactive timeline using Timeline JS that depicts the key events, figures, and trends associated with witch hunts in medieval Europe.
• Reflection Paper: Write a reflection paper analyzing the factors that contributed to the rise of witch hunts in medieval Europe.
  • Why were women disproportionately targeted as witches?
  • How can timelines be used to analyze historical phenomena like witch hunts?

Week 9 – Midterm: Final Project Proposal

Objective: Your goal is to submit a detailed proposal outlining your chosen topic for the Final Project. The proposal should demonstrate your understanding of how gender and sexuality are intertwined within a specific historical context.

Requirements:

• Proposal Length: 5-7 pages, double-spaced, using Chicago citation style.
• Content:
  • Project Topic: Clearly define the historical period or event you will focus on in your final project.
  • Research Question(s): Formulate specific questions that guide your research and analysis of gender and sexuality within your chosen context.
  • Methodology: Explain how you will conduct your research. This should include:
    • Identifying relevant primary and secondary sources (books, articles, historical documents, etc.)
    • Utilizing at least one digital tool learned in class (e.g., Zotero, Voyant Tools, ArcGIS Online, Omeka, Timeline JS, Airtable) and explain how it will be used to analyze your data or sources.

Weeks 10-11

Renaissance and Spatial Analysis

Core themes: Examining Gender Roles and Experiences in the Renaissance with a focus on Spatial Analysis

• Analyze how the Renaissance period (14th-17th centuries) influenced and impacted societal views on women and their opportunities. 

• Discuss how women were portrayed in literature, art, and legal documents compared to their lived realities. 

Digital Tools: ArcGIS Online

The students will study the meaning and purpose of Spatial History. Spatial history examines the past through the lens of space and place. It uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze historical trends, social structures, and population demographics by mapping them to geographic locations.

Readings:

• Jardine, Lisa. ‘Women, Education, and the Sense of Self in Renaissance Italy from Women’s History in Global Context: Early Modern Europe.
• White, Richard. “What is Spatial History?” (2010).

Assignment and Activities:

• Spatial Analysis Project: Create a map highlighting essential women of the Renaissance period and their locations.
• Write a reflection paper discussing the insights gained from your spatial analysis project and the value of using GIS tools in historical research.

Weeks 12-13

Women in Industrial Revolution

Core Theme: How women’s lives got transformed due to the Industrial Revolution

This week focuses on the dramatic changes women experienced during the Industrial Revolution. We’ll explore:

• The transformation of women’s work: How the rise of factories impacted female employment opportunities, including factory labor and the continued role of domestic service.
• Beyond labor: We will analyze women’s contributions not only to industrial production but also to social movements that emerged during this period.

Digital Tool: Zooniverse

We’ll explore the Zooniverse the benefits of collaboration in the Humanities:

• Increased Efficiency: By involving the public, vast amounts of data related to women’s experiences in the Industrial Revolution can be analyzed more quickly.
• Diverse Perspectives: Collaboration brings together fresh viewpoints from different backgrounds, enriching the understanding of this historical period.
• Public Engagement: Citizen science projects spark public interest in historical research and raise awareness of the experiences of women during the Industrial Revolution.

Readings:

• Rose, Sonya O. “Women’s Agency and the Sexual Division of Labor in the Long Nineteenth Century”. 
• Hawkins, Amanda. ‘Linked Data and the Digital Humanities’_ (2022).

Activities and Assignments:

• In these weeks, we’ll delve into collaborative research through Zooniverse, a citizen science platform. You’ll participate in a project relevant to women’s history during the Industrial Revolution period. Zooniverse allows researchers to enlist the public’s help to analyze large datasets, accelerating historical research.
• Reflection Paper: Analyze the impact of the Industrial Revolution on women’s lives. Consider both the opportunities and challenges that arose for women during this period. How did the Industrial Revolution transform traditional gender roles, and what were the long-term consequences for women’s work and social standing?

Weeks 14-15

French revolution and building a data table

Core Theme: Women and the French Revolution

This week delves into the French Revolution and its impact on women’s lives. We’ll explore:

• Women’s participation in the revolution: We’ll analyze the roles women played in revolutionary events and their demands for greater equality.
• The impact of the revolution on gender roles: How did the revolution’s ideals of liberty and equality challenge traditional gender norms, and what were the lasting consequences for women?

Digital Tool: Airtable

We’ll study the benefits of Databases in research and the Digital Humanities:

• Structured Data: Databases organizes information in a structured format, making it easier to search, filter, and analyze data.
• Relationships and Connections: This allows us to establish relationships between different data points – for example, linking key figures to specific events they participated in.

Readings:

• Hunt, Lynn. “Women and the French Revolution”. Berghahn Books, 2004. (Chapters 1 & 2)
• Kosara, Robert. “Spreadsheet Thinking vs. Database Thinking”. databases, helping you understand the benefits of Airtable for this project.

Activities and Assignments:

• Airtable Workshop: Participate in a workshop that dives into Airtable’s functionalities. Learn how to create tables, add different types of data fields, and establish relationships between entries.
• Database Project – The French Revolution and Women: Utilize Airtable to create a comprehensive database documenting key figures (women who participated in the revolution), events, and milestones related to women’s experiences during this period. 

Week 16: Final Projects and Presentations

1. The final project is an opportunity to weave together your understanding of digital tools, historical analysis, and the course themes of gender and sexuality. You will use at least two of the digital tools learned in class (Zotero, Canva, ArcGIS Online, Airtable, Timeline JS) to create a historical argument focused on women, gender, and sexuality. It should showcase your research skills, analytical abilities, and ability to communicate historical insights.
2. Choose a historical period or event that relates to women, gender, and sexuality.
3. Utilize a digital tool (e.g., TimelineJS, Airtable, ArcGIS Online) to create an interactive timeline that showcases key events, figures, and social trends related to your chosen theme.
4. Integrate multimedia elements like images, videos, primary source excerpts, or links to external resources.

• Reflective Essay:

• In a short essay, reflect on the process of creating your digital timeline.
• Discuss the challenges and rewards of using your chosen digital tool.
• Analyze your historical insights and explain what your timeline reveals about the evolving conversation around women, gender, and sexuality across time.
• Consider how your project contributes to a broader understanding of the topic.