History 270 - (C) Aspects of American History: Oral History and Lesbian Subjects

Topics course: This course explores the history of lesbian/queer communities, cultures and activism. While becoming familiar with the existing narratives about lesbian lives, students are introduced to the method of oral history as a key documentation strategy in the production of queer histories. Our texts include secondary literature on late-20th-century lesbian culture and politics, oral history theory and methodology, a walking tour of Northampton, and primary sources from the Sophia Smith Collection (SSC). Students conduct, transcribe, edit and interpret their own interviews for their final project. The oral histories completed for the class become part of the Documenting Lesbian Lives collection in the SSC. Not open to first year students. (E)