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World History and the History of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Author(s): Merry Wiesner-Hanks Source: Journal of World History, Vol. 18, No. 1 (Mar., 2007), pp. 53-67 Published by: University of Hawai'i Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20079410 Accessed: 20-03-2015 16:22 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. University of Hawai'i Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of World History. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions World History and the History of Women, Gender; and Sexuality MERRY WIESNER-HANKS University ofWisconsin-Milwaukee of the development of world excellent?study on the Patrick remarks World History, Manning In history, Navigating lack of intersection between social history and world history as the two over the last several decades.1 World history and fields have developed the history of women, gender, and sexuality have also seen relatively his recent?and which several women's historians, few interchanges, including Bonnie in various and have noted I, Smith, Judith Zinsser, Margaret Strobel, in Navigating World History, writing venues.2 Manning does as well as a history of great states and long-distance "World history, especially of gender and little space for women included little trade, recognition ... it remains studies of women and gender roles in world that striking so and that have their has been history slowly developed development to a small number of themes."3 restricted about this issue, Manning this be? In his comments sug Why might reason is for this the "well that the that established gests presumption 1 Patrick Manning, Navigating World History: Historians Create a Global Past (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003). 2 "And Now for Something Different: the Judith P. Zinsser, Completely Gendering in The New World History: A Teacher's Companion, ed. Ross E. Dunn World History Survey," and "Women's History, World History, and the Con (Boston: Bedford, 1999), pp. 476-478, struction of New Narratives," Bon 12, no. 3 (2000): Journal ofWomen's History 196-206; inWomen's History inGlobal Perspective Vol. 1, ed. Bonnie Smith nie Smith, "Introduction," of Illinois Press, 2004), "Women's PP- I-8; Merry Wiesner-Hanks, (Urbana: University and World Radical History Review 91 (Winter Courses," 133-150; History History 2005): and Margaret of Women's His and Marjorie "The Theory and Practice Strobel Bingham, in Global in Smith, Women's tory and Gender pp. 9-47. History, History Perspective," 3 pp. 208, 210. Manning, Navigating World History, i Journal ofWorld History, Vol. 18, No. of Hawai'i Press ? 2007 by University 53 This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 54 JOURNAL OF WORLD HISTORY, MARCH 2OO7 lives are acted out in the private sphere of the family rather than the public and politics" and notes that sphere of the economy one reason scholarship on colonized seems to be leading the societies to world history is that "in colonial situ way in a gendered approach state in the interferes the of families and values social ations, working among presumption generally."4 This may indeed be a well-established women's world whom of knows very well. Most historians Manning gender, and sexuality today begin with the exact opposite pre is not the same as the his that women's sumptions, however: history state in the working of that the the family, has always interfered tory to continues of families and social values (and do so), that the bound aries between and shifting, variable, public and private are contested, and perhaps don't really exist at all. statements and his thorough of the field of discussion Mannings see as the reason I would world history what highlight inadvertently historians, women, for this situation: women's/gender history and world history have both at the same time as, in part, revisionist argu interpretations developed ing that the standard story needs to be made broader and much more or uninterested as both have been viewed by those hostile complex; "had "having an agenda." Both have, as Judith Zinsser has commented, to write with the stories of men's lives in the United States and Europe on in their readers' memories."5 Both have concentrated paramount time in their own lines of revision and, because there is only so much a day and only so many battles one can fight, have not paid enough to what attention is going on in the other. Thus neither has a very good idea of what the other has been doing over the last several dec the other in terms that the other would ades, and each conceptualizes see women's history as a matter of find old-fashioned: world historians see world history families and private historians life; women's/gender as area studies and world-systems theory. and The primary revisionary and women's paths in world history in opposite directions. In Patrick Man is connections of the within the story history The world historian's work is to portray the community. of boundaries and the linking of systems in the human past."6 gender history ning's words, global human crossing As David have also been "world Northrup commented 4 Ibid., p. 210. 5 Zinsser, "Women's History," 6 Manning, Navigating World recently, world history has been p. 197. History, p. 3. This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions the Wiesner-Hanks: World History and the History ofWomen 55 In contrast, after an initial flurry of story of the "great convergence."7 over is global," women's and gender history the last "sisterhood decades have spent much more time on divergence, categories making ever more complex. There was, of course, the Holy Trin of difference age, ity of race, class, and gender, but there was also sexual orientation, and able-bodiedness. Women's marital status, geographic location, that every key aspect of gender relations?the historians emphasized between the between family and the state, the relationship relationship so on?is and and and class historically, culturally, gender sexuality, a looks that like male/ dichotomy?public/private, specific. Everything female, gay/straight, black/white?really so as to problematize that is, complicated nature of the oppositional pair. isn't, but should be "queered," the artificial and constructed that most historians revisionary differing paths have meant as of scholars themselves women, identify gender, and sexuality as world historians, and both leading thus do not think of themselves and younger scholars who do identify as world historians do not regu on or or as a women include focus primary cat larly sexuality, gender These who in the fact that is reflected egory of analysis. This lack of intersection was only one at the 2003 World History Association there conference, full panel and two individual papers (out of forty panels) that focused on women, or were two at the conference there 2004 gender, family; two at two and individual and the conference 2005 papers; panels no none was At of conferences and these there papers panels. anything on sexuality. Of the eighty articles in the last five years of the Journal examine women or gender, and ofWorld History, only three specifically none focuses on sexuality. Of the more than thirty books in the Ash series "An World: The gate Expanding European Impact on World His one on women or not focuses tory 1450-1800," gender, though there is one on families. This could be because gender is so well integrated as a category of analysis that separate articles or books aren't necessary and stir" stage has been vaulted (in other words, that the "add women case. not is but this the over), to the From the other side, well over half of the paper proposals in Conference the Berkshire Women's several last years it was History held (1996, 1999, 2002, 2005) focused on U.S. history, despite the fact that the 1996 Berks theme was "Complicating the 1999 Categories," theme was "Breaking Boundaries," and the 2002 theme was "Local 7 History David Northrup, and the Great Convergence: "Globalization Rethinking in the Long Term," Journal ofWorld History 16 (2005): 249-268. World This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions JOURNAL 56 OF WORLD HISTORY, MARCH 2OO7 and Global Knowledge." The 2005 Berks theme was even Knowledge more pointedly uSin Fronteras: Women's Global Con Histories, global: but about half the proposals were still in U.S. history. Yes, versations," the "globalization" of U.S. history has affected women's and history, issues such many of the papers that focused on U.S. topics considered as migration, various American ethnic neo-imperialism, diasporas, were and transnationalism. still about the United States, identity, They in the last five years of however. Of the eighty-eight articles published sHistory, only eight are what Iwould term "world the Journal ofWomen two-thirds do deal with the topics, topics outside though history" to the American Historical United States. Of the books submitted for consideration Association for the Joan Kelly Prize in by publishers two women's for the last books a year), years (about ninety history about 40 percent focus on U.S. history, another 40 percent focus on a Europe, and about 20 percent are about the rest of the world. Only handful take on topics that have been at the center of world history, or encounters such as trade, cultural diffusion, between population groups. some people may interpret all these numbers as intentional Though on the part of journal editors and conference I exclusion organizers, to know that it more edit a journal and have run enough conferences or papers submitted. con Because likely reflects a lack of manuscripts ference paper submissions often come from younger includ scholars, the prospects for the imme ing those still in graduate school, however, much world history does not involve diate future aren't great?too and gender history focuses on the gender, and too much women's United States. The lack of interchange between world history and social history, seem to be world history and women's and between history, might as a as most stories women's link it with of field history directly related, of the 1960s and 1970s and also with the rise the feminist movement in the 1960s. That is one latter connection of the New Social History In a recent article in however. always been comfortable, sHistory, comments that "there was Scott the Journal ofWomen Joan women's from social history. about inevitable arising history nothing terms the grain of the and against feminists Rather, argued, within con that women were a necessary and new left Marxism, behaviorism that has not If they were omitted, key insights were for social historians. sideration was male historians cele constructed. While lost about the ways class brated the democratic class, histori impulses of the nascent working to its gender hierarchies ans of women [and] also offered a cri pointed tique of the ways in which labor historians reproduced the machismo This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions World Wiesner-Hanks: of trade unionists. themselves History This and the History did not (and still find always themselves) ofWomen 57 sit well, indeed feminists found at meetings of labor ghettoized historians."8 this from a conference years ago sponsored by History its subtitle to "a jour had which Journal, just changed Workshop only nal of socialist and feminist historians," but in which the two sides of not equal.9 That that linking were still quite separate and definitely has changed; the editorial board at History Workshop Journal is now I remember and that of Radical History Review has slightly exactly gender balanced, more women than men. (What's going on in labor history, at least in terms of journals, has been complicated the by the dispute between and its publisher, Taylor and Francis, which editors of Labor History led to a founding of a new journal in 2004, Labor: Studies inWorking Class History of theAmericas, edited by Leon Fink. The editorial board more of the new journal is distinctly than that of gender-balanced Labor History, in its mission however, and the phrase "men and women" does appear statement.) Scott's labor history and Despite sliding from one to the other, leftie history are not the same as social history, of course, though both are often seen, like women's history, as growing out of the New Social of the 1960s. In the last several decades, however, women's History have stressed that what they do is not always social history, historians to avoid the very presumption about the limitation of women's lives to the private sphere of the family that Manning talks about. They assert cannot that there is really no historical be analyzed from that change a feminist perspective, and no historical change?or continuity?that in some way. (They also assert that did not affect the lives of women these two things are not the same, that is, that feminist analysis does not have to be about women.) in historical They argue most forcefully fields in which the fit seems less obvious and in which the resistance to women's history has been greatest?intellectual history, political 8 "Feminism's Journal of Women's 16, no. 2 (2004): Joan Scott, History," History to Parasitism," "From Supplementarity and 10-29. With responses by Afsaneh Najmabadi, in Feminism's "Power and Politics Future." Evelynn M. Hammonds, History?and 9 in 1983, was titled "Religion That conference, and Society" held and organized by and Lyndal Roper, who subsequently edited a confer Samuel, James Obelkevich, Raphael ence volume, Disciplines and (London: Routledge of Faith: Religion, Patriarchy and Politics a session on "Women ended with conference and Christianity Paul, Kegan 1987). The the conference "released a great deal organizers note in the book introduction Today," which is a very understated of anger." This of a scene Iwill never forget, with people description shouting and standing on chairs, those in the back of the room calling for the heads of those who that the topic of the session thought those in the front just as fervently arguing could be discussed that it had to be. in a dispassionate way, This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions and JOURNAL 58 OF WORLD HISTORY, MARCH 2OO7 is in part because who doesn't love a history, military history. This more But I it would because has been also, argue, good fight? satisfying to take on people in such fields than those who are and comfortable and intellectually. closer politically when women's histori Generally ans set what they do up against "traditional" history, that "traditional" ismore often the story of states and history, despite Scott's comment, unions that of labor and socialist parties. than generals The "women's history" also and "gender history" split between mixed up in this distinguishing of women's history from social has recently commented that "social his Najmabadi history. Afsaneh was most of the women's former but tory [that is, welcoming history], as gender became a troubled cate anxious about the latter, especially at the of gender history occurred gory in itself."10 The development same time as the "linguistic turn" and "the new cultural history," and two are in and out of the fields?the in some people's minds?both became to the linguistic historians related. Many women's responded harshly turn. Wasn't it ironic, they noted, that just as women were learning and asserting they were part of history, "history" they had a history, In her won construct? became just a text and "women" just a historical in Liz article Church "The titled 1998 History, Lady Vanishes," derfully were we at to told abandon the Clark wrote, just subjectivity "Why historical moment that women had begun to claim it?"11 sHis In an article in the most recent issue of the Journal ofWomen in U.S. women's surveys books and dissertations history criticizes Lerner and Gerda documents the trend toward 1998?2000, and discourse. She comments that culture, representation, studying eco in interest and the "the subject of class is being massively ignored, to be fad nomic lives in the past seems generally realities of women's a interest She and "low order of aroused also criticizes, finds, ing."12 by women's organizations, topics such as suffrage, women's struggles for subjects in general," and calls for equality under the law, and political more and experi research that "focuses on the activities, thoughts, tory that ences of women," and that also constructs an paradigm for egalitarian history of men a "new theory that develops as agents of his and women 10 "From Supplementarity," p. 32. Najmabadi, 11 "The Lady Vanishes: Dilemmas of a Feminist Historian after the Elizabeth A. Clark, consideration 67 (1998): 3. Clark also has a book-length 'Linguistic Turn,'" Church History of the linguistic and the Linguistic Turn (Cambridge, turn, History, Theory, Text: Historians Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2004). 12 Gerda Lerner, "U.S. Women's Past, Present and Future," Journal ofWomen's History: 16, no. 4 (2004): 10-27, with responses by Kimberly Springer, Kathi Kern, Jennifer History is on p. 21. M. Spear, and Leslie Alexander. The quotation This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Wiesner-Hanks: World History and the History ofWomen 59 tory."13 In recent speeches, Lerner 's critique of the focus on represen tation has been even sharper. turn provoked and led to splits The strong reactions linguistic within many other historical fields as well. Most recently, however, cultural history, or rather the more broadly defined "cultural studies," has portrayed force but as a healer of all wounds, itself not as a divisive a sort of humanistic unified field theory. "Cultural studies" understands on Web sites and in essay collec itself?at least in self-descriptions tions?as I've been including everything talking about: social history, women's "social" gender history. The word history, world history, most in of the studies cultural appears programs?social descriptions construction do social of social relations?as words that ory, values, and suggest (though they rarely use the word) history?contemporary and and present past. past cultures, change continuity, Cultural studies does not understand itself as growing out of or even linked to social history, however, and even less to anthropology. Both Colin Sparks (in the readerWhat IsCultural Studies?) and Simon Studies Reader) locate the origins of cultural (in The Cultural in two books of literary theory, The Uses of Literacy by Richard and Culture and Society by Raymond Williams.14 Hoggart Sparks does a "shift from the aesthetic note to the that these two represented was it definition of but when culture," only anthropological literary criticism shifted that a new field was born. The fact that anthropolo During studies definition of culture" for quite some gists had had an "anthropological time did not seem to matter. Nor did it seem to occur to the folks at Towson State's cultural studies program that someone, somewhere in both the of life have been might already studying "aspects everyday a in and the include their of the present past," phrase they description his program's objects of study.15 They do world history and women's race of and ethnic course, studying "gender, sexuality, class, tory, too, we can just and national ity, globalization, identity." So apparently connections about and stop worrying promoting finding interchange, because cultural studies has done it for us. as you can imagine. There are some problems with this, however, 13 Ibid., pp. 22, 24-25. 14 of Cultural inWhat Colin "The Evolution Is Cultural Studies? A Studies," Sparks, The Cultural Reader, ed. John Storey (London: Arnold, 1996), pp. 14-30; Simon During, Studies Reader The Uses of Literacy (London: Routledge, (New 1999); Richard Hoggart, Culture and Soci Brunswick, Publishers, N.J.: Transaction 1991); and Raymond Williams, ety, 1780-1?50 (New York: Columbia Press, 1983). University 15 http://wwwnew.towson.edu/clst/. This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 6o JOURNAL OF WORLD HISTORY, MARCH 2OO7 the sweeping (and often breathless) self-definitions, programs Despite and readers in cultural studies tend toward the literary and the contem from programs that often grew out of the porary, as might be expected to of Simon During's introduction theory wing English departments. Studies Reader notes first that the field's focus is culture, but the study of contemporary then adds, "more particularly, culture."16 A are included some course in the general few historians and readers, same also include the about and "contemporary descriptions language historical" that the program definitions do. But it is, not surprisingly, in cultural studies materials that there primarily produced by historians ismuch concern with the deep past, that is, the past before the inven The Cultural are often specifically These materials framed as "cul a reification that has both benefits and detri tural history," however, nature of some studies of culture, but it highlights the historical ments; that is not cultural, while also implies that there is some history the of cultural studies imply no such limits. definitions tion of television. use a highly gendered metaphor?that I don't think, therefore?to cultural studies is quite the white knight and unifier that it represents is shared by some of the historians and itself as being. That sentiment most with the who who have been associated field, yet anthropologists nature. Lynn Hunt, to stress its problematic continue for example, was in the 1990s, has whose The New Cultural History required reading more recently published Beyond theCultural Turn.11 The anthropologist in goes even further, putting culture in quotation marks Sherry Ortner in quotation marks her edited volume The Fate of "Culture."l8 Things or Jacksonian ?the Athenian "Enlightenment," "democracy"?are clearly things that raise questions, not answer them or make them moot. if cultural studies can't provide a unified-field theory, and most not most women's does involve and and gender history gender, on is United much focuses the there States, promise of inter history to I I like think there is, and would end with several examples change? I see this promise becoming of work in which reality, work that brings gender, and sexual together world history and the history of women, as world present themselves ity.Most of these studies do not explicitly So world 16 Studies Reader, p. i. During, Cultural 17 of California Press, ed., The New Cultural History Lynn Hunt, (Berkeley: University of Cal the Cultural Turn (Berkeley: University Bonnell) 1989) and (with Victoria Beyond ifornia Press, 1999). 18 of ed., The Fate of "Culture": Geertz and Beyond (Berkeley: University Sherry Ortner, California Press, 1999). This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Wiesner-Hanks: World History but they use concepts history, in world influential extremely tiers, migration, transnational, and the History ofWomen 61 or investigate topics that have been fron encounters, borderlands, history: and national and regional identities, heterogeneity. Manning colonialism are already is absolutely and post right that studies of colonialism seem to be leading the way?so much so, in fact, that we in work on gender and into revision and self-criticism sHistory The Winter colonialism. 2003 issue of the Journal ofWomen was a special issue: "Revising the Experiences of Colonized Women: Indonesia, India, Igbo Beyond Binaries," with articles on Australia, issue also had a sep and the U.S. Midwest.19 That land, Mozambique, section on historians, of women and sources, and historiography in and India that modern "dissolving" "rethinking" gender emphasized various boundaries. It is not surprising that this section focused par areas, South Asia has seen the ticularly on India, for among colonized arate most of India, including Tanika Sarkar, historians Manu have developed and Goswami, Visweswaran, insightful construction in India of and national the of gender identity analyses era often horrific and the colonial and the continued, violent, during in particular of these constructions repercussions today.20 Sarkar research. Feminist Kamala highlights sometimes devoted mother, the role of female figures?the expected as Mother but also the loving and India, conceptualized the theoretical nationalist Though iconography. sacrificing wife?in in this scholarship is postcolonial, Sarkar and Visweswaran framework to of postcolonial also take subaltern studies and much scholarship a as of task for viewing actual women "eternal feminine," type largely that denies women and abject, an essentialism victimized agency and turns gender into a historical not a dynamic constant, category. 19 Claire C. Robertson and Nupur Chaudhuri, the Experiences of Col eds., "Revising onized Women: 14, no. 4 (Win Beyond Binaries," special issue, Journal ofWomen's History ter 2003). 20 Tanika Sarkar, Hindu Wife, Hindu Nation: Community, Religion and Cultural Nation alism (New Delhi: Indiana University Permanent and Press, 2001) Black; Bloomington: in Hindu Rashtra," Economic and Polit "Semiotics and Women Children of Terror: Muslim icalWeekly, Manu Goswami, India: From Colonial 13 July 2002, pp. 2872-2876; Producing to National of Chicago and Kamela Press, 2004); Economy University Space (Chicago: Nationalist "Small Speeches, Subaltern Gender: Visweswaran, Ideology and Its Historiog on South Asian History and Society, ed. Shahid Amin raphy," in Subaltern Studies IX: Writings and Dipesh For more Press, (Delhi: Oxford University 1996), pp. 83-125. Chakrabarty see Temma and colonialism, and "Revolution, Nationalism, reading on gender Kaplan, to Gender History, in A Companion ed. Teresa A. Meade and Merry E. Anti-Imperialism," and Mrinalini "Gender Wiesner-Hanks pp. 170-185; Sinha, (London: Blackwell, 2004), in Smith, Women's and Nation" pp. 229-274. History, This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 62 JOURNAL OF WORLD HISTORY, MARCH 2OO7 large number of works on India has led some scholars of colo to argue that Indian history has become the master subaltern and that Indian women have iconic of somehow become narrative, Iwas not surprised to find the cover image "gendered postcolonialism." on a recent issue of Radical History Review, an issue titled "Two, Three, The nialism a photo Worlds: Radical Methodologies for Global History," two of Indian the environmentalists Bee and Rashida women, graph sense Devi Shukla.21 This choice of makes image given the Champa in the issue, which lead article focuses on the aftermath of Bhopal, in global environmen and given the powerful role of Indian women two tal movements. with these Vandana Shiva has women, (Along on issues become of and the prominent biodiversity especially global Many But it does reinforce the iconography. to do justice to the many be impossible studies of some excellent recent work on like to mention other parts of the world.22 Gender and nationalism has clearly been a area with of edited collections and key scholarship, monographs.23 in many of the new col There are articles on gender and nationalism lections on nationalism, and a special issue in 2000 of the new journal ization of resources.) it would Because I would South Asia, titled "The Awkward Nations and Nationalism Gender Relationship: s Feminist Review, Gender and History, and Nationalism." and Women Studies International Forum have all had special issues on nationalism, on global in the new collections and there are chapters on nationalism as s in Bonnie Women such Smith's Per Global gender history, History to Gender History. and my Companion spective, and in Teresa Meade is is going both ways, as it must: the interp?n?tration Thus gender 21 Duane and Ian Christopher eds., "Two, Three, Many Worlds: Fletcher, J. Corpis for Global History," Radical Methodologies issue, Radical History Review 91 (Win special ter 2005). 22 see Barbara Ramusack, For surveys of recent work on South Asia, G?raldine Forbes, in Modern and Antoinette "Women and Gender India: His Burton, Sanjam Ahluwalia, and Historiography," torians, Sources, 14, no. 4 (2003); Nupur Journal ofWomen's History in South and Colonialism Gender and Southeast "Clash of Cultures: Asia"; Chaudhuri, in Twentieth of Gender: "Frameworks Feminism and Nationalism Molony, inMeade and 513-539. and Wiesner-Hanks, Asia," pp. 430-444 Companion, and Catherine See, e.g., Ida Blom, Karen Hagemann, Hall, eds., Gendered Nations: in the Long Nineteenth Interna Nationalisms and Gender Order (Oxford: Oxford Century and Barbara Century 23 and Minoo Moallem, eds., Between Woman tional, 2000); Caren Kaplan, Norma Alarcon, and the State (Durham, N.C.: Duke Uni and Nation: Nationalisms, Transnational Feminisms, Aamir Mufti, Ella Sho (Anne McClintock, versity Press, 1999); Social Text Collective Liaisons: Gender, Nation, and Postcolonial hat), eds., Dangerous Perspectives (Minneapolis: of Minnesota Gender and Nation Press, 1997); Nira Yuval-Davis, (London: Sage University Publications, 1997); and Gender Privilege, 2000). and Elizabeth Thompson, Colonial Citizens: Republican Rights, in French Syria and Lebanon (New York: Columbia University Paternal This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Press, Wiesner-Hanks: World History and the History ofWomen 63 into of nationalism, and nationalism it into considerations making construction of nationalism and the of gender. The considerations are important themes in this communities imagined nature of national are viewed as important agents in that construction, work, but women to show up as a is also beginning nations do result. Gender and actual as new in such the collection transnationalism, category of analysis by s Human Hesford and Wendy Kozol, Just Advocacy? Women Wendy and the Rights, Transnational Feminisms, and the Politics of Representation, new journal Meridians: Feminism, Race Transnationalism.2* construction of gendered ethnoracial has been categories strong area of research, including Jane Merritt's At the Cross and roads: Indians & Empires on a Mid-Atlantic Frontier, ijoo-ij6^ Muddied Waters: Race, Region, and Local History Nancy Appelbaum's in Colombia, is also the focus of Susan Kellogg's This 1846-1Q48.25 The another in Colonial Mexican Images of Race "Depicting Mestizaje: Gendered Texts" and Martha Hodes's Power "The Mercurial Nature and Abiding of Race: A Transnational Family Story."26 Some of this work, and much is about discourse of the scholarship on gender in colonial South Asia, and representation?in this Gerda Lerner would not be pleased?but much of it is explicitly feminist work part of the burgeoning political, on gender and the state. Studies that are clearly in what we usually think of as the realm of two articles from social history are fewer, but here I would highlight both about North American last year in the Journal ofWorld History, on women in Japan: Manako women's establish missionary Ogawa's ment of a settlement house in Tokyo right after World War I and Karen on the World YWCA to occupied visitation Garner's Japan right after World War 24 Wendy Transnational II.27 Jennifer L. Morgan's Hesford Feminisms, Laboring Women: Reproduction and and Wendy Women's Human Kozol, eds., Just Advocacy? Rights, and the Politics of Representation (New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers Uni versity Press, 25 Nancy 2005). Muddied Waters: Race, Region, and Appelbaum, Press, 2003); and (Durham, N.C.: Duke University 1846-1948 roads: Indians & Empires on a Mid-Atlantic Frontier, ijoo-ij6$ North Carolina Press, 2003). 26 Susan Kellogg, Gendered "Depicting Mestizaje: Images can Texts," Journal ofWomen's 12, no. 3 (2000): 69-92; History Local History Jane Merritt, (Chapel Hill: in Colombia, At the Cross University of in Colonial Mexi of Race and Martha Hodes "The and Abiding Power of Race: A Transnational Nature Family Story," American Historical Review 108, no. 1 (2003): 84-118. 27 Karen Garner, and Postwar Reconstruction: The World "Global Feminism YWCA to Occupied Visitation and 15 (2004): 191-228; Japan, 1947," Journal of World History in Downtown Manako "'Hull-House' of a Settlement Ogawa, Tokyo: The Transplantation into Japan and the North House from the United States American Women, Missionary Mercurial 1919-1945," Journal of World History 15 (2004): 359-388. This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions JOURNAL 64 OF WORLD HISTORY, MARCH 2007 inNew World Slavery explores the way that work and reproduc Gender tion both shaped the economic value, gendered identity, and day-to women in New World.28 The the West Africa and lives of African day and production trade of ways gendered patterns consumption shaped over very long periods emerge inMichelle Maskiell's worldwide study of Kashmiri shawls and Maxine response Berg's analysis of European to Asian of the thematic essays in Teresa Meade Several luxury goods.29 toGender History address social history topics: labor, and my Companion and Anne Walt the family, popular religion, schooling.30 M. J.Maynes or to ner provide do comparative of how suggestions global social his on tory in several articles focusing marriage.31 but even a more com This brief survey is certainly not exhaustive, as as not it should be, and would also be skewed be long plete list would of issues: race, political toward certain rights, slavery, representations in is far less social and economic the "Other." There history gendered trends are a reflection of than one would expect. These global history as a whole, in history of course; one can hardly what has happened as a seen "fad" now for thirty years to expect a subfield that has been as I is the newest trend. But they are also a reflection, avoid whatever more and gender being of women eager to argued earlier, of historians the French, take on what seem to be less likely fits?the Renaissance; Restora the Meiji and Scientific Revolutions; Haitian, American, sure that the stories of formalized power relationships tion?to make men. and of intellectual change do not remain stories of ungendered wrote and Kathryn Kish Sklar As Linda Kerber, Alice Kessler-Harris, s History, to U.S. History as Women the most in the introduction sig serves to task has been "to discover how gender nificant legitimize par to meld into these of power and knowledge, ticular constructions accepted That practice and state policy."32 point still needs to be made, for gender remains what Randi 28 inNew World Slav and Gender Reproduction Laboring Women: Jennifer L. Morgan, of Pennsylvania Press, 2004). ery (Philadelphia: University 29 and Empires, Shawls Kashmir: Michelle Jour 1500-2000," Maskiell, "Consuming and Maxine nal ofWorld History 13 (2002): 27-66; Berg, "In Pursuit of Luxury: Global His Past and Present 182 (2004): in the Eighteenth Goods Century," tory and British Consumer 85-142. 30 and Wiesner-Hanks, Meade Companion. 31 in aWorld B. Waltner, "Women's Life Cycle Transitions and Anne Mary JoMaynes His in Women's and China Historical Journal of Europe," Marriage Comparing Perspective: as World in Smith, Women's and "Family History 11-21, History," tory 12, no. 4 (2001): History, 32 Women's pp. 48-91. Linda Kerber, History Alice (Chapel Kessler-Harris, Hill: University Kish Sklar, eds., U.S. History and Kathryn Carolina of North Press, 1995), p. 7. This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions as Wiesner-Hanks: World History and the History ofWomen 65 in global political and has called an "expertise of the margins" intellectual history, where there are huge areas that have not been ana or gender, to say nothing of sexu lyzed at all in terms of either women ality.33 (There are now nearly thirty books on the history of English so won't someone please, please do the manly Mongols?34) masculinity, Warne But I think that world history might provide historians of women, gen to also work on social history der, and sexuality with an opportunity seeming too fuddy-duddy. topics without 33 Randi Warne, Current Perspectives, lanum Press, 2000), 34 In the oral such studies, of these have J.A. Mangan on Religion: in Secular Theories the Gender-Critical Turn," "Making Rothstein Museum Tuscu ed. Tim Jensen and Mikhail (Copenhagen: pp. 249-260. of this paper, I estimated that there were more than ten presentation to count them, which and then I decided almost tripled my estimate. Many a world history angle, but their primary focus is on British men. They include in Britain and America, 1800 Middle-Class and James Walvin, Masculinity 1940 (New York: St. Martin's, Hyam, Empire and Sexuality: The British 1987); Ronald and John Manchester Press, (Manchester: Experience University 1990); Michael Roper in Britain since 1800 (London: Routledge, Tosh, eds., Manful Assertions: Masculinities 1991); and the British Organization Man Since 1945 (Oxford: Oxford Michael Roper, Masculinity Masculinities and Identities (Cambridge: Cam Press, 1994); David Buchbinder, University the Victorian Press; 1994); Donald Hall, Muscular bridge University Christianity: Embodying Soldier Heroes: Brit Press, 1994); Graham Dawson, Age (Cambridge: Cambridge University ishAdventure, (London: Routledge, Empire, and the Imaging of Masculinity 1994); James Eli Dandies and Desert Saints: Styles of Victorian Masculinity Adams, (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell, in the Colonial Con 1995); Anne McClintock, Imperial Leather: Race, Gender and Sexuality test (London: Routledge, The "Manly English Sinha, Colonial Masculinity: 1995); Mrinalini in the Late Nineteenth man" and the "Effeminate Bengali" Manchester (Manchester: Century theMale: Men's Bodies, Britain, and the Press, 1995); Joanna Bourke, Dismembering University Great War and Stephen (London: Reaktion Books, eds., 1996); Mark Breitenberg Orgel, in Early Modern Anxious Press, Masculinity England (Cambridge: Cambridge University in the Eigh National Cohen, 1996); Mich?le Identity and Language Fashioning Masculinity: teenth Century Forever England: Reflec (London: Routledge, 1996); Jonathan Rutherford, tions on Race, Masculinity and Empire (London: Lawrence & Wishart, Krish 1997); Revathi The Economy of Michigan naswamy, (Ann Arbor: University Effeminism: of Colonial Desire in Nine Mansex Fine: Religion, Manliness and Imperialism Press, 1998); David Alderson, British Culture Manchester Press, (Manchester: 1998); Tim teenth-Century University Hitchcock and Mich?le 1660-1800 Cohen, (London: Addison Wes English Masculinities, in Victorian and theMiddle-Class Place: Masculinity Home ley, 1999); John Tosh, A Man's Conn.: Yale University The Trials of (New Haven, Press, 1999); Angus McLaren, England of Chicago Press, Masculinity: Policing Sexual Boundaries, i8jo-ig^o (Chicago: University in Early Modem Sex and Marriage 1999); Elizabeth Foyster Wiley, Manhood England: Honour, Kent, Gender and Power in Britain, (London: Longman, 1999); Susan Kingsley 1640-1 ggo inVictorian and Spirituality (London: Routledge, Bradstock, ed., Masculinity 1999); Andrew Culture (New York: St. Martin's, 2001); Michael Staging Masculinities: Mangan, History, The Three-Piece 2002); David Kuchta, Gender, Performance (London: Palgrave Macmillan, Suit and Modern Masculinity: of California Press, England, 1550-1850 (Berkeley: University in Early Modern 2002); Alexandra (Oxford: Oxford Shepard, Meanings of Manhood England and the Boys' Story Paper in Britain: A Cultural Press, 2003); Kelly Boyd, Manliness University (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, Biberman, Masculin History 1855-1Q40 2003); Matthew and Early Modern English Literature: From the Satanic to the Effeminate Jew ity, Anti-Semitism This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 66 JOURNAL OF WORLD HISTORY, MARCH 2OO7 's survey of recent work in U.S. women's history finds that on women and dissertations African American tend to books, articles, on focus much more on women's and than class the does organizations rest of U.S. women's to in and "more be the reali interested history, ties of lives of the past than they are in interpretation and representa Lerner seen first of these areas?women's organizations?has a so as from of those many many perspective, world-history had a global reach and mission. Gendered class analysis organizations one where is from a global perspective, another and matter, however, intersection the insights gained through the of gender, investigating in constructions and race, and the role of gender of the sexuality, can nation and national be fruitfully applied. identity, We may now be at a point where the opposite paths of world his tion."35 The studies and gender history?one toward convergence, and tory and women's the other toward divergence?could be coming together. In his discus sion of the emphasis on convergence in world history, David Northrup commented that this may have been an overly "cherished framework," now needs more attention from world historians.36 and that divergence of women On the other side, historians and gender are clearly more to instances of encounter to pay particular attention and con willing as is clear from the exploding on gen amount of scholarship vergence, der and empire. Increased between world history and the interchange can help develop what we of women, gender, and sexuality history to call the "new, new social history." This would not be choose might the breathlessly totalizing unified field theory that cultural studies pre sents itself as (what the physicist Michio Katu has called "an equation an inch long that would allow us to read the mind of God"), but one on the strengths of many that builds subfields: the tradition of collab orative and collective work in radical and feminist history; the empha sis on interaction, and connection from world history; the exchange, focus on the agency of everyday people from the "old" new social his tory; the attention to hegemony, hierarchy, and essentialism from queer The English 1600-1750: 2004); Thomas A. King, The Gendering ofMen, of Wisconsin Press, 2004); Paul R. Deslandes, Oxbridge Men: University and the Undergraduate Indiana British Masculinity Experience, 1850-1?20 (Bloomington: inNineteenth-Century and Masculinities Press, 2004); and John Tosh, Manliness University Britain: Essays on Gender, Family, and Empire (Harlow, England: Pearson Longman, 2005). in liter and it does not include studies of masculinity This list is probably not exhaustive, at which would add another least ature, thirty. 35 Lerner, "U.S. Women's p. 19. History," 36 "Globalization." Northrup, (London: Ashgate, Phallus (Madison: This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Wiesner-Hanks: World History and the History ofWomen 67 theory; the stress on dif theory, critical race theory, and postcolonial of analysis between multiple ference and on intersections categories are all lines of that offer These from women's interchange history. are two and lenses that have "Gender" much much, promise. "global" to re-vision history in the last several been used, largely separately, and decades. Putting them together allows us to create both telescopes new never seen see to we've find further and microscopes, things before, and to see very familiar things in completely new ways. Postscript this paper in January 2005 and revised it over the follow it was going into press, the 2006 World History Associa As ing year. at Long Beach. tion conference was held at California State University were to issues entire sessions At that conference, there three devoted I presented of gender and/or sexuality, and several additional individual papers; one of the sessions was specifically to look at "confluences" organized of gender and world history. Papers included analyses of brand-new to familiar topics, some from areas of con topics and new approaches cern to social historians, such as the family and work, and others from as constructions cultural history, such of imperial encoun gendered ters. It is clear that the creative interchange I call for here has already and world history Ihmeellinen! huzzah! Fabuloso! Wunderbar! between gender history begun, and to that, I say Odorokubeki! Csod?s! Ajabu! This content downloaded from 210.212.93.44 on Fri, 20 Mar 2015 16:22:15 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions