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Gender, Sexuality and Power in China: From a Historical Perspective (Part 1) - Application Form

Please note that learners must be 18 years of age or older.

Instructor: Xiaoxing (BA, MA in History)

Course description: How did people in imperial China understand love, virtue, and desire before the arrival of Western gender and sexual categories? This course investigates how gender and power were organized and contested from the early Chinese empires to the revolutionary dawn of twentieth-century China.
Drawing on historiography alongside primary materials such as literature, art, legal and medical texts, we'll examine how gender and sexuality were lived, understood, and reimagined across centuries. We'll move from Confucian ideals that defined virtue and deviance to the "shared peach" stories of the Han and the gender-nonconforming tales of the Qing, from the physical discipline of foot binding to revolutionary currents of feminist movements.
What counted as normal? What was condemned as deviant? How can we meaningfully talk about the modern terms like "homosexuality," "transgender," and "queer" in imperial China? By the end of the course, we will uncover how these categories of intimacy shifted when the weight of tradition met Western imperialism, colonialism, and modern reforms.
Course time: 7:00 - 9:00 pm (Eastern Time Zone), Mondays, March 30th, 2025 - May 18th, 2026 (8 weekly sessions in total)
Course fees: 250~360 USD, based on a sliding scale of what you can afford. (If you require further financial accommodation, please reach out to us.)
Net proceeds from this course will be donated to Palestinian families in Gaza on our list, as well as other NPOs and registered charities helping Palestinian families. Please see our donation log for past donations.
If you've been approved to join a course, you'll receive an invoice from us from the email <contact.us@orangeblossomeducation.ca> via SquareSpace. Please note that the currency will be in Canadian dollars (CAD), converted from the price in US dollars you specified in this form, at the time the invoice email is sent. If you have any questions, please contact us by email <contact.us@orangeblossomeducation.ca>

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How much would you like to pay for the course (250~360 USD)? We will use the amount to invoice you.

Do you have any prior experience in learning Chinese history?

What issues or topics interest you? Such as social issues related to activism and organizing, etc., (Please provide specific details if possible. This will help us a lot in preparing our courses.)

I acknowledge the following rules if I am accepted into the course:

1. I will treat all participants, OBE staff and instructors with respect, and I will not bully or harass anyone. 2. I will not record any classes or share other participants' information. 3. I will not be disruptive in classes and OBE Discord server. 4. I will not deliberately share misinformation about anyone associated with OBE, or OBE itself. 5. I will not share the class meeting link or password with anyone. 6. I will not publish any class materials without obtaining consent from OBE. 7. I will not engage in commercial and political advertising in class, on the Discord server, or through unsolicited messages or email to our staff or students. I am aware that violation of any of these rules might result in my removal from a course, denial of enrolment in future courses and possibly legal consequences.
I acknowledge the following rules if I am accepted into the course:
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Any additional questions or comments?