Speaker Explores 'Gender' as a Global Concept

December 1, 2010 — Most non-Western societies do not have a word for "gender," which refers to cultural ideas or expressions of sexuality, said Rina Williams, assistant professor of Studies in Women and Gender at the University of Virginia. But they do have words to describe a person as male or female.

The Studies in Women and Gender program will host guest lecturer Mrinalini Sinha, a history professor from the University of Michigan, who will consider the topic in her talk, "A Global Perspective on Gender: Some Reflections Against the Grain" on Dec. 3 at 5 p.m. in the auditorium of the Virginia's Mary and David Harrison Institute for American History, Literature and Culture and Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library.

Sinha also will participate in a panel discussion in the same location at 2:15 p.m. as part of "The State of Postcolonial Studies" conference, sponsored by New Literary History.

— By Anne Bromley

Media Contact

Anne E. Bromley

Office of University Communications