This course explores the role of gender in shaping humans' identities and power structures in several 20th-century circumstances around the world. Questions of political and legal rights, including emotional equity, public health and definitions of marriage, as well as social issues, such as wearing a veil, family concerns, and work inside and outside the home may be considered. The larger goal is to compare how gender distinctions have shaped human experiences across different cultures in the past century. Our readings will include historical and journalistic sources. This course will conclude with a discussion of what we learn about gender in society from the experience of transgender individuals.