Ateneo - UPO

The History of Women and Gender Identity: Female Mobility and Travel in the Modern Age (XV-XIX sec.)

Annastella Carrino, Prima lezione di storia di genere, Bari-Roma: Laterza, 2026 (avilable on MLOL); Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks, Le donne nell'Europa moderna, Torino: Einaudi, 2017 (available on MLOL); Attlio Brilli, Le viaggiatrici del grand Tour, Bologna: il Mulino, 2020; Soources, academic articles and essays will be uploaded in PDF format to the course's Dir area.

The course aims to provide advanced analytical tools based on the latest historiography regarding the role of women and the construction of gender identities in modern history, analyzing case studies focused on mobility and travel. At a basic level, the course pursues the following objectives:

- Knowledge of the concepts and historiographical shifts in research on women and gender in the context of modern travel.

- Knowledge of the specific experiences of women in relation to major social, cultural, and institutional events in specific local and global contexts.

- Acquisition of methodological tools for interpreting, analyzing, and critically examining historical phenomena.

- Acquisition of the specialized language used in university-level academic literature, particularly within historical analysis.

 At an advanced level, the course objectives are:

- In-depth knowledge of research and analysis methodologies regarding the role of women and the cultural construction of gender identities over the long period;

- Ability to move within the history within the broader historical, cultural, and social context, critically evaluating continuities and discontinuities across different settings.

- Ability to form critical judgments on the topics discussed—reflecting personal synthesis—and to present the required material fluently and precisely, using appropriate specialized terminology. The 6 CFU credits provided by the course are broken down by teaching method as follows: lecture-based (4 CFU), interactive (1 CFU), and self-directed learning (1 CFU).

basic knowledge of the major events and turning points in modern European history

Lectures with use of ppt presentations and audio/visual materials.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/servicesstudents-physical-or-learning-disabilities. Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.


An oral exam lasting at least 20 minutes, covering: a) key turning points in the history of women and gender in the early modern period, in light of recent historiographical trends; b) issues and dynamics regarding women's experiences in the early modern period; c) characteristics of women's travel in the early modern period. Students are therefore required to demonstrate: 1. Knowledge of the key turning points in historical research on women and gender, as well as its interpretive potential. 2. COMPETENCIES: acquisition of fundamental concepts for analyzing the history of women and gender; acquisition of interpretive tools specific to historiographical practice. 3. Soft skills: the ability to present course topics clearly and persuasively, with a critical stance and using appropriate terminology. The following weightings will be applied to these aspects when assessing the achievement of learning objectives: 1. 40%; 2. 40%; 3. 20%. The final grade is determined on the following criteria: - 18 to 21/30. Sufficient knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts of the course, the areas of inquiry in historical research on women's history, and gender concepts. Sufficient ability to understand and contextualize critical issues in women’s and gender history through the topics of the module. Minimal ability to independently apply the knowledge acquired and to communicate it using appropriate terminology. Minimal ability to acquire new skills. - 22 to 25/30. Fair knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts of the course and the areas of inquiry in historical research within the field of women’s and gender history. Fair ability to understand and contextualize critical issues in women’s and gender history through the topics dealt with the course. Fair ability to independently apply acquired knowledge and communicate it using appropriate terminology. Fair ability to acquire new skills. - 26 to 28/30. Good knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts of teaching and the areas of inquiry in historical research, accompanied by critical awareness. Good ability to understand and contextualize the topics addressed in the course. Good ability to independently apply the knowledge acquired and communicate it using appropriate terminology. Good ability to acquire new skills. - From 29 to 30/30 cum laude. Excellent knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts of teaching and the areas of inquiry in historical research, accompanied by a high level of critical awareness. Excellent ability to understand and contextualize the gender dimension in historiography through the topics covered in the module. High ability to independently apply the knowledge acquired and to communicate it using appropriate terminology. High ability to acquire new skills.

1. Historiography of women’s and gender history: concepts, debates, methodology; 2. Norms, boundaries, and spaces of female mobility in the early modern period; 3. Forms of mobility I: Devotional and religious mobility; 4. Forms of mobility II: Work, subsistence, and migration; 5. Forms of mobility II: Elite mobility; 6. Women’s travel writing; 7. The female Grand Tour.

To achieve a minimum passing level of knowledge and competence, students are required to demonstrate: Knowledge: Familiarity with key concepts, debates and major historiographical turning points regarding women's and gender history in the long modern period (15th–19th centuries). Understanding of the diverse forms of female mobility and their connections to patriarchal structures, socio-cultural contexts, and early globalization processes. Competence: Acquisition of fundamental methodological concepts for the historical analysis of phenomena from a gender perspective. Acquisition of interpretive tools to decode travel practices, support networks, and flows of female mobility at both local and transnational levels. Transferable Skills: Ability to present course topics clearly and persuasively, employing the specific terminology of gender history and early modern historiography. To achieve an advanced level, students must demonstrate: A comprehensive and cohesive understanding of the material covered, combined with a solid command of the theoretical and methodological tools of women's history; Active and confident command of the discipline's vocabulary, alongside excellent powers of expression and formal accuracy; Ability to independently synthesize the case studies analyzed and to develop interdisciplinary connections.