本課程探討現代藝術史中的性別與現代都會文化。以十九世紀的西歐工業、都會、與藝術史為研究文本，探討現代性與性別議題在都會文化發展中的昇華與流變。英國的維多利亞時期、德國的普魯士威廉時期、威瑪時期、乃至一九三零年代的法西斯潮流，性別議題如何隨著時代在西歐社會中被以不同的方式處理？在城鄉流動與階級變動中，性別符碼（gender codes）又是如何移轉與被操作的。
1980年代以降，西洋藝術史中的都會文化與性別議題研究是個有著豐富論著的領域，但近年來相關議題未獲得足夠的關注與進一步的討論，反而因「政治正確」的迷思而讓人卻步，使得年輕一代研究者在觸及相關研究議題時備感生疏。本課程將以西洋藝術史與現代都會史的宏觀論述作為基底，重新探究在都會文化脈絡下的傳統性別概念如何被生成與定義，以及在二十世紀現代 文化中所遭遇的問題，並進而剖析其後續如何被反省、檢討、乃至重塑。課程將在藝術史、都會史脈絡下探討幾個關鍵概念與議題，包括：「陰性特質（Femininity）」、「陰性書寫／創作（l’ Écriture féminine）」，以及相較之下主流社會對其認識相對薄弱且貧匱的「陽剛特質（masculinity）」、陽剛文化…等。男性在西方知識體系中，長時期以「無性別（ungendered）」（Jones, 1995; Tosh, 2005）的人類主體位置做為歷史與文化的主述者，此一現象本身歷經了哪些反思與檢視？此一視角開啟了1980年代後期至今，一系列探討十九與二十世紀工業都會文化性別特質與殖民文化下的陽剛氣質研究，在現代與後現代的論述中，各有所恃。
本課程將以現代藝術史為研究對象，帶領學生對上述議題進行思考與討論，以期進一步對照台灣與亞洲現代文化的發展境況，並從中學習相關研究課題的提問方法與尋找解答。

This course examines gender and urban modernity within the framework of modern art history. Using the industrial, urban, and artistic development of 19th-century Western Europe as a foundation, it explores the evolution of gender roles and modernity in the formation of urban culture. How have gender issues been addressed across different historical periods in Western Europe, such as the Victorian era in Britain, the Prussian Wilhelmine era in Germany, the Weimar period, and the rise of fascist ideology in the 1930s? Additionally, how have gender norms (gender codes) been redefined and negotiated through urban migration and class transformation? Since the 1980s, urban culture and gender studies have been prominent fields in Western art history, generating extensive scholarship. However, in recent years, discussions on these topics have waned, often stifled by concerns over political correctness. As a result, younger researchers may find themselves unfamiliar with these critical issues. This course seeks to re-engage with them by examining how traditional gender concepts emerged and were shaped within urban contexts, the challenges they faced in 20th-century modern culture, and the ways they have since been reconsidered, contested, and transformed. Key themes explored include femininity, feminine writing and creation (l’Écriture féminine), masculinity, and male cultural expressions—concepts that remain underexamined in mainstream discourse. Within the Western intellectual tradition, men have historically occupied the role of the “ungendered” subject, serving as primary narrators of history and culture (Jones, 1995; Tosh, 2005). What critiques and reassessments has this assumption undergone? Since the late 1980s, scholars have increasingly studied gendered aspects of industrial metropolitan culture, as well as masculinity in colonial contexts across the 19th and 20th centuries, each contributing distinct insights within modern and postmodern discourse.
By situating modern art history at the core of its inquiry, this course encourages students to critically engage with these themes. Through comparative analysis of modern cultural developments in Taiwan and Asia, students will also explore relevant methodologies and approaches to gender studies, fostering deeper insights into historical and contemporary perspectives.