The Contagious Diseases law established by the British empire in the nineteenth century were the first systematic government attempt to deal with sexually transmissible diseases. They were also a coercive means of controlling female prostitution. In this talk, Levine compares four colonies-Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and India. The making of colonial knowledge around medicine and gender, Levine argues, is essential for understanding colonial readings of racial and sexual difference.

Hosted by: Department of History

In conjunction with: Art History Program, Asian-American Studies Program, Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies, Center for Global Studies, Department of Anthropology, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Department of English, Department of Gender and Women's Studies, Department of Media and Cinema Studies, Department of Sociology, Medical Humanities and Social Sciences Program, Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, Program in Science and Technology Studies, Spurlock Museum