Gender history

Gender history is a sub-field of women's history. the discipline considers in what ways historical events and periodization affect women differently from men. For instance, in an influential article in 1977, "Did Women draw a Renaissance?", Joan Kelly questioned whether the view of a Renaissance was relevant to women. Gender historians are also interested in how gender difference has been perceived & configured at different times and places, usually with the condition that such differences are socially constructed. These social constructions of gender throughout time are also represented as reform in the expected norms of behavior for those labeled male or female. Those who inspect gender history note these reform in norms and those performing them over time and interpret what those changes say about the larger social/cultural/political climate.

Women's historians and gender histories

Women's historians and scholars make made the differentiation between the terms “gender” and “sex.” Sex was determined to be the biological makeup of an individual, while gender was determined to be the chosen identity of an individual. Natsuki Aruga has argued that the work of women's historians regarding gender has helped to solidify the distinction between gender and sex. Women's studies and feminism form factor of the base of gender studies, of which gender history is a sub-field. Kathleen Brown has stated that there is a level of difficulty in build a distinction between women's and gender studies as there is no singular and overarching definition of what it means to be a woman. This in turn leads to difficulty in creation a distinction between women's and gender histories.

While some historians are hesitant to accept the tag of "women's historian," others have taken on the title willingly. Those who have accepted the title tend to place a large emphasis on the inspect of the welfare state in version to feminist history and the role that gender has played as an organizational factor of the state. The focus of feminist historians has also drifted to Democratic Party policy and the realm of policy, including pay-equity, which is a part of both social and political history.