Scott Gunther

Scott E. Gunther
sgunther@wellesley.edu
(781) 283-2444
French, Francophone, and Italian Studies
B.A., Cornell University; D.E.A., Ecole Normale Superieure & Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales; J.D., Ph.D., New York University
Green Hall 229B

Scott E. Gunther

Professor of French and Francophone Studies

Specialist of contemporary French society. Interested in the media, gender and sexuality in France and the European Union.


Scott Gunther is a specialist of contemporary French culture and society. His interests include the mass media, gender and sexuality, France’s role in the European Union, Franco-American relations, the tastes of the French bourgeoisie, gender inclusivity/neutrality in the French language, and comparative (French/American) law. He teaches from a broad, interdisciplinary perspective, relying on the contributions of disciplines as diverse as sociology, law, gender and sexuality studies, anthropology, history, sociolinguistics, and cultural studies. He has published articles on the regulation of sexuality in France, contemporary queer political movements in France, the cultural tastes of the French bourgeoisie, and the possibilities for gender-inclusive/gender-neutral language in French. His book, The Elastic Closet: A History of Homosexuality in France, 1942-Present, examines LGBTQ politics in contemporary France with a focus on the complex relationship between French republican values and the possibilities they offer for social change.