ABSTRACT
IndrawingtogetherthesetwostrandsIprovideinthisopeningchapter abackgroundtogenderarchaeologyandareviewoftherelationship betweenmedievalarchaeologyandsocialtheory,beforepresentingmyown approachtogenderandmaterialculture,whichfocusesparticularlyon aspectsofgenderandspace.Incontrasttomostpreviousgenderstudies inarchaeology,thisframeworkemphasizesthestudyofgenderaspower. Thisisachievedthroughacomparisonofmaleandfemalecultural categories,theirmeanings,andtheresultantsocialexpectationsplacedon menandwomeninmedievalsociety.Themainsubjectofthecasestudy isthearchaeologyofmedievalwomen'sreligiouscommunities,whichare comparedwiththebetter-studiedmonasteriesformen.Thusgenderis studiedasananalyticalandcomparativecategory.Therelationshipbetween institutionandindividualexperience,orstructureandsubject,isexplored throughtheinteractionofgender,ideologyandmaterialcultureinthe constructionofgenderidentity.
