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Women in the Middle Ages (Writing Intensive)

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Women in the Middle Ages (Writing Intensive) Daughters of Eve: Women in the Middle Ages (Writing Intensive) Course Information: History 310-01 (3 hrs), Writing Intensive (CRN#:80285), Fall 2003 Time: TR 2:00-3:15 Room: McIver 222 Instructor Information: Dr. Richard Barton Office: 212 McIver Bldg. Office phone: 334-5203 Home phone: 274-8318, no calls after 9 PM Mailbox: McIver 219 Email: [email protected] website: http://www.uncg.edu/~rebarton (with syllabus, documents and other course materials) Office hours: TR 3:15-4:15 and by appointment Course Description: This course offers an introduction to the experience of women in the Middle Ages through close examination of writings by and about women. In so doing we will be less concerned with the more traditional elements of medieval history and more interested in how such elements came to shape women’s lives and opportunities. One of the central themes will be the importance of gender as a category of cultural difference; with this in mind we will spend a fair amount of time considering the ways in which medieval society defined femininity, appropriate female behavior, and the female body, as well as the ways in which those definitions and understandings changed over time. Among the two paradigms to be considered will be the two most common and paradoxical medieval understandings of women: as “daughters of Eve” women were inherently sinful and inferior, but as “sisters of Mary” women shared in the virtues and special status of the Virgin. A second organizing principle will be the importance of the “family” as the central social institution in the construction of medieval ideas about womanhood. Thus we will examine the ways in which the shape of the family changed over the period 500-1500 and the impact of such changes on women’s power, ability to work, religious experiences, and cultural opportunities. Third, since in the Middle Ages, as now, women and femininity were understood and culturally defined only in relation to men and masculinity, we will also spend some time comparing female experience with the experience of men. Fourth, we will examine the changing role of Christianity in shaping both women’s lives and spirituality. In our exploration of these themes we will depend upon analysis of significant primary sources about women and femininity written both by men and by women. Student Learning Goals: A student who successfully completes this class ought to learn and feel comfortable doing the following: -interpreting primary sources from the period under study and using both written and oral skills to analyze them -synthesizing material read from a variety of sources to produce a larger analytical conclusion -utilizing a variety of forms of writing to analyze materials from the past, thereby helping students to recognize and construct strong written arguments, to critically evaluate scholarship, and to gather and employ evidence -using oral communication of a variety of types (small-group, debate) to express analytical points about the past -recognizing how theoretical frameworks of analysis - especially gender - shape interpretations of the past -comparing ideas, events, and individuals over time to look for change and continuity -performing research in Jackson Library in order to develop a short research paper that analytically treats a medieval woman (or small group of women) REQUIRED BOOKS (available for sale at the UNCG bookstore): Emilie Amt, ed., Women’s Lives in Medieval Europe: A Sourcebook (NY: Routledge, 1993). ISBN: 0415906288 Lisa Bitel, Women in Early Medieval Europe (Cambridge, 2002). ISBN: 0521597730. The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, trans. Betty Radice (Penguin, 1977) ISBN: 0140442979 Mary Erler and Maryanne Kowaleski, eds., Gendering the Master Narrative: Women and Power in the Middle Ages (Cornell UP, 2003). ISBN: 0801488303. Ruth Mazo Karras, Common Women: Prostitution and Sexuality in Medieval England (Oxford, 1998). ISBN: 0195124987 Online Texts: the URL of such texts will be clearly indicated in the syllabus. Note that if you access the online syllabus (at my web-site), you will be able to click directly on the link to the source in question. Reserve Room: additional readings will be available in the reserve room of Jackson Library (just inside the front door and to the right). It is up to you to acquire and read those materials. Some will undoubtedly be made available electronically, but not all. If a given reading doesn’t appear on the e-reserve list for the class, you’ll have to go to the reserve room in person in order to read and/or photocopy the article(s). COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Presentation of readings and general discussion 5% Short Writing Assignments 10% Debate (your grade is based on the debate in which you participate orally) 5% Analytical Essay 1: Argument 10% Analytical Essay 2: Gender as a Tool of Analysis 10% Analytical Essay 3: Critical Review of Scholarship 10% Annotated Bibliography for Research Paper 5% Research Paper (10 pp) 25% Take-Home Final Exam: 20% 1. Presentation of Readings and General Discussion (5%) I expect participation and discussion of all students. To facilitate this process, students will be assigned to 4-5 person groups on the first day of class. Each week, one group will be responsible for introducing the primary sources assigned for that week. This is to be a collaborative effort, and should take no more than 15 minutes of class time each day. In your ‘introduction’ your group shouldn’t summarize the texts, but instead should comment upon a) the larger theme or analytical point to which the texts relate; b) what directions the subsequent discussion ought to take; and c) any questions that need to be resolved by the class. Groups might wish to meet in advance of class to discuss their ideas and map out a strategy. It is permissible to assign 2 members of the group to be the primary introducer of the texts, so long as each member of each group acts as primary introducer at least once during the semester (in other words, Kathy can’t take charge each time your group is up for introducing texts; she can do so once, but the next time someone else will have to lead ). The remainder of class will consist of discussion of the texts by the entire class. NOTE: on the accompanying schedule of classes, groups have been assigned randomly to discussion days. 2. Short Writing Assignments, 10% Several (7 to 10) times during the semester I will require students to address a question derived from ourcommon readings. Your overall grade will be based on an average of the grades for the individual short writing assignments. 3. Debate, 5% DATE: either Sept. 25 or Oct. 23 Twice during the semester we will engage in formal debate. On these occasions, the ordinary small groups will be merged into two ‘sides’, each of which will take one side of an issue; the two sides will prepare arguments and assemble specific evidence to support their side of the issue; finally, we will have formal debate. Half of each team will have primary speaking responsibility for one debate, while the other half will take over the second debate. Your debate grade will be based only on that debate in which you are a primary speaker (although you are expected to help prepare your overall team for both debates). Grades will be based on oral performance in the debate. Specific debate guidelines will be issued during the semester. 4. Analytical Essays (3), each worth 10% of your overall grade (total 30%) You will write three short essays for the class. You MUST revise the first one (gender as a tool of analysis) according to the comments I make on the first draft. You are welcome to revise the others as well. 1. Gender as a Tool of Analysis (Due: September 11) For this essay I will ask you to explain the concept of gender and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses as a tool of historical analysis by considering one of the topics covered in class to this point (Ancient Legacy; Christian Legacy; Merovingian Queens; or Merovingian Saints). The essay should be at least three (3) full pages in length. 2. Argument Essay (Due: September 30) Following the first debate (on the Theutberga case), students will write a 3-4 page analytical essay arguing for one of the two sides of the case. You must use solid historical evidence to back up your argument (ie., don’t write solely from emotion). You need not argue the case that your team debated orally. This means that if you had to defend Theutberga orally, but really think Lothar had the better case, you can argue for Lothar in writing. I am looking here for well-constructed, well-organized arguments that flow logically and are well-supported with evidence. 3. Critique of a Secondary Source (Due: October 28) This essay is actually part of your research project (see below). For it, you must read an article-length secondary source related to the topic of your research (article-length means either a journal article, an article in a book of essays, or a chapter from a book). Then, in a minimum of 3 full pages, you need to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. Look particularly at the question it asks and at its argument (does it hold? why or why not?), at its sources (of what type? sufficient or not? problems with them?), and at its utility for other researchers. Your essay should not merely summarize what the article said; instead, it should analyze it. 5. Bibliography, 5% (Due October 28) Bibliographies will vary in length according to students’ individual research topics. Still, a rough guideline is at least 1 major primary source (and hopefully several) and 2-5 scholarly secondary sources.
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