HIST 122a Women in Western Civilizations through the Middle Ages TR 12-1:15 BRH 210

Transcription

1 Dr. Stephanie Seery-Murphy, instructor Office: Tahoe Hall 3053 Office Hours: TR 2-4 Contact: Office Phone (please call only during office hours): 916/ HIST 122a Women in Western Civilizations through the Middle Ages TR 12-1:15 BRH 210 COURSE DIRECTION AND OBJECTIVE: History 122A is a writing-intensive and a readingintensive class. We will explore women s roles, women s power and authority, changes in perceptions of women, and gender relations in European history to c You will be expected to engage critically with the material presented. REQUIRED READING: The required texts are available at the campus bookstore; you are also welcome to buy them online, rent them, and/or use e-books, so long as you get the correct editions. There are also required online readings, and these will be available on Canvas (more below). Bridenthal, Stuard & Wiesner, eds. Becoming Visible: Women in European History. 3 rd. ed. ISBN: Our textbook, consisting of essays by leading scholars of women s history. You will read only the portions through the middle ages/renaissance. DiCaprio and Wiesner, eds. Lives and Voices: Sources in European Women s History. ISBN: An annotated book of primary sources, mostly textual, with a useful introduction and commentary by two major scholars. You will read only the first half. Be sure to read the introductions to each chapter. Highly recommended: Presnell, The Information-Literate Historian, 3 rd ed. Rampolla, A Pocket Guide for Writing in History, 8th ed. **In addition, if you are a history major and you do not already own a copy of Turabian, A Manual for Writers..., I urge you to buy one ASAP. You will use it as a reference. All history papers must use Chicago/Turabian. In addition, there will also be other assignments on Canvas. The syllabus will note these. These readings are also required. LECTURES AND DISCUSSIONS: Lectures and discussions are designed to help students to interpret and understand the assigned readings. Readings must be completed prior to class meetings. We will frequently discuss the assigned chapters and/or primary sources, and you will be expected to be familiar with the material and able to participate in classroom projects. You should come prepared with

2 comments, remarks and/or questions. Each student is required to participate, and lack of participation will lower your grade. Generally, but not always, Tuesdays will be lecture days, and Thursdays will be for discussion and small-group work. Please make sure you check our Canvas page for information and handouts. PowerPoints will NOT be available. You will need to take, review and digest your own notes. EXAMINATIONS AND WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: History 122a is a writing-intensive course. Each student will write two argumentative essays of 2000 words each, double-spaced. (That word count does NOT include any footnotes, endnotes, or bibliographic material.) One paper assignment will be a primary source analysis; the other will ask you to take up a position and argue it. There will also be a midterm consisting of short essays, and a final, take-home exam consisting of longer essays. GRADING/ATTENDANCE: Deadlines may not be negotiated except in cases of emergency, and written proof and advance permission will be required. Regular class attendance is mandatory. Each student gets three free absences. You may use them however you like, except when papers are due, and for whatever reason. You do not need to tell me, and you do not need my permission to take them. However, any student who has more than three absences will fail the course. No exceptions. Students arriving more than five minutes late are marked down. Students leaving early are marked down. It's rude and it's disruptive. I do not permit students to arrive late habitually because of scheduling conflicts. Find another section. No incompletes are given except in cases of a documented emergency. Extensions and incompletes are at the discretion of the instructor. Attendance and Participation 10% Two Papers 20% each In-Class Midterm 20% Take Home Final Exam 30% ***All students MUST complete ALL assignments in order to pass the class. Missing work will count as a zero, NOT an F. Grades in this course will be distributed as follows: A B D A C D B C D B C F 59 and below CHEATING OR PLAGIARISM will not be tolerated and will result in failure of the course and referral for academic discipline. You are responsible for going online, locating, reading and understanding University policy and any related handouts on academic honesty. 1. University policy can be found here:

3 2. For a quick tutorial on plagiarism, go to Ignorance will NOT be accepted as an excuse. Plagiarism, or student papers/exams resembling each other closely in focus, approach and context, even if they are not exactly alike, will receive an F - and all students involved will fail the entire class and be reported. CLASS CONDUCT: Please use the restroom before coming to class or during breaks. Students leaving the classroom during lectures and discussions are disturbing others and indicate disinterest and disrespect. It is also disrespectful to talk with your neighbors during class, or to conduct business unrelated to the class. If you must leave early or come in late, please let me know in advance. Habitual lateness or early departures without permission will result in lowered grades (see above). The first time I have to ask you to pay attention to the class, it s a warning. The second time I find that you are doing something other than our class work, you will be dismissed without credit for that day s attendance. s must use standard English grammar, punctuation and spelling. It is customary to treat university s as you would work s. Your consideration is appreciated. This syllabus is subject to change at the instructor s discretion. Students will be notified of any change. NOTE: If you have a documented disability and verification from SSWD, and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible. Basic Needs Support If you are experiencing challenges in terms of food and/or stable housing, help is just a click, or phone call away! Sacramento State offers basic needs support for students who are experiencing challenges in these areas. Please visit the Basic Needs website to learn more about your options and resources available. CLASS AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE: Week One: Aug. 28: Introduction to the course. Aug. 30: Women and Prehistory. See Canvas, Week One Module for online assignment and readings. Week Two: Sept. 4 Women in Prehistory, continued. Definition of terms; problems of interpretation. Sept. 6 Women in Ancient Egypt and Western Asia Read Ch. 1 in Becoming Visible: Women of Ancient Egypt and Western Asia. Read also Ch. 1 in Lives and Voices: Women in Creation Accounts, Women s Religious and Spiritual Activities, and Marriage and Family Life. As you read, ask yourself: What were women s roles in these polytheistic societies? What kinds of rights/privileges did women have or not have in each of the societies we are considering? Why were there so many differences amongst societies? Discussion of first paper (with guidelines). See and Canvas for handout. Sample student papers to be posted on Canvas later this week. These are examples of exemplary (though not perfect) work and are used with permission of the writers, who hold all rights to them.

4 Week Three: Greek Women Sept. 11 Read Ch. 2 in BV: Daughters of Demeter: Women in Ancient Greece. Sept. 13 Read all of Ch. 2 in L&V. (We will continue with these readings next week.) As you read, ask yourself: what were women's roles in Greek religion? How would you describe Greek medical philosophy in regard to women? How did Galen posit women's essential nature from his understanding of their biology? How did he describe male nature? How were the two related? And what impact did these theories have on Greek politics, social life, and culture? Week Four: Greek Women, with Some Discussion of Hellenism Sept. 18 Read excerpts from Greek drama (see Canvas). Today, we will: focus on the primary readings from Plato and Aristotle. Ask yourself: What does each philosopher say about women? Compare their ideas. Which other contemporary philosophers discussed gender issues? Sept. 20: Lecture on Hellenistic Greek culture. Readings TBA. Paper One is due at the start of class on Thursday, Sept. 20. Late papers will not be accepted except in cases of predetermined emergency (see guidelines). Students entering more than five minutes late will lose 5 points off their paper grade. Week Five: Roman Women Sept. 25 Read Ch. 3 in BW: Matres Patriae/Matres Ecclesiae: Women of Rome. Sept. 27 Read Ch. 3 in L&V: The Twelve Tables, Gaius, Institutes, Descriptions of Cornelia, and the inscriptions in that same section. Read all of the documents in the Christianity section. Ask yourself: What was civil religion in Rome? What were women s rights in, and duties to, the state? Explain the complexities of Roman marriage and the assumptions about women embedded in its rituals. What were family life and motherhood like for Roman women? Did domestic life change for women over time? Week Six: Roman Women and Religion: Judaism and Christianity and Paganism Oct. 2 Read supplemental texts available on Canvas. Ask yourself: Can you make comparisons to the religious lives of women we've previously considered? What was the genesis of Christianity? What were its roots in Judaism and paganism? Consider women s leadership in early Christian communities. While many women had prominent roles in the Church, they also had to deal with pervasive misogyny. Why? Do you notice any familiar themes? What made a woman a Christian exemplar? Midterm exam given in class on Thursday, Oct. 4. Please make sure you have at least one blue book (bigger is better) and a pen. Do not use pencil. This is a closed-book exam. Week Seven: European Women in the Early Middle Ages Oct. 9 Read Ch. 4 in BW: Women in Early Medieval Northern Europe. Oct. 11 Read Ch. 4 in L&V: Laws of the Salian Franks, Peasants Manorial Obligations, and

5 Dhuoda, "Handbook for William." Ask yourself: As you read the passages on Frankish law and manorial rights/duties, what are the major themes? Can you compare these law codes/rules to any other you may have read? Are there assumptions made about women s nature, women s roles, women s value to society? What are they? In regards to Dhuoda and her Handbook: In what sociopolitical context was it written? For whom? Why? As you reread the text, consider Dhuoda s educational and religious background. If she is a Christian exemplar, what does that look like in medieval Europe at this time? Can you compare her to earlier Christian intellectuals such as Macrina? What can you find out about her life and her relationship to her husband and son? Week Eight: European Women in the High Middle Ages: Oct. 16 Read Ch. 5 in BW: The Dominion of Gender, or How Women Fared in the High Middle Ages. Oct. 18 Read Ch. 4 in L&V all the portions you did not read last week. Discussion of women s lives in the High Middle Ages, with attention to the growth and reforms of medieval women's monasticism. Ask yourself: What societal movements/revolutions might have benefited women? How? If this was a good period in history to be a European woman, was it good for all European women? Discuss the cult of the Virgin. Week Nine: European Women in the High Middle Ages: Continued. Oct. 23: Today's concentration will be on the phenomenon of women's mysticism. Pay detailed attention to Hildegard of Bingen, Elisabeth of Schönau, and the Rule of St. Clare. Ask yourself: How might we see mysticism in the larger context of changes and upheavals in the Church in Europe and in early reform movements? What was the dividing line between a mystic and a heretic? Oct. 25: Excerpts from Julian of Norwich, Showings (see Canvas). Week Ten: European Women: Contemporary Artistic Renditions Oct. 30 & Nov. 1 Read/examine texts and images available on Canvas. This week, for a change of pace, we will consider medieval visual images of European women. What do these artifacts tell us about the lives of women of many ranks and situations? How can you draw comparisons and contrasts between the texts you have read and the images you've examined? Week Eleven: Did Women Have a Renaissance? Nov. 6 Read Ch. 6, BV: Women in the Renaissance." Nov. 8 Read selections from Ch. 5 in L&V: The Autobiography of Leonor Lopez de Cordoba, c. 1412, Ordinances Regarding Monasteries for Women, Florence, 1435, The Will of Anne Latimer, 1402, Sumptuary Laws, Women s Response to Sumptuary Legislation. Ask yourself: In a general sense, what were the restrictions on these women, and how did they overcome them? Did they have recourse or ways to appeal what they saw as unjust actions? Week Twelve: Did Women Have a Renaissance? Part Two Nov. 13 Read the excerpts in Ch. 5, L&V, from de Pizan s The Book of the City of Ladies. Ask yourself: In considering this major text on women's roles, rights and European misogyny, what are the major ideas Christine presents? How had life for a European woman changed since ancient times?

6 Nov. 15 Short reading TBA. Paper Two is due at the start of class on Thursday, Nov. 15. Late papers will not be accepted except in cases of predetermined emergency (see guidelines). Students entering more than five minutes late will lose 5 points off their paper grade. Week Thirteen: Nov. 20 Instructor s Personal Holiday NO CLASS! Nov. 22 THANKSGIVING: NO CLASS! Week Fourteen: Into the Early Modern: European Crises and Recovery Nov. 27 Read Ch. 7 in BV: The Reformation of Women, just the sections on Women and Religion in the Late Middle Ages. Nov. 29 Read Ch. 5 in L&V: The Book of Margery Kempe, Ordinances Regarding Monasteries for Women, Anonymous Poems Opposing Entrance to a Convent, Inquisition Trial. Ask yourself: What roles did women have within the late-medieval/early modern Catholic Church? Could a woman who was not cloistered have a religious life? What are some generalizations we can make about change and continuity in women s lives over the course of the medieval era? Where do you see signs of larger reform movements? Of non-orthodox movements? What of non-christians? Week Fifteen: Dec. 4 Read primary sources on Canvas, TBA. Dec. 6 Last class! Catch up on lecture and discussion as necessary. Discussion of the final exam and best strategies. Please note: Final exams will be given online, and are due no later than 5 pm on Friday, December 14. That s the last minute of the semester, and I will not accept work after that. Period. Don t even ask.