MEDIEVAL EUROPE (HISTORY 108AB)
FALL SEMESTER 2012/ Dr. George Dameron
MWF 8:30-9:35 (Hi 108A) and 11:00-12:05 (Hi 108B)
Office: Library
306/Telephone x2318
Office Hours:
Mondays, 1-3; Thursdays, 4-5, and by appointment
Email: gdameron@smcvt.edu
Website:
http://academics.smcvt.edu/gdameron/
Photo: Massa Marittima (Tuscany,
Italy)
George Dameron/copyright 2009
PURPOSES OF COURSE AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The primary goals of the course are the following:
1) to provide a broad, interdisciplinary overview of the development of
the history of Europe, Byzantium, and Islam within a global context from the
fifth through fifteenth centuries; 2) to encourage a critical analysis of
both primary and secondary historical sources, 3) to introduce students
to some of the principal issues and debates among historians associated with the
Middle Ages (500-1500), 4) to stimulate student interest in medieval
history, 5) to explore the role of the Middle Ages in the formation of the
modern world, 6) to encourage a
global understanding of historical change by studying the complex relations
between Europe, Islam, and Byzantium; 7) to enhance the ability of students to
think, speak, and write critically and analytically about the past; 8) to dispel
negative myths about the Middle Ages, 9) to learn how to use library and
information technology resources for historical research and study, 10) to
fulfill a Liberal Studies Requirement in Historical Studies,
11) to follow the impact of
environmental change on society in the Middle Ages, and 12) and to require
students to write a short research paper using primary sources on a topic
associated with medieval culture.
HOW THIS COURSE WORKS
The class will consist of lecture and discussion, several debates based on the
interpretation of primary sources, and occasional in-class small group work.
Normally, there will be lectures/presentations twice a week (Mondays and
Wednesdays) and a discussion or debate once a week (on Fridays).
Questions are welcome at any time.
Discussions and focus papers will be organized around the primary sources
and the set of study questions posted at eCollege.
Every Friday there will be either a short quiz (5 minutes) or a one-page
focus paper. Students must bring
their hard-copy focus papers to class on Fridays (not sent through email) and
turn them in during class time.
Late focus papers or make-up quizzes are acceptable only for medical or
compelling family reasons.
Students will take turns proposing questions or comments at the beginning of
class on days devoted to discussion.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
There are no prerequisites. The
requirements are the following:
class participation (20% of final grade); a brief quiz every other week on
Fridays (10%), with the lowest score being dropped; an ungraded, one-page focus
paper due every other Friday when there is not a quiz (10%); one hour exam
(objective and essay, 10% of final grade,
September 28); a 9 (nine) to 11
(eleven)-page research paper (excluding bibliography and notes) on a topic
associated with Yvain by Chrétien de
Troyes (20% of final grade),
due November 2; and a final
examination (objective and essay, 30% of grade):
History 108A (Monday, December 10, 9-11:30) and History 108B (Tuesday,
December 11, 9-11:30)
Attendance and Class Etiquette
As a courtesy, students should inform me in advance of any anticipated absence.
Students should arrange all travel
arrangements so that they do not conflict with any scheduled classes, quizzes,
or exams. There are no
make-ups for the focus papers, quizzes, or exams, except in the case of a
documented illness or for verifiable and compelling personal or family reasons.
All electronic
devices will be powered off during class, unless students have my permission to
use a lap top because of special needs.
I reserve the right to require students to place their devices on the
front desk if I find they are using their devices during class.
To promote an
environment conducive to learning, students will not leave the classroom during
class except in the case of serious illness.
Failure to follow these guidelines will have a negative impact on the
participation grade and may raise issues of academic integrity.
I reserve the right to call on any student at any time with a question.
The Paper
The paper is due on at my office on
November 2 (a Friday).
Normally, there will be a half a letter
grade penalty (5 points) for every day the paper is late.
The paper will follow the required methods of citing primary and
secondary sources, and it must also include a formal bibliography.
Students will use at least three primary and three secondary sources for
their papers. History department
policy requires students to use footnotes or endnotes in the proper format (no
in-text citations). A set of books
and readings will be available on library reserve for students to use for their
research. After the midterm
examination, I will distribute more specific instructions and guidelines for the
paper as well as a bibliography.
See also the citation guides posted at the Durick Library Web site under
“Cite Sources”.
eCollege
eCollege is Web-based course
management system that we will use for this course. Students should
check the site regularly for any messages or announcements or new postings.
Web sites for the Study of the Middle Ages
There are several Web sites maintained by professional medievalists that are
accessible through my Web site (URL listed at top of syllabus) or through the
eCollege site. They include the
Internet Medieval Sourcebook,
Orb,
Labyrinth,
Feminae (Medieval Women and Gender Index),
The World of Dante, and
NetSerf.
I encourage students to explore these sites as we proceed through the
syllabus.
The
author of your textbook has also developed a Web site for the textbook
(Rosenwein, A Short History of the Middle
Ages), which I encourage you to visit frequently.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
The student is
responsible for familiarizing herself or himself with the Academic Integrity
Policy of the College.
Violations of academic integrity (plagiarism, multiple submission, unauthorized
assistance, interference, interference using information technology) can result
in sanctions ranging from failure for the assignment, failure of the course, the
obligation to repeat the assignment with a lower grade, or dismissal from the
course. The Judicial Review Board
may impose other sanctions as well.
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense.
According to the Policy on
Academic Integrity included in the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct
and posted online, plagiarism is the presentation of
“another person’s ideas as your own, by
directly quoting or indirectly paraphrasing, without properly citing the
original source. This includes inadvertent failure to properly acknowledge
sources.”
DOCUMENTED LEARNING DIFFERENCES
Students with learning differences (documented by the Office of the Coordinator
of Academic Compliance, Ms. Antonia Messuri) are eligible for appropriate
accommodations. Please see me early in the semester if you require any
accommodation.
REQUIRED READINGS:
Required Reading On Reserve in Durick Library and posted at eCollege:
Required Readings Online:
unless otherwise noted, all online texts are located in the
Internet Medieval Sourcebook:
COURSE PLAN:
Week One: The Transformation
of the Late Ancient World (c. 200-c. 600)
Week Two: The Making of Three
Civilizations (Western Europe, Islam, Byzantium, c. 600-c.750)
·
September 7 (discussion and first debate):
sourcebook (2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 2.9, 2.11, 2.15);
Ibn Abd-el Haken, “Islamic Conquest of Spain”
o
Focus paper
o
First debate: “Resolved:
all icons in the Empire are to be smashed and destroyed.”
Week Three: Diverging Worlds
(Byzantium, Islam, and Western Europe, c. 750-c. 900)
Week Four: Crisis and the
Reordering of Political Communities (c. 900-c. 1050)
Week Five: The Culture of Northern
Europe (c. 900-c.1050)
Week Six: Expansion, Growth, and
Church Reform (c. 1050-c. 1150)
o
Text: chapter 5
o
Sourcebook (plates 5.1-plates 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4)
o
Sourcebook (5.4, 5.5)
o
Focus paper
Week Seven: Invasions of the
Eleventh Century
Week Eight: New Directions in
Learning and Religious Life (c. 1050-c. 1150)
Abelard, “The Story of My Misfortunes”; sourcebook: 5.16
Week Nine: Centralizing States and
Courtly Culture (c. 1150-.c. 1250)
Week Ten and Eleven: The Culture of
the Courts (c. 1150-c. 1250)
Week Eleven: The Church and
Religious Dissent (c. 1150-c. 1250)
Week Twelve: Politics (c. 1250-c.
1350)
·
November 16 (discussion):
sourcebook (7.1, 7.5, 7.6, 7.10, 7.13, 7.16, 7.17)
o
Focus paper
Week Thirteen: Philosophy and
Crusades, c. 1250-c. 1350
o
Madden, chapters 7 and 8
o
Sourcebook 7.19
**Thanksgiving
Break (November 20-November 25**
Week Fourteen: Crisis and Renewal
(c. 1350-c. 1500), continued
·
November 26 (discussion): “Epic
Literature of the Fourteenth Century”
o
Sourcebook: 7.21, 7.22; Canto 1 of
Dante’s Divine Comedy (at
World of Dante)
Week Fifteen: The
Renaissance of the Fifteenth Century
Final
Examinations:
·
History 108A (Monday, December 10, 9-11:30)
·
History 108B (Tuesday, December 11, 9-11:30)