This course introduces students to the main trends in European cultures from the tenth to the fourteenth century. We will read primary sources (online) and study issues of economy, society, religion, politics, scholarship, and the arts. As part of the oral communications component and paper assignments, each student will focus on a particular region of Europe: Holy Roman Empire (Germany), Kingdom of Sicily, Italian city-states, Capetian France, Kingdom of England, eastern European states, northern European states, Iberian kingdoms, and the Crusader states.

The course carries an Oral Communications designation. We will use various forms of discussion and presentation intertwined with written assignments that together allow students to develop and demonstrate an understanding of the course material, particularly the primary source readings. The three informal and two formal presentations build communication skills in discussion dynamics and presentation styles while developing skills in historical analysis. Likewise, the five papers grow in size and complexity, requiring greater analysis.

Readings

• Rosenwein, Barbara H., A Short History of the Middle Ages, 2nd ed., Volume II: From c. 900-c.1500
• Malcolm Barber, The Two Cities: Medieval Europe 1050-1320, 2nd ed.
• Internet Medieval Sourcebook.
  • This website is a large collection of primary sources in translation from which I have drawn select assignments, each linked to the course outline. You are required to read these documents before coming to class, since they form the basis of discussion. You can read them online, download them to your computer, and/or print them out. Some sites have visual materials that don't print well, but we will project these in class.

Grading

Virtual Reality: Although the Internet is no substitute for the library and email is no substitute for class attendance, students will need to utilize the online environment as part of this class. The course syllabus is online with links to the readings and updates to the course schedule in the event of changes. Students are expected to access the Internet Medieval Sourcebook for primary source readings and make use of the UH Library databases and search engines for their presentations and papers. For on campus access: PC lab in Keller 213-214; the Mac Lab in Keller 204; CLIC lab in Sinclair Library 128.
Also, it is UH policy that “students are responsible for checking their email account frequently and consistently to remain current with University communications. They are expected to monitor and manage their email storage quota to insure that their mailboxes are not saturated and are able to receive new messages."

Disability Access: If you feel you need reasonable accommodations because of the impact of a disability, please 1) contact the KOKUA Program (V/T) at 956-7511 or 956-7612, QLCSS 013; 2) speak with me privately to discuss your specific needs. I will be happy to work with you and the KOKUA Program to meet you access needs related to your documented disability. Student Academic Services also provides a wide array of learning assistance, counseling, and support services to meet your needs.

Student Conduct: Students are expected to be familiar with and adhere to university norms and expectations stated in the Catalog and the Student Conduct Code. Common courtesy is expected in the classroom, including but not limited to: arriving and departing on time or notifying the instructor of a need to be excused, cell phones off, laptops in use only for course work, listening respectfully to other students, and timely submission of work. The instructor assumes students will behave honorably in submitting their own work and has no tolerance for cheating, particularly plagiarism in writing assignments.
Plagiarism, a form of cheating punishable under the UHM Student Conduct Code, is the use of someone else's words or ideas without citation or acknowledgement. This includes exact/unique phrases without quote marks; interpretive arguments (as opposed to general knowledge information) made to sound as your own when they are not; and sentences, paragraphs, or whole papers copied or downloaded into your paper. Any paper submitted to me that violates this standard will receive an automatic F (0 points) with no resubmission. We can discuss the case, but if we fail to agree on whether plagiarism occurred, the case will have to go to the Dean of Students, where the penalty if guilt is found is worse than an F on a paper.

Course Outline

Click on the section titles to go to the full assignments and daily readings in the sourcebook. Anything underlined indicates a web link to a primary source or website with links to images.

I The Medieval Environment

• 01/09 Getting Medieval
• 01/11 Doing History, assign regions
• 01/16 Europe Reordered and Expanded 900-1150, Rosenwein 4-5
• 01/18 Institutions, Aspirations, Discordant Harmonies 1150-1350, Rosenwein 6-7
• 01/23 The Medieval Environment, Barber ch. 1, your region’s chapter
• 01/25 Medieval Landscape, collaborative feedback on paper 1 draft

II Economy and Society

• 01/30 Rural Life, Paper 1 due, Barber chs. 2-3
• 02/01 Commercial Life
• 02/06 Aristocratic Life
• 02/08 Women's Lives
• 02/13 Jewish Life
• 02/15 Medieval Society, group reports on paper 2

III Religious Life

• 02/20 Papacy: Innocent III, Paper 2 due; Barber ch. 4
• 02/22 Perspectives on the Crusades, Barber ch. 5
• 02/27 New Religious Orders: Franciscans, Barber ch. 6
• 03/01 Heresy: Waldensians and Spiritual Franciscans, Barber ch. 7
• 03/06 Popular Religion, Barber ch. 7
• 03/08 Religion and Society, articulating someone else’s perspective for their paper

IV Political Change

• 03/13 Holy Roman Empire, Paper 3 due; Barber ch. 8
• 03/15 Sicily and Italy, Barber chs. 9-10
• 03/20 Capetian France, Barber ch. 11
• 03/22 Kingdom of England, Barber ch. 12
• spring break -3/26-30
• 04/03 Iberia, Barber ch. 13
• 04/05 Eastern and Northern Europe, Barber ch. 14
• 04/10 Crusader States, Barber ch. 15
• 04/12 Politics, Religion, and Society, comparison and analysis techniques for paper 4

V Cultural Life

• 04/17 Western Christendom and the Wider World (model), Paper 4 due; Barber ch. 19
• 04/19 Medieval Worldview, Barber ch. 16
• 04/24 Intellectual Life, Barber ch. 17
• 04/26 Art and Architecture, Barber ch. 18
• 05/01 Literature and Music, Barber ch. 18

General Presentation Guidelines:

The three informal presentations focus on group dynamics on a level field of discourse (everyone sitting down), by learning to collaborate in small group discussions, to effectively summarize and report on a group’s ideas, and to analyze different points of view. The instructor will design exercises to facilitate the development of discussion and assess students’ ability to hear and contribute to the exchange of ideas.

Evaluation criteria for informal presentations:

1. Content knowledge and understanding of issues
2. Clarity of expression so that others understand
3. Engagement with other students’ ideas

1. Content coherence, balancing main ideas with supporting information
2. Clarity of organization shaping the material and creating an effective learning environment
3. Aural and visual appeal in communicating effectively

General Writing Guidelines:

1. Clear thesis and argumentation, indicated in the introduction and in the organization of the paper;
2. Adept analysis of sources and other information as evidence or examples; and
3. Vigorous, readable prose style free of grammar and syntax errors.