HS2O4-Women and Medieval History

Module Provider: History
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:5
Terms in which taught: Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Dr Ruth Salter
Email: r.j.salter@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

This module will study women’s history in the context of centuries which saw major social and economic change across medieval societies, as well as the impact of cultural revolution and natural disasters. Its first key aim is to study the impact of these changes on those labelled ‘the weaker sex’. The first step will be to look at the beliefs which supported that label.  The second will be to look at the contributions which women in major social groups were actually making.  The vexed question of political power, and women’s access to it, will be given special consideration.

Aims:
Part 2 Options can be either chronological or thematic. Chronological Options will usually take the form of a survey of a particular geographical area or nation over a defined period of one or two centuries. These Options aim to acquaint students with the causes and consequences of continuity and change over the long term in the political, social, economic and cultural systems under study. Thematic Options take key concepts, ideas, or debates in history and study them in a number of different contexts, either geographically or across historical periods. The aim again is to acquaint students with the causes of continuity and change, but this time by a more comparative approach.

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of the module it is expected that the student will be able to:

• identify and explain the main issues and events studied


• appraise critically the primary sources and historiographical interpretations of the subject


• think comparatively about aspects of African, American, British, European, Middle Eastern and South Asian history over a substantial period


• assess the nature of social, economic, political andcultural change and the particular methodologies associated with tracing it


• organise material and articulate arguments effectively in different kinds of written exercises and orally


• locate and assemble bibliographic and other information by independent research, using IT as appropriate

Additional outcomes:
The module aims to encourage the development of oral communication skills and the student's effectiveness in group situations and team-working. Students will also develop their IT skills by use of relevant web resources and databases, where appropriate.

Outline content:

An important issue for this module is that in medieval society women were predominantly excluded from government, economic independence, and formal education; moreover, power in the hands of a woman was regarded as actively dangerous. These restrictions made women’s situation so apparently different from that of men that some historians have argued that the normal categories of historical interpretation cannot be applied to medieval women.

We shall therefore look atthe long period of economic growth which reached its peak in the thirteenth century, and then at the catastrophes of the fourteenth century, with

special attention to the impact of the Black Death. Women will also be studied within their social milieux, from royal courts via growing cities to manors and farms. Their legal rights and restrictions, their education, and their relationship to the Church, will all be discussed. In order to move beyond generalisations we shall be looking in detail at both textual and material sources. By the end of the module it should be possible to advance answers to the important questions set out above.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
Seminars, requiring preparatory reading and investigation, may include informal and interactive presentations by the module teacher; structured group discussion; short seminar papers by students; occasional tutorials; team-based simulation exercises and debates; examination of primary and secondary sources, as appropriate. Staff will be available for consultation as necessary.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Seminars		30
Project Supervision		1
Guided independent study:		169
Total hours by term	0	200	0
Total hours for module	200

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written exam	50
Written assignment including essay	50

Summative assessment- Examinations:
One two-hour paper requiring two answers to be taken at the time of the Part 2 examinations.

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

The coursework for this module is made up of two submissions:

• Assessment 1: 750-word primary source analysis (from a selection of 4 extracts covering weeks 2-5), due midday Friday week 5 (17% of the module's grade)


• Assessment 2: 750-word analytical precis of an article (from a selection of 4 secondary readings covering weeks 7-10) and a 1,000-word blog post with accompanying bibliography (from a selection of 4 topics provided covering broader module themes), due midday Monday week 11 (33% of the module’s grade).

Formative assessment methods:
1,000 words or 2 pages of A4 maximum to include, at the module convenor's discretion, an essay plan, bibliography, book review or other preparatory work towards the summative essay.

Penalties for late submission:

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:
A mark of 40% overall

Reassessment arrangements:

Where a re-sit is permitted, students will be assessed on the failed element(s) only in August. Any element(s) already passed will be carried forward if it bears a confirmed mark of 40% or more. The module mark will be capped at a maximum of 40%. Failed coursework must be re-submitted by 12 noon on the third Friday of August.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

1) Required text books: Purchase of textbooks is not compulsory, but students should consider setting aside £25 per course to cover the purchase of useful books.

2) Specialist equipment or materials: 

3) Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear: 

4) Printing and binding: 

5) Computers and devices with a particular specification: 

6) Travel, accommodation and subsistence: 

Last updated: 12 September 2023