Module overview
Within this module, you will have the opportunity to study different areas of medieval History. This will take place in student-led discussions, which are convened and supported by historians with experience in medieval history in varied forms. You will identify themes and subjects worthy of further analysis and discussion, with guidance and support from staff. As a group, you will work collaboratively to identify areas of particular interest, formulate reading lists, and determine research questions, all with the support of academics. This is with the expectation that these discussions and studies will enable you to undertake independent research at the cutting edge of medieval historiography and methodology.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- a wide variety of primary sources relating to medieval history.
- medieval history, in particular the different approaches taken by historians to medieval history.
- a wide variety of secondary source material relating to medieval history, including theoretical frameworks used in the field.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- apply your developed knowledge of medieval history, structuring your ideas and research findings into well-ordered written assignments.
- engage with historiography and theoretical frameworks, contributing to the debates relating to medieval history and its relationship to the wider world.
- undertake a thorough critical analysis and assessment of a variety of textual, visual and material culture sources.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- research complex historical questions and communicate your findings convincingly and concisely in written assignments.
- use to good effect textual, visual and material culture sources, synthesising this material to develop cogent and persuasive arguments.
- utilise and develop your time-management skills.
Syllabus
Themes to be explored in this module may include the nobility, nation and community, everyday life, war, and political and religious culture.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include seminars.
Learning methods include close analysis of a range of primary sources and discussion of key themes and ideas.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Wider reading or practice | 26 |
| Seminar | 24 |
| Completion of assessment task | 50 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 50 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Chris Wickham (2018). Medieval Europe. Yale University Press.
Susan Wise Bauer (2010). The History of the Medieval World – From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade. W W Norton.
Fozia Bora (2020). Writing History in the Medieval Islamic World: The Value of Chronicles as Archives. I.B. Tauris.
François-Xavier Fauvelle (Author), Troy Tice (Translator) (2021). The Golden Rhinoceros: Histories of the African Middle Ages. Princeton UP.
Ann Baer (2018). Medieval Woman: Village Life in the Middle Ages. Michael O'Mara.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Resubmit assessments | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External