September 3, 2002
HISTORY 6305: SEMINAR - EUROPEAN HISTORY
FALL 2002
CURRENT RESEARCH PROBLEMS IN (MEDIEVAL) HISTORY
TEACHER
John Howe
Office: 143 Holden Hall Office Hours:
MWF 10-10:30; Tu 9:30-10:00pm; Th 1-2, and by appointment
Telephone: 742-1004 ext. 233 E-mail:
john.howe@ttu.edu
Web: http://www2.tltc.ttu.edu/howe
PURPOSES OF THE COURSE
To examine some of today’s major historical debates about
medieval history, debates that affect how European History as a
whole is envisioned: family and gender history;
"feudalism" and nobility; the origin of nations; and
other topic(s) as chosen by the class. To read and report on
current literature concerning the above. To introduce available
research materials. To produce an extensive term paper informed
by the methodological and research strategies described in the
course.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Required Books
Lester Little and Barbara Rosenwein. Debating the Middle
Ages: Issues and Readings. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers,
1998.
Class Attendance
Attend class regularly. Difficult material will be analyzed
in class, often through student reports. Part of the course grade
is based on class participation, and you cannot participate if
you are not present. In-class essays on particular historical
topics will be based in large part on material covered in class.
If you must miss more than three classes, you should not be
enrolled.
Required Reading
Reading--a great deal of reading--is central to this graduate
seminar. There will be specific texts assigned for most classes,
from reading lists provided. Student reports and discussion will
play a major role in class proceedings, so it is important to
complete all assignments as scheduled.
Book or Article Reviews
Over the course of the semester, students will write 10 book
or article reviews. Each should be not longer than two
double-spaced typed pages. Students should be prepared to report
in class on works they have reviewed. Late assignments disrupt
class proceedings, and will be penalized a grade point.
[Electronic posting or photocopy distribution of reports are
possibilities to be discussed.]
In-Class Examinations
There will be two short in-class essays (October 17 and 31).
These will serve to pull together the material and to stimulate
thought and discussion on the historical problems in question.
Extensive Term Paper
Students will write a twenty to thirty page double-spaced
paper, either on a topic concerning the historical problems
raised in the seminar itself or on a topic connected with
on-going thesis or dissertation research. In either case, the
topic must be approved by the instructor. Students will use
Chicago style or an alternate system approved by the instructor.
Get the topic approved in the first two or three weeks if
possible. Students looking for new topics must have a topic
chosen by Thursday, September 19. The first draft is due Nov. 14;
the final draft Dec 11.
Necessary Accommodations
Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may
require some special arrangements in order to meet course
requirements should contact the instructor as soon as possible so
that the necessary accommodations can be made.
GRADING
The course grade will be computed as follows: 40% from ten reviews of books or articles (4% from each); 10% from two in-class essays (5% from each); 50% from the term paper.
READING AND LECTURE SCHEDULE
Th Aug 29 Introduction / Designing the Course/
Ethnogenesis
Little & Rosenwein 1-4, 8-12, 15-44. Read and report on a book from List #1: Ethnogenesis
[Th Aug 29 Last day for student-initiated Drop/Add]
Th Sept 5 Ethnogenesis and Identity Construction / Discussion / Historiographical Debates
[W Sept 11 Last day to drop a course and get a full refund.]
Th Sept 12 Violence and the Early Church / Web-Based Historical Sources
Th Sept 19 Virtuous Violence / Source Collections in the
Library
MEET AT LIBRARY CONFERENCE ROOM. # 204 (second floor of
stacks, University Library)
List #4: Law in the Middle Ages (Read List #4 to appreciate the range of general studies--no assignment is due from this list). Read the following five articles: 1) Uta-Renate Blumenthal, "Papacy and Canon Law in the 11th-Cent. Reform,"Catholic Historical Review, 84 (1998), 201-18; 2) Bruce Brasington, "Non Imitanda set Veneranda...," Viator, 23 (1992), 135-52; 3) Brasington, "Canon Law in the "Century of the Individual"; 4) E. A. R. Brown, "Feudalism ..." in AHR, 79(4) (1974), 1063- 88; and 5) Stefan Kuttner, "Revival of Jurisprudence," in Renaissance and Renewal in the 12th Century, ed. Benson and Constable (1982), 299-323. 1), 2), and 5) are available in photocopy from Howe; 3) is posted on the web; and 4) can be obtained on-line, from a TTU terminal or with a TTU ID, through UL electronic journals. Write a report on any one of the five articles.
Th Sept 26 "Change and Continuity in 12th Century Canon Law" by Bruce Brasington (WTAMU)
Th Oct 3 "Rights of Man"
[M Oct 7 Last day to declare P/F, or to drop a course and receive an automatic W for courses dropped.]
Th Oct 10 Dealing with Deviance
Th Oct 17 In-Class Essay on Law and History / Problems of Innovation and Diffusion
Th Oct 24 Greek and Islamic Influence on the Eleventh-Century West
Th Oct 31 In-Class Essay on Cross-Cultural Contact / Urban History
Th Nov 7 The Origin of Business Structures
Finish First Draft of Papers
Th Nov 14 Paper Presentations
Th Nov 21 Paper Presentations / Course Review
[Th Nov 28 Thanksgiving Holiday]
Write and Revise.
[Th Dec 5 Day of No Classes]
[Tu Dec 10 at 3:30 Final Exam Scheduled--Devote Time to Rewriting]
W Dec 11 Final Semester Papers are due by 5:00 pm.
Students who want their essays returned quickly should add a self-addressed, stamped envelope.