HIS 319 - Women in Medieval Europe (1)

This course examines how law, family structures, religious beliefs, and work shaped the experiences of European women between c. 500-1400. As we read various works for, by, and about medieval women, among the major questions we’ll examine are: What ideas about women’s bodies, minds, and social roles shaped women’s lives? What factors allowed women more or less agency to choose their own life’s course? In addition to reading medieval sources, in the course we will read, evaluate, and critique modern scholarship on medieval women. This course also counts toward the GSS major. Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor.
(Humanities)