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HIST310-01, Women in Medieval Europe, Fall 2006
Dronzek, Anna
Dronzek, Anna
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History, Department of, Syllabus, Curriculum, Academic departments, Text, 2006 Fall
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Abstract
Perhaps the most popular modern image of medieval women is that of damsels in distress,
waiting Rapunzel-like in towers for knights in shining armor to come to their rescue. In fact,
while medieval women faced many restrictions on their behavior and encountered negative
attitudes that women would find intolerable today, they were nonetheless far from passive
victims. They found many opportunities to express their opinions, to act in their own and
others’ interests, and to improve their lives. This semester we will examine both ideas about
medieval women and women’s lived experiences. We will explore how precisely medieval
women negotiated the patriarchal society in which they lived, what they could and could not
do, and how they felt about it. At the same time, we will examine the legacy of medieval
women’s experiences on our own modern culture. Finally, we will consider how to study
medieval women – what sources remain, what methods are most fruitful, and what
questions historians have spent the most time addressing.
No previous knowledge of the European Middle Ages or of women’s history is expected for
this course. This course is organized thematically rather than chronologically, so we will be
jumping around in time quite a bit. I will try to provide the necessary background and
chronological connections, but if you find yourself confused about what’s happening in the
general narrative of European history at a given time, or about where we are in time, please
let me know!
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This syllabus was submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs by the course instructor