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2012/13 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
HIST2160 Queens and Queenship in Medieval Europe, 11th - 15th Centuries
20 creditsClass Size: 42
Module manager: Dr Iona McCleery
Email: I.McCleery@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2012/13
This module is approved as an Elective
Module summary
Whether as rulers in their own right, wives of kings, or regents, queens were viewed in several different ways by their contemporaries and still hold an ambivalent place in modern historical studies. Were queens powerful politicians and diplomats or were they submissive bearers of royal heirs, irrelevant to political history? Are queens representative of medieval women in general or do they obscure research into the life and work of 'ordinary' women? This module will address these questions by focusing on the development of kingdoms and royal government, the changing nature of queenly power, the multifarious image of queens in art and literature, the religious symbolism of queenship, and royal evidence for the history of family life and the female life cycle. The study of queenship thus opens a window onto the politics, art and society of the period between c.1050 and c.1500.Objectives
On completion of this module students will gain a greater knowledge of the lives of individual queens and princesses as well as of the ambivalent and historically controversial issues surrounding their royal office. This will also expand their knowledge of medieval daily life and introduce them to gender studies and the history of women and the family, and of political power. Students will also become more aware of the importance of literary sources, religious symbolism and artistic representation in the construction of political power and personal identity.Skills outcomes
Students will gain the skills to interpret both visual and textual evidence and evaluate different approaches to a subject. They will gain the ability to convey knowledge in written and oral form in a group context.
Syllabus
This module explores the lives of medieval queens across a wide chronological and geographical range. The aim is to look at the roles of ruling queens, queen mothers, regents and royal wives in turn, focusing on the relationship between their political power and their position within family, household and royal court. The module will also examine representations of queenship in literature and art and at the role of queenship in the study of women's history.
Teaching methods
Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
Lecture | 11 | 1.00 | 11.00 |
Seminar | 9 | 1.00 | 9.00 |
Private study hours | 180.00 | ||
Total Contact hours | 20.00 | ||
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200.00 |
Private study
Exam preparation; researching, preparing, and writing assignments; undertaking set reading; and self-directed reading around the topic.Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Contributions to class discussions, an assessed exercise or exercises worth 10% of module marks, an assessed essay.Methods of assessment
Coursework
Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
Essay | 1 x 2,000 word assessed essay to be delivered in Week 8 | 30.00 |
Oral Presentation | Presentation | 10.00 |
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 40.00 |
10% oral presentation is redone with 'an equivalent written exercise'
Exams
Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 2 hr 00 mins | 60.00 |
Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 60.00 |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 10/04/2013
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