HIST42430: Power and Society in the Late Middle Ages

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• To gain:
• (i) an advanced understanding of the central aspects of late medieval political culture through study of the interaction of power and society; and
• (ii) the capacity to discuss comparatively the character and development of political formations and concepts in different parts of western continental Europe and the British Isles.

• What were the sources of power in the late middle ages? And how and by whom was power exercised? This module focuses on political power and explores the interaction of power, authority, institutions and structures of rule with ideas, assumptions, and discourses within a range of political and constitutional settings, such as kingdoms, lordships, regions, cities and city-states. One of the principal themes of the module is the way in which power was communicated, legitimised, negotiated, and (and on occasion, violently) contested and challenged. It will examine the interaction between power and society; structures of authority; channels of power; the lineaments of political community and the vocabularies and modes of political discourse. There will also be the opportunity to examine the development and character of various types of political public and the role of public opinion.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• An understanding of late medieval political and social history as a historical subfield and methodological approach across temporal and regional scopes
• A critical knowledge of the primary sources, research questions, and methodologies that inform late medieval political and social historiography

Subject-specific Skills:

• Knowledge of and ability to critically analyse secondary and tertiary material regarding late medieval political and social history
• Ability to identify and critically interpret primary sources related to late medieval political and social history
• Facility with theories, themes, and methods relevant to late medieval political and social history across different regions and periods
• Ability to use primary sources to make a targeted intervention in scholarly discourse regarding late medieval political and social history

Key Skills:

• Independent research skills, using a wide range of search tools and historical sources
• Advanced ability to synthesise complex material from a wide range of sources
• Ability to formulate complex arguments in articulate and well-structured English, observing the conventions of academic writing, conforming to high academic standards
• Effective oral and written communication
• Facility drawing together disparate forms of historical evidence
• Ability to demonstrate professional conduct through observation of professional and academic standards, including correct editorial referencing of sources
• Personal organisational skills, including time management

• Student learning is facilitated by a range of teaching methods.
• Seminars require students to reflect on and discuss: their prior knowledge and experience; set reading of secondary and, where appropriate, primary readings; information provided during the session. They provide a forum in which to assess and comment critically on the findings of others, defend their conclusions in a reasoned setting, and advance their knowledge and understanding of late medieval political culture.
• Structured reading requires students to focus on set materials integral to the knowledge and understanding of the module. It specifically enables the acquisition of detailed knowledge and skills which will be discussed in other areas of the teaching and learning experience.
• Assessment is by means of a 5000 word essay which requires the acquisition and application of advanced knowledge and understanding of aspects of late medieval political culture. Essays require a sustained and coherent argument in defence of a hypothesis, and must be presented in a clearly written and structured form, and with appropriate apparatus.

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