History: European Women and Patriarchy

See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.

Open to Degree and PACE students; Special Topics sections cannot have CC designations.

Mother, daughter, sister; diplomat, warrior, queen; healer, witch, prophet… these are only some of the roles that medieval women have embodied in order to survive and thrive in a world that was dominated by men. This class takes place in medieval Europe- about1000 to 1500- a period in which patriarchal forces were often considered to control all major spheres of life outside the home: guilds and professional life, the Church, the courts, the battlefield, medicine, and universities. Our readings and lectures will show how women successfully participated in and/or navigated these spheres, despite the structural difficulties of doing so. This class also addresses historiographic issues such as how the field of history, its source and methodologies, have often obscured women’s struggles and victories in the medieval period. This same inquiry will also enable us to historicize the idea of “patriarchy” and better understand its historical evolution. Concentration: Europe (HI02)