39440 - Social History of the Middle Ages (1)

Learning outcomes

At end of the course, the student acquires a basic knowledge of the social history of medieval Europe. He can read and comment critically texts and data; he is able to communicate in oral and written forms on the topics of the discipline, using proper terminology.

Course contents

Economic and social frameworks in the Middle Ages

Individuals, house-groups, communities and associations
The course, integrated to Storia economica del Medioevo, examines the relationship between individuals, differentiated by their giuridical status, and the forms of social organizations - families, communities, associations - long a period of time ranging from the first centuries of the Middle Ages to the thirteenth century.
During lectures, will be described the features and the evolution of family ties, the main forms of associated life in rural areas, such as monasteries, courtyards and villages, and the special features of urban society.

Readings/Bibliography

The exam includes a written test and an oral test.

For the written test, all students - attending and not attending - will study:

- "Parte prima" of the handbook Introduzione alla storia medievale, a cura di G. Albertoni e T. Lazzari, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2015.

The written test, same for all, will be based on this book.

The oral exam will consist of a discussion of the written test results.

Attending students will have to study the lecture notes and materials (Powerpoint and documents) that will be loaded on AlmaDL-Campus.

Non-attending students will bring a text to be chosen from those indicated in this list:

• A. Degrandi, Artigiani nel Vercellese dei secoli XII e XIII, Pisa 1996.
• G. Duby, Il cavaliere, la donna, il prete, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1982.
• G. Duby, Medioevo maschio. Amore e matrimonio, Laterza, Roma-Bari 1991.
• G. Duby, Le società medievali, Torino, Einaudi, 1997
• R. Fossier, Il lavoro nel Medioevo, Torino, Einaudi, 2002.
• O.G. Oexle, Paradigmi del sociale. Adalberone di Laon e la società tripartita del Medioevo, a cura di R. delle Donne, Salerno, Carlone Editore, 2000, ed. orig.Die funktionale Dreiteilung der ‘Gesellschaft' bei Adalbero von Laon. Deutungsschemata der sozialen Wirklichkeit im früheren Mittelalter, in «Frühmittelalterliche Studien», 12 (1978), pp. 1-54.
• G. Todeschini, Visibilmente crudeli. Malviventi, persone sospette e gente qualunque dal medioevo all'età moderna, Bologna, il Mulino, 2007.

Teaching methods

Lectures with presentation of various materials (documents, texts, images).

Assessment methods

The course, together with Storia economica del Medioevo, constituted the integrated course Storia economica e sociale del Medioevo.

Therefore the final exam is conceived as unique, with only one written test, common for both courses, followed by an oral test, in the presence of both teachers.

The two tests can be taken in the same scheduled exam date but it's also possible to take the oral test in a succeeding scheduled exam date.

To access the oral exam you must have obtained in the written test a score of at least 18/30.

The written test for 12 credits exam is composed of six open questions, whose score is 0 to 5. The maximum possible result is 30/30.

The oral test consists of a free conversation about the course topics (notes, readings and documents submitted during lectures, or, for not attending, the chosen book).
The score assigned to the oral test is 30/30.

They will be taken into account for evaluation: propriety of language, understanding of the topics discussed, ability to propose connections between the different topics.

Final mark will be the average between the result of the written test and the result of the oral examination. The mention of praise can be added, subject to the discretion of the teacher.

The student attending only Storia sociale del Medioevo, bring to the exame only the specific program.

In this case, the questions for the written test will be three instead of six, whose score is 0-10.

The oral test consists of a free conversation about the course topics (notes, readings and documents submitted during lectures, or, for not attending, the chosen book).
The score assigned to the oral test is 30/30.

They will be taken into account for evaluation: propriety of language, understanding of the topics discussed, ability to propose connections between the different topics.

Final mark will be the average between the result of the written test and the result of the oral examination. The mention of praise can be added, subject to the discretion of the teacher.

Teaching tools

"IOL - Insegnamenti online" will be used to manage teaching tools. Attending students must apply to the system for having access to  teaching tools: power points for the synthesis of lesson contents, pdf files of sources and further readings.

Office hours

See the website of Tiziana Lazzari