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The Middle Ages & Renaissance (310-0-20)

Topic

Defining Difference

Instructors

Christopher John Davis
847/467-5637
1860 Campus Drive Crowe Hall #2-140

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 3-410: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

This class examines narratives of travel, quest, crusade, and exploration to ask how medieval people conceptualized identity and otherness. To what extent do modern categories of race, ethnicity, religion, and national identity apply to the Middle Ages? How did the medieval period contribute to modern ideas of community and alterity? We will focus on Old French literature as a way of asking how encounters with the other contributed to the formation of a "French" cultural identity.

Registration Requirements

FRENCH 271-0, FRENCH 272-0, or FRENCH 273-0, or consent of instructor.

Learning Objectives

Thoughtful discussion and written analysis of medieval and modern cultural attitudes toward identity and otherness.

Teaching Method

In class discussions and written assignments. Some critical readings of primary texts.

Class Attributes

Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: Students must have completed FRENCH 271-0, FRENCH 272-0, or FRENCH 273-0. Other students may register with instructor permission.