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.