| Unit name | Women and Gender in Medieval French Literature (1150-1450) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | FREN20071 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Karatas |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of French |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
The construction of gender is a crucial element in any ideology. How were attitudes towards gender and sexuality fashioned in medieval French literary culture? What were medieval constructions of gender and were there any alternatives to traditional models? While not shying away from the misogyny and gender-centric prejudice sometimes expressed in medieval texts and images, Women and Gender in Medieval French Literature (1150-1450) generates insight into how such views are also challenged or troubled in the medieval world.
Through an interdisciplinary lens combining tenets of literary criticism, visual culture, and gender theory, we will consider how gender was represented in medieval culture through focused analysis of a range of different sources, including courtly romances, lyric texts, short stories, and manuscript illuminations. In particular, the unit will focus on the ways in which medieval women writers and artists treated issues of gender and sexuality within a sphere traditionally dominated by men.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
The unit builds on the knowledge that you will have gained in French units in the first year (in which some medieval texts were introduced), but no previous knowledge of the Middle Ages is required. The textual materials studied are predominantly written in medieval French but will be studied in modern French or English translation. The unit allows you to broaden your knowledge of medieval francophone literary culture while acting as a preparatory platform for further study of issues of gender and sexuality across cultural, historical, and linguistic contexts.
An overview of content
The unit covers a selection of texts composed in (varieties of) Old French from the twelfth to fifteenth centuries. The choice of texts is justified by the variety in representation of the unit’s key themes, these being gender, language, and sexuality, as well as the conventions that govern the representation of these themes in each instance. The theoretical framework of the units charts key current trends in the scholarship, engaging with, for example, queer theory and gender theory, postcolonial theory, as well as ideas relating to material culture and digital humanities (and the intersection of these areas).
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will be introduced to a sample of medieval French literature (pre-1500) and some of its key themes, styles, and concerns. Students will be familiarised with a range of different genres and to encourage reflection on the differences between them. They will encourage reflection on the representation of gender and sexuality in pre-modern texts and how language and rhetoric produce their effects. Introduction to some lesser known medieval French texts and encourage rethinking of ‘the canon’. Student will develop on their analytical abilities in relation to the theme of the module and they will develop their ability to articulate their reflections. students will also develop their research and writing abilities.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. identify and understanding of the primary texts on the syllabus.
2. discuss the key themes of the course with relation to both primary and secondary sources.
3. consider and research further the questions raised by the course independently.
4. produce coherent, well-supported and well-structured arguments in written form.
Teaching will be delivered through weekly seminars, including group seminar-style discussion and self-directed exercises.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required.
Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. FREN20071).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
