Universität Wien
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070294 UE Guided Reading Medieval History - Plague and Climate Change in the Middle Ages (2021W)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 7 - Geschichte
Continuous assessment of course work
REMOTE
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Thursday 07.10. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 14.10. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 21.10. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 28.10. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 04.11. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 11.11. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 18.11. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 25.11. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 02.12. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 09.12. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 16.12. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 13.01. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 20.01. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital
  • Thursday 27.01. 13:30 - 15:00 Digital

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This Guided Reading examines pandemic and climate change in the Middle Ages. We will read about the historical and scientific evidence for the First (or "Justinianic") Pandemic (c. 541-543, but ongoing to750) and the Second Pandemic (the "Black Death") (c. 1347-1353, but ongoing to the eighteenth century), and discuss debates over their significance. We will also consider the evidence for hemispheric climate change: the Late Antique Little Ice Age, the Medieval Climate Anomaly, and the Little Ice Age. How did these exogenous phenomena affect or interact with medieval societies?

The course also emphasizes the teaching of expository and analytical skills used by historians to articulate, defend, and disseminate scholarly findings. We will focus especially on how historians can use scientific methods and data. There will be short written assignments which lead up to the final paper.

Assessment and permitted materials

Participation (25%), short papers (25%), first draft of final paper (15%), final paper (35%).

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Attendance with active participation, careful reading of primary sources and secondary sources, short papers on primary sources and secondary sources, research and composition of final research paper.

Examination topics

The final paper is a paper of 8-10 pages on a research topic within the course theme, which engages with primary and secondary sources.

Reading list

All readings will either be provided by the instructor or on the course website.

Association in the course directory

Vertiefung zu: VO Mittelalter

BA Geschichte (2012): Mittelalter (4 ECTS)
BA Geschichte (2019): Mittelalter (5 ECTS)
BEd UF Geschichte: Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte (4 ECTS)

Last modified: Fr 12.05.2023 00:14