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Early European Family
Spring 2011
History 4495-100 (#13637)
Time: TR 11:00-12:15
Room: Dunbar 4204
For class website see GoWMU E-learning page
Prof. Robert Berkhofer
Office: 4424 Friedmann Hall
Phone: 387-5352 (use email!)
Hours: TR 1215-2 & by appt
robert.berkhofer@wmich.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course explores aspects of the early European family from late
imperial Rome to the sixteenth century. The course will emphasize three themes: family
consciousness, marriage, and love/sexuality. Topics will include: the development of marriage
out of the combination of Roman law, Christian theology and daily experience in Europe; family
structures, inheritance, princely dynasticism and its impact on everyday families; gender roles in
the family; concepts of love, laws governing sexual behavior, and patterns of licit and illicit sex.
COURSE FORMAT: This course will be a lecture and discussion course. Lectures will review
the readings in historical perspective and provide background for student-led discussion of
primary source materials. Students will bring a wide variety of assumptions and theoretical
starting-points and are encouraged to bring thoughtful comments to class and listen to those of
others. Students are required to attend all class meetings and come to discussions having already
read and thought about the texts.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course seeks to provide students with an understanding of how
the family, gender, and human sexuality are studied by scholars in historical context. Students
analyze and compare different models of historical development for the medieval period, and
gain an understanding of how Europe was different from or similar to other premodern cultures.
The cumulative source analysis writing assignments (and their revisions) are designed to fulfill
the undergraduate baccalaureate writing requirement.
REQUIRED BOOKS:
Brucker, Gene, Giovanni and Lusanna: Love and Marriage in Renaissance Florence, 2d ed.
(California, 2004) ISBN: 0520244958. [This edition only]
D’Avray, David. Medieval Marriage: Symbolism and Society. (Oxford University Press, 2008).
ISBN: 0199239789.
Evergates, Theodore, Aristocratic Women in Medieval France (Pennsylvania, 1999). ISBN:
0812217004.
Karras, Ruth Mazo, Sexuality in Medieval Europe: Doing Unto Others (Routledge, 2005). ISBN:
0415289637.
Murray, Jacqueline, ed., Love, Marriage, and Family in the Middle Ages: A Reader (University
of Toronto, 2001), ISBN: 9781551111049.
Neel, Carol, trans., Handbook for William: A Carolingian Woman’s Counsel for Her Son
(Catholic University of America Press, 1999). ISBN: 0813209382.
Spearing, Elizabeth, ed., Medieval Writings on Female Spirituality (Penguin, 2002) ISBN:
0140439250.
Note: You will have to purchase two blue books for the exams.
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RECOMMENDED BOOKS:
Gies, Frances and Joseph, Marriage & The Family in the Middle Ages (Harper-Collins, 1989)
ISBN: 0060914688 (brief overview of subject)
Neel, Carol, ed. Medieval Families: Perspectives on Marriage, Household, and Children
(University of Toronto, 2004). ISBN: 9780802084583. (collection of scholarly articles)
Rampolla, Mary Lynn, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 6th ed. (Bedford, 2009). ISBN:
0312535031. (Advice for writing, previous editions acceptable)
Rosenwein, Barbara H., A Short History of the Middle Ages, 3rd ed. (University of Toronto
Press, 2009). ISBN: 1442601043. (textbook, for historical overview if needed)
SUGGESTED READINGS:
Anderson, Michael, Approaches to the History of the Western Family, 1500-1914 (Cambridge,
1995, reprint 2000). ISBN: 0521557933.
Garver, Valerie L. Women and Aristocratic Culture in the Carolingian World. (Cornell
Univesity Press, 2009). ISBN: 978-0801447716.
Livingstone, Amy. Out of Love for My Kin: Aristocratic Family in the Lands of the Loire, 10001200. (Cornell University Press, 2010). ISBN: 978-0801448416.
STUDY AIDS: See http://homepages.wmich.edu/~rberkhof/studyaids/index.html for aid with all
aspects of the course including: taking notes, studying, taking exams, and writing papers.
HONOR CODE: Students are expected to uphold the Western Michigan University standards of
Academic Conduct. You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the
policies and procedures in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs that pertain to Academic
Honesty. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple
submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. [The policies can be found at
http://catalog.wmich.edu under Academic Policies, Student Rights and Responsibilities.] If there
is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the
Office of Student Conduct (osc.wmich.edu). You will be given the opportunity to review the
charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing.
You should consult with Prof. Berkhofer if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty
prior to the submission of an assignment or test. Even after written assignments are submitted,
students are required to maintain an electronic copy and must produce it if asked Prof.
Berkhofer. Student drafts and final papers will be submitted electronically to turnitin.com (an
anti-plagiarism clearinghouse).
EXAMS: There will be a midterm exam on Thursday, February 17 and a final exam on
Wednesday, April 27 at 8am, covering the lectures, primary sources, and secondary books. Each
exam will cover all readings and lectures to date. Both exams will be essay format, with some
short identification and source analysis questions. The midterm exam will count 20% of the
course grade, the final 20% of the grade.
SOURCE ANALYSIS PAPERS: Students will write a series of three source analysis papers on
course themes, receiving detailed feedback on their writing as they proceed. Students will write
two short (2-3 pages, minimum 500 words) source analyses of the primary sources—one in Part
I, and one on the day they do their presentation on primary sources (in Parts II-IV), which will
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each count for 10% of the course grade. Students will have the opportunity to rewrite one of
these two short papers within two weeks of the original due date. They will also write a longer
source analysis paper (10-12 pages, minimum 2500 words) analyzing Giovanni and Lusanna,
which will be due at the start of the class, Apr 7. The longer source analysis will count for 20%
of the total course grade. I will hand out instructions later. You are responsible for maintaining
an electronic copy of your paper after submitting it and must be able to produce the file if
requested by the instructor.
DISCUSSION: Attendance is a required part of the course; students consistently failing to attend
class without a valid, university-approved written excuse may receive an "E" for the course at the
instructor's option. Special source discussions (noted in the schedule below) will focus on the
assigned source readings for that day. Vigorous participation (as contrasted with attendance) on
the assigned source discussion days will count for 20% of a student’s total course grade.
GRADE COMPONENTS: Midterm exam 20%; 2 short source analyses 20%; longer source
analysis 20%; discussion 20%; final exam 20%. You must complete all elements of the course to
receive a passing grade. All late submissions will be penalized, in fairness to students who
complete the assignments in a timely fashion. The grade scale is as follows: 100-93 = A, 92-87 =
BA, 86-83 = B, 82-77 = CB, 76-73 = C, 72-67 = DC, 67-60 = D, and less than 60 = E.
Students with Disabilities: You should register your disability with Disabled Student Resources
and Services (269-387-2116 or www.dsrs.wmich.edu). You should discuss any accommodation
with them and they will give you a card listing the approved accommodation, which you should
show to Prof. Berkhofer. This process should be completed by the second week of class.
Late Work: Make-up exams will be given only for valid, university-approved written excuses at
the instructor's discretion. Make-up exams must be taken as soon as possible after the original
test, preferably the day the student returns to class. Unexcused late papers will be penalized two
full letter grades per day they are late (e.g., a "B" paper will become a "D" paper).
Email/IP Policy: Western Michigan requires that all email correspondence between instructors
and students be conducted using wmich.edu accounts. Students may not reproduce any portion of
course materials (including notes on lecture) without the instructor’s express written permission.
Lecture, Discussion and Reading Assignments
Always bring source readings to class for listed discussions.
Part I: Foundations of European Marriage, Family, and Sexuality to 750
Background Reading: Rosenwein, preface and chs. 1-2. Explore the Study Aids on website.
Week 1: Introduction and Models
Jan 11 Introduction to Course Themes
Jan 13 Lecture: Concepts and Categories of Family, Marriage, Love/Sexuality
Recommended: Introduction to Neel, Medieval Families.
Topics: family models, possible unions, ideas/actions, interpreting secondary and primary
sources.
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Week 2: Roman Legacy
Jan 18 Lecture: The Roman familia
Jan 20 Discussion 1: Roman law and ideals [Selected texts from Wiesner, Lives and Voices, ch.
3, parts 1-2 (Women’s Legal Position, Idealized Wives and Mothers)], Polybius on
Ancestors and 12 Tables (e-sources)
Topics: Laws about marriage/divorce, adoption, inheritance, sex and social class
Week 3: Christian Concepts
Jan 25 Lecture: Biblical and Theological Foundations
Jan 27 Discussion 2: Murray, nos. 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 36-38, 64, 65
Topics: ideals of marriage, sex and chastity, role of women in religion, incest
Week 4: Germanic and Celtic Influences
Feb 1 Lecture: Kinship, Custom, and Law
Feb 3 Discussion 3: Murray, nos. 2, 5, 6, 7, Irish Penitentials, Cain Adamnan, and Aethelbert’s
Code (e-sources)
Topics: kin, cognatic families, inheritance custom, women and feud, sin and sexuality
Part II: Aristocratic and Peasant Families, 750-1000
Background Reading, Rosenwein, chs. 3-4
Week 5: Making of the European Aristocratic Family
Feb 8 Lecture: Dysfunctional Noble Family I: The Carolingians
Feb 10 Discussion 4: Murray, nos. 11, 39, 46, 48, Handbook for William (entire)
Topics: Competition of heirs, power and inheritance, illegitimacy
Week 6: Lordly and Peasant Households
Feb 15 Lecture: Medieval Households. Read: Murray, nos. 31, 47, 57
Feb 17 MIDTERM EXAM
Part III: Medieval Transformations, 1000-1300
Background Reading, Rosenwein, chs. 5-6
Week 7: Marriage and Theology
Feb 22 Lecture: Medieval Marriage Models I: The Church. Read: Murray, nos. 23, handout
diagramming marriage models
Feb 24 Discussion 5: Murray, nos. 18, 32, 34, 40-42, D’Avray, Medieval Marriage, pp. 1-130.
Topics: Marriage formation, canonists vs. theologians, incest, sin and sexuality
SPRING BREAK
Week 8: Secular Ideas about Love and Marriage
Mar 8 Lecture: Medieval Marriage Models II: Nobility
Mar 10 Discussion 6: Murray, nos. 12-16, 25, 33, 51-53, Genealogical Literature (e-source),
D’Avray, Medieval Marriage (131-end).
Topics: dynastic strategy, parents and children, chivalry and courtesy, romance
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Week 9: Women, Sanctity, and Sexuality
Mar 15 Lecture: Saints, Sinners and Sex. Read Murray, no. 50
Mar 17 Discussion 7: Medieval Writings on Female Spirituality (selected), Karras, Medieval
Sexuality, 1-58.
Topics: saints and holy families, cult of Mary, monastic orders, food, chastity
Week 10: Dysfunctional Noble Family II
Mar 22 Lecture: Two Families, One Madness, Read: Royal genealogies (handout)
Mar 24 Discussion 8: Murray, nos. 20, 35, 54, 55, and Aristocratic Women (selected)
Topics: Women and power, role of queens, "extra" children, regional differences
Part IV: Myths and Models of the Middle Ages after 1300
Background Reading: Rosenwein, chs. 7-8, epilogue.
Week 11: Family in Time of Plague
Mar 29 Lecture: Transformations in Later Medieval Europe
Mar 31 Discussion 9: Murray, nos. 22, 30, 56, 58, 60, 62, and Karras, Medieval Sexuality (finish)
Topics: household size, prostitution, licit/illicit sexuality
Week 12: Love and Marriage, Italian Style
Apr 5 Lecture: Demographic and Cultural Shifts
Apr 7 Discussion 10: Murray, nos. 26-29, 55 and Brucker, Giovanni and Lusanna (entire)
Topics: gender relations, marriage law, literacy, social class
GIOVANNI AND LUSANNA PAPER DUE at start of class
Week 13: Family, Community and Identity
Apr 12 Lecture: Community, Superstition, Witchcraft
Apr 14 Discussion 11: Murray, nos. 21, 43-45, 57 and Deviance (e-sources)
Topics: ideal families, parents and children, companionate love, identities
Week 14: Early Modern Europe: New Models of Thought and Action?
Apr 19 Lecture: Family, Marriage, Love/Sexuality Revisited
Apr 21 Discussion 12: Models of Family, Marriage, Love/Sexuality [Neel, selected articles]
Final Exam: Wednesday, April 27 at 8am (in regular classroom)