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Readings have been chosen to allow us to compare the construction of
gender in works written by women and men. In addition to canonical
medieval works (e.g. Chaucer, Chrétien de Troyes, selections from
the Romance of the Rose), we will consider lesser known works by
medieval women writers (e.g. Marie de France, Christine de Pizan, Margery
Kempe, Julian of Norwich) both for their intrinsic interest and for what
they reveal about the status of women. Particular attention will
be paid to women's literacy and the efforts of women writers to create
a place for themselves within a literary canon largely hostile to women.
Other readings will explore some of the classical sources of medieval misogyny
and the polemical "Querelle des Femmes" tradition, a body of writings
attacking or defending womankind. Two other course objectives are worth noting.
By the end of the quarter, you should feel confident of your ability
to use various Kennedy
Library research tools to identify, locate and access useful secondary
sources on a research topic (and know how to document these sources correctly).
Finally,
I hope that exploring the treatment of gender in medieval literary works
will cause you to (re)consider your own assumptions about gender and sharpen
your sensitivity to the ways in which gender is constructed in more recent
periods and literary works.
You are also expected to facilitate collaboration
with your classmates by submitting regular research
progress reports and records of works ordered via LINK+
or ILL to
the Class Research Archive, and by submitting
at
least one item to the Class ILL Article Repository.
The Class Research Archive and ILL Article Depository are located in a
Blackboard "Discussion Board." To access Blackboard, log in at MyCalpoly,
go to "Blackboard Access" and select ENGL 439-02 "Gender in Medieval Literature"
from the classes you are taking; then click on "Discussion Board" and link
to the "ILL Article Repository" or to the "forum" for the research topic
you are interested in. There will be a "forum" for each author/text
on which there are oral presentations. Research reports are due
by FRIDAY of the week after the week on which they are listed as
the research assignment on the Class Calendar. Keep a copy of
your research reports in case of technological glitches. Be sure to check
after each posting to verify that your submissions have made it into the
archive. If you have trouble posting to the archive, contact the
Help Desk (756-7000) and let me know at our next class meeting. Your complete
set of Research Progress Reports and your
posting(s) to the ILL Article Repository will factor into the participation
component of your final course grade.
Please note that only absences resulting from illness, a family emergency, or circumstances truly beyond your control count as excused. Absences taken for personal convenience are a matter of choice rather than necessity; they will be recorded as unexcused. Please note that deadlines for other courses, work conflicts and job interviews are NOT valid reasons for missing class. Exception: a graduating senior will be granted ONE excused absence for an out-of-town job interview. FOR ANY ABSENCE TO BE EXCUSED, YOU MUST SUBMIT A SIGNED, WRITTEN NOTE
with course number, date missed and an explanation of the circumstances
leading to your absence. (An e-mail or a phone message will not
suffice; a written statement with your signature is required for
an absence to be excused.)
Readings are to be completed BEFORE coming to class on the date assigned.
You are expected as a matter of course to read assigned secondary readings
(online readings, introductions in the
textbooks, and any supplemental readings placed on e-reserve
in the Library Resources section of Blackboard).
When possible, try to read the background material FIRST -- it provides
a context within which the primary readings will be more meaningful. But
when time is short, concentrate on getting through the primary readings
which will be the focus of class discussion; you can always make up the
background readings later. Be prepared to DISCUSS assigned readings in class. Note that the length and difficulty of assignments vary, so look ahead on the calendar of assignments when you are planning your time. You will be responsible for ALL the assigned readings, whether fully discussed in class or not, as well as for any additional background material presented in lectures or student presentations. ALWAYS PRINT OUT SUPPLEMENTAL READINGS AND BRING THEM WITH YOU TO CLASS!! Don't give in to the temptation to procrastinate!! Be aware that the research component of this course requires additional preparation which CANNOT be left until the week before your oral presentation or prospectus is due. To get started, come to an Office Hour (or make an appointment to see me) by the end of week 3 at the latest. We will use this initial meeting to brainstorm, to discuss possible topics and approaches, to help you get the hang of some of the online research tools, and/or simply to get acquainted. After this initial meeting, feel free to come back whenever you feel you would benefit from additional consultation. This means: if you feel confused or overwhelmed, don't despair; CONTACT ME and let me help you troubleshoot!
Because your complete set of archived Research Progress Reports will be an important resource for your classmates, they are an integral part of your participation grade. Each required research report that DOES NOT FOLLOW DIRECTIONS (as outlined in the guided research exercises) or which is not submitted by the deadline (the SUNDAY after the week on which they are listed as the research assignment on the Class Calendar) will cause a PENALTY to be applied to the RESEARCH REPORT component of your final course grade at the end of the quarter, reducing it from a base of 4.0 (.1 penalty for the first late or incomplete report, .2 for the second, .3 for the third, etc.) Failure to submit a report will will result in a 1.0 penalty for each missing report. Likewise, failure to contribute an article to the class ILL Article Repository will cause a 1.0 penalty to be applied to the Research Report component of your final course grade. NOTE to the research-challenged or easily intimidated: even if you have no prior experience using Kennedy Library research tools, following the instructions in the guided research exercises is simply not that difficult. (You are all English majors and presumably know how to read!) Failure to submit research reports to the archive would be a truly unnecessary way to lose points in this class. If you are worried about the research component of this seminar, my best advice is to:
Your Oral Presentation and Annotated Bibliography count toward your in-class work grade. Please note: you will need to start researching your topic immediately in order to obtain materials through LINK+ and ILL . You should meet with Prof. Schwartz (and other presenters on same text, if applicable) no later than the third week of class for bibliographic suggestions and to discuss possible approaches / topics for your presentation. Failure to schedule a preliminary research conference by the end of week 3 will cause an "F" to be averaged into the Research Report component of your final course grade. PAPER PROSPECTUS: Normally ungraded; due DUE via email attachment on SUNDAY 11/7 as a .doc file with the file name "[yourlastname]prospectus.doc" ( NOTE: do NOT submit a .docx file, which I cannot open on my antiquated home computer!) Prospectus must include a working title which clearly identifies the primary work(s) discussed as well as topic of your paper; a fully articulated interpretive thesis (not just a statement of general topic); a tentative outline of paper; and a working bibliography of at least eight sources (alphabetized and in correct MLA bibliographic format; consult the models on the Guide to Research Tools). NOTE: If an acceptable Prospectus is submitted on time, it will be used solely for feedback to help you write a stronger final research paper. But if no prospectus is submitted or the prospectus does not fulfill therequirements of the assignment, it will be graded and will count for 10% of your final course grade. In that case ONLY, the Research Paper component of your final grade will decrease to 30%. (Note: failure to submit a prospectus will result in 10% of your final course grade = F.)
RESEARCH PAPER: 15-20 pp. long, citing at least 6 secondary sources (Senior Project Students: 20-25 pp. and 8 secondary sources). Final paper may be connected to the oral presentation. Normally due at the time of the Final Oral Exercise; it must be submitted by end of day on Wednesday, 12/10, to avoid receiving an Incomplete in the class. Worth 40% of final course grade (except as noted above). FINAL ORAL EXERCISE: there will be a required Final Oral Exercise: a brief presentation to your classmates of the premise and conclusions of your final research paper. While the Final Oral Presentation is graded Pass/Fail, it is the culmination of the collaborative work of the seminar. For this reason, failure to participate in the Final Oral Exercise will result in a grade of "F" being averaged with your Midterm Exam score. The Final Oral Exercise is typically held at my home in conjunction with an (optional) Class Dinner, to be scheduled at a mutually convenient time on either the week-end before finals or no later than WEDNESDAY OF EXAM WEEK (12/8); please note that I am unavailable on Monday and Thursday of exam week (12/6 and 12/9) due to other scheduled exams. If we are unable to schedule a class dinner, we will meet in our usual classroom during the scheduled final exam time, 10:10 AM - 1:00 PM on Friday, 12/10, for a short objective final exam (no essay component) covering the assigned Chaucer readings (first hour) followed by the Final Oral Exercise (brief presentations on research papers) in the last two hours. Should this be the case, the points earned on the Objective Final Exam will be factored into the Exam(s) component of the final course grade. NOTE: I do not typically include reading quizzes in my 400-level seminars. However, should it become apparent that students are not keeping up with assigned readings, I reserve the right to start! Reading quizzes in my classes typically consist of a combination of passage IDs; factual questions (based on assigned background readings, as well as character or event IDs); and content-specific questions based upon primary readings (significant plot developments, roles played by various characters, etc.) There is typically an element of choice on my quizzes, and they are typically unannounced. In the (unlikely) event that reading quizzes prove necessary, they will be incorporated into the in-class work component of your final course grade.  Course
Grade Calculation:
OH MY GOSH . . . CAN I HANDLE THIS SEMINAR?? Sure you can -- if you keep up with the readings and don't put off starting your research! But DON'T assume that the class will "take care of itself." If you have a heavy course- and/or work-load, please be sure to budget time for this class . . . Finally. . . remember that I LOVE teaching this stuff, and I'm told that my enthusisam makes my classes more fun! And WHAT ABOUT THOSE TWO-HOUR BLOCKS? Rest assured, we'll take a break each day. Feel free to bring along a caffeinated (or non-caffeinated) drink -- whatever it takes to keep you alert through two hours. If there is sufficient interest, rotating cookie duty will be arranged! WELCOME, AND ENJOY!!!
Contents of this and linked pages on Cal Poly websites Copyright
Debora B. Schwartz, 1999-2010; last updated 9/20/10
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Course
Description and Objectives: This course will explore the
intersection between literature and gender in the Middle Ages. We will
consider both how women's voices and perspectives are "heard" in medieval
texts (authored by both men and women) and the ways in which these texts
contribute to and reflect the gender expectations of their authors and
audiences. Medieval readings will be paired with appropriate theoretical
and critical essays.
Through these readings, we will examine medieval beliefs concerning the
"nature" of women, suitable roles for women, and women's status in medieval
society. Finally, we will touch on questions of historical context, discussing
women's access to education and literacy, the legal status of women during
the periods we are considering, and differences between medieval and modern
notions of authorship and of "originality."
Each
student starts out with a 4.0 for attendance. This component of your
final grade drops by .3 for the first UNEXCUSED absence; the penalty
increases by .1 for each subsequent unexcused absence (from A [4.0] to
A- [3.7] to B+ [3.3], to B- [2.8], etc.). Additionally, it drops
.1 for the first EXCUSED absence (4.0 to 3.9) and .2 for the second
excused absence (3.9 to 3.7). Excused absences in excess of
two (a full week, 10% of the class) count the same as unexcused
absences.
RESEARCH
EXERCISES and REPORTS to the 
