Students
MHIS3022 – Culture and Power in Renaissance Europe
2021 – Session 2, Fully online/virtual
Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update
The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.
This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.
Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Assoc. Prof. Nicholas Baker
25B Wally's Walk, Room B263
TBD
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above OR (20cp in HIST or MHIS or POL or POIR or MHIX or POIX units at 2000 level)
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
In the city of Rome on 20 May 1347, a low-born notary called Cola di Rienzo declared the re-foundation of the ancient Roman Republic, pronouncing himself Tribune of the People. In distant Avignon, the Italian poet Petrarch hailed Cola as a hero for a re-newed era of Italian cultural and political greatness. His actions, and Petrarch's response, represent one of the first moments of the Renaissance--a political and cultural movement that idealized classical antiquity and looked to the past for answers to to questions about identity, the nature of a moral life, the virtues of civil society, and human relationships with both the natural world and the divine. This re-birth of classical ideas and styles produced many of the most beautiful and enduring works of art and literature in the Western European canon. But the tensions between the ideals of classical antiquity and the realities of late medieval Europe also resulted in warfare, violence, and social and cultural upheaval. This unit explores why and how late medieval Europeans turned to the ancient world for answers and what happened when they attempted to re-create the classical point-of-view in the very different society of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Critically explain the concept and idea of the Renaissance as both a historical period and a historiographical construct.
- ULO2: Evaluate and explain the multiple relationships between cultural production and power in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- ULO3: Assess the cultural and social changes the occurred in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- ULO4: Read, analyse, and interpret a variety of primary and secondary sources and other material evidence.
- ULO5: Produce a self-directed research project on one aspect of Renaissance culture and/or society.
- ULO6: Synthesise understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
General Assessment Information
Late Submission
Per Faculty of Arts policy, unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 10 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline.
Turnitin will close at the deadline for submission of each written assessment tasks. Late submissions will need to be emailed direct to Assoc.Prof. Baker and accompanied by an explanation for their lateness.
Extensions
Students who encounter difficulties in meeting the deadlines for written assessment tasks should apply for an extension via ask.mq.edu in advance of the due date. Students should familiarize themselves with the University's Special Consideration policy (see Policies and Procedures) before submitting such a request.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annotated Bibliography | 20% | No | 23:59 23/08/2021 |
| Primary Source Analysis | 20% | No | 23:59 27/09/2021 |
| Research Paper | 40% | No | 23:59 05/11/2021 |
| Reflective Journal | 20% | No | 23:59 31/10/2021 |
Annotated Bibliography
Assessment Type 1: Annotated bibliography
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: 23:59 23/08/2021
Weighting: 20%
Annotated Bibliography
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Read, analyse, and interpret a variety of primary and secondary sources and other material evidence.
- Produce a self-directed research project on one aspect of Renaissance culture and/or society.
- Synthesise understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
Primary Source Analysis
Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 23:59 27/09/2021
Weighting: 20%
Primary source analysis
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Read, analyse, and interpret a variety of primary and secondary sources and other material evidence.
- Produce a self-directed research project on one aspect of Renaissance culture and/or society.
- Synthesise understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
Research Paper
Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 45 hours
Due: 23:59 05/11/2021
Weighting: 40%
Research Paper
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Critically explain the concept and idea of the Renaissance as both a historical period and a historiographical construct.
- Evaluate and explain the multiple relationships between cultural production and power in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- Assess the cultural and social changes the occurred in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- Read, analyse, and interpret a variety of primary and secondary sources and other material evidence.
- Produce a self-directed research project on one aspect of Renaissance culture and/or society.
- Synthesise understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
Reflective Journal
Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 1 hours
Due: 23:59 31/10/2021
Weighting: 20%
Weekly reflective journal
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Critically explain the concept and idea of the Renaissance as both a historical period and a historiographical construct.
- Read, analyse, and interpret a variety of primary and secondary sources and other material evidence.
- Synthesise understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
Classes
An asynchronous online tutorial will be held each week.
Required and Recommended Texts
Required Texts
Required readings will be listed week-by-week on the iLearn site and available through the University Library.
Per Faculty of Arts policy, all required readings are available on-line only but it is recommended that students print out the required readings and read them in hard copy as pedagogical research suggests that comprehension and recall are superior when reading hard copy text as opposed to reading on-line.
Recommended Readings
The following highly recommended general texts and source collections are available on Reserve in the MQ Library and/or available in electronic versions via the MQ Library.
Peter Burke The Italian Renaissance: Culture and Society in Italy (1999)
William Caferro Contesting the Renaissance (2011)
The Cambridge Companion to the Italian Renaissance, ed. Michael Wyatt (2014)
The Civilization of the Italian Renaissance: A Sourcebook, ed. Kenneth R. Bartlett (2011)
A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance, ed. Guido Ruggiero (2002)
Images of quattrocento Florence: Selected Writings in Literature, History, and Art, ed. Stefano Ugo Baldassari and Arielle Saiber (2000)
The Italian Renaissance: Essential Readings, ed. Paula Findlen (2002)
Margaret King, A Short History of the Renaissance in Europe (2017)
Major Problems in the History of the Italian Renaissance, ed. Benjamin G. Kohl and Alison Andrews Smith (1995)
Lauro Martines Power and Imagination: City-States in Renaissance Italy (1988)
Anthony Molho Social and Economic Foundations of the Italian Renaissance (1969)
Charles Nauert Humanism and the Culture of Renaissance Europe (2006)
Palgrave Advances in Renaissance Historiography, ed. Jonathan Woolfson (2005)
The Portable Renaissance Reader, ed. James Bruce Ross and Mary Martin MacLaughlin (1978)
The Renaissance World, ed. John Jeffries Martin (2007)
The Routledge History of the Renaissance, ed. William Caferro (2017)
Guido Ruggiero The Renaissance in Italy: A Social and Cultural History of the Rinascimento (2015)
The Society of Renaissance Florence: A Documentary Study, ed. Gene Brucker (1998)
Venice: A Documentary History, 1450-1630, David Chambers, Brian Pullan, and Jennifer Fletcher (2001)
Technologies Used and Required
This unit uses iLearn. All students are expected to have internet access, use of a computer, and fundamental computer skills.
Unit Schedule
Week 1: Once Upon a Time in Italy…
Week 2: The Classical Point-of-View: Humanism
Week 3: Wealth and Power
Week 4: The Classical Point-of-View: Visual Arts
Week 5: Did Women Have a Renaissance?
Week 6: Republics: Liberty and Tyranny
Week 7: Princes: Civility and Cruelty
Week 8: Popes: Faith, Power, and Glory
Week 9: The Renaissance Beyond Italy
Week 10: A Global Renaissance
Week 11: The Waning of the Renaissance
Week 12: Once Upon a Time in Italy
Week 13: Writing Week
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.