Students
MHIS322 – Culture and Power in Renaissance Europe
2019 – S1 Day
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Nicholas Baker
Contact via nicholas.baker@mq.edu.au
AHH Level 2
Tuesday 10am-12pm
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| Credit points |
Credit points
3
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
39cp at 100 level or above or (6cp in MHIS or HIST or POL at 200 level including 3cp in MHIS)
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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:
- Comprehend and 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.
- Comprehend and assess the cultural and social changes the occurred in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- Read, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate 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.
- Synthesize understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
General Assessment Information
Late Submission
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
Turnitin will close at the deadline for submission of each written assessment tasks. Late submissions will need to be emailed direct to Dr. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly Quiz | 20% | No | Assessed weekly |
| Primary Source Task | 20% | No | 22/03/19 (Week 4) |
| Annotated Bibliography | 15% | No | 05/04/19 (Week 6) |
| Research Paper | 45% | No | 31/05/19 (Week 12) |
Weekly Quiz
Due: Assessed weekly
Weighting: 20%
Each week in seminars from Week 2 onward students will complete a short-answer, three-question quiz: the first question will address the required readings for that week, the second and third will address the lecture material. The quiz will be held at the start of each seminar: students who are late or absent will miss the quiz. Quizzes cannot be made up outside of seminars. However, only ten of the eleven quizzes will count toward the final grade; so each student can miss one without penalty.
This is a timed assessment and no late submissions will be accepted.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Comprehend and explain the concept and idea of the Renaissance as both a historical period and a historiographical construct.
- Read, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate a variety of primary and secondary sources and other material evidence.
- Synthesize understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
Primary Source Task
Due: 22/03/19 (Week 4)
Weighting: 20%
1,500 word analysis of a primary source or body of primary sources and construction of a research question or questions that will form the basis for the Research Paper.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Read, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate 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.
- Synthesize understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
Annotated Bibliography
Due: 05/04/19 (Week 6)
Weighting: 15%
Annotated bibliography consisting of at least five (5) secondary sources relevant to the chosen research question, each with a 250-word assessment.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Comprehend and assess the cultural and social changes the occurred in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- Read, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate 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.
Research Paper
Due: 31/05/19 (Week 12)
Weighting: 45%
Self-directed research paper of 2,500-3,000 words that answers the question developed in the Primary Source Analysis and Annotated Bibliography.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Comprehend and 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.
- Comprehend and assess the cultural and social changes the occurred in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- Read, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate 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.
- Synthesize understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
Delivery and Resources
Classes
Day
For seminar times and classrooms please consult the MQ Timetable website http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au
Required and Recommended Texts
Required Texts
Required readings--including a variety of primary source documents and journal articles--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: Literature
Week 3: Wealth and Power
Week 4: No class
Week 5: The Classical Point-of-View: Visual Arts
Week 6: Did Women Have a Renaissance?
Week 7: Republics: Liberty and Tyranny
Week 8: Princes: Civility and Cruelty
Week 9: Popes: Faith, Power, and Glory
Week 10: The Renaissance Beyond Italy
Week 11: The Years of Misfortune
Week 12: Pax Hispanica: The Waning of the Renaissance
Week 13: Once Upon a Time in Italy
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). 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 (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)
Undergraduate students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/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 improve your marks and take control of your study.
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.
Graduate Capabilities
Creative and Innovative
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Evaluate and explain the multiple relationships between cultural production and power in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- Read, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate 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.
Assessment tasks
- Weekly Quiz
- Research Paper
Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- Produce a self-directed research project on one aspect of Renaissance culture and/or society.
Assessment tasks
- Primary Source Task
- Annotated Bibliography
- Research Paper
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Comprehend and 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.
- Comprehend and assess the cultural and social changes the occurred in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
Assessment tasks
- Weekly Quiz
- Research Paper
Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Comprehend and 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.
- Comprehend and assess the cultural and social changes the occurred in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- Read, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate 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.
- Synthesize understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
Assessment tasks
- Weekly Quiz
- Primary Source Task
- Annotated Bibliography
- Research Paper
Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Comprehend and 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.
- Comprehend and assess the cultural and social changes the occurred in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- Read, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate 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.
- Synthesize understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
Assessment tasks
- Weekly Quiz
- Annotated Bibliography
- Research Paper
Problem Solving and Research Capability
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Evaluate and explain the multiple relationships between cultural production and power in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- Comprehend and assess the cultural and social changes the occurred in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- Read, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate 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.
Assessment tasks
- Weekly Quiz
- Primary Source Task
- Research Paper
Effective Communication
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Evaluate and explain the multiple relationships between cultural production and power in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- Produce a self-directed research project on one aspect of Renaissance culture and/or society.
- Synthesize understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
Assessment tasks
- Primary Source Task
- Annotated Bibliography
- Research Paper
Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcomes
- Comprehend and assess the cultural and social changes the occurred in Italy and northern Europe between 1350 and 1650.
- Synthesize understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.
Assessment task
- Research Paper
Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible
We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Learning outcome
- Synthesize understandings and evaluations into clear, specific arguments presented in grammatically correct prose with appropriate references.