Course Objective

• Students will acquire knowledge of a number of themes in the early
modern history of emotions as well as of the concepts, approaches and
sources used to study them
• Students will train critical reflection on scholarly debates and
literature and participate in discussions
• Students will practice with interdisciplinary research methods,
formulate a research question, conduct individual research, analyze
sources and write a research paper
• Students will present their research results in class and review each
other’s projects

Course Content

This is a research class designed for third year students in history,
literature and arts who want to further develop their research skills.
The history of emotions is a burgeoning research field in cultural
history that is highly interdisciplinary in character. Both historical,
literary, social, philosophical and medical scholars investigate the
role of emotions and emotional behavior in political, social and
cultural processes. One of the many questions concerns the universality
of human emotional experience across cultural, social and historical
boundaries. Medieval and Early Modern Europe (1200-1800) offers
interesting material to
investigate such questions. In this course students will acquire
knowledge of concepts and methods used by various scholarly disciplines
that study emotional behavior and experience. A central and recurring
theme will be the (experienced) embodiment of emotions. Where did
contemporary doctors and philosophers locate
emotions in the body? What cultural rules reigned the bodily expression
of emotions? When, where, for who and for what reason was weeping
allowed?
This topic will provide ample opportunities to develop individual
research lines. Students may work on long term historical developments
as well as on specific case studies, on literary sources as well as on
(social/cultural) historical contexts or theoretical issues.
We expect students to be able to gather and select relevant literature,
write a Status Questionis and formulate a research question by
themselves. This first assignment is to be handed in by the end
of the third week. Via tutorials and individual feedback you will be
guided through your research project.

Teaching Methods

Lectures and literature seminars, tutorials

Method of Assessment

Status Questionis (30%); Participation in discussions, presentation and
peer reviewing 10%; Research
paper based on a minimum of 600 pp. literature (60%).
The Status Questionis must be sufficient to continue this course on
level 300. Otherwise you can switch to the level 200 class (History of
Emotions) and take the written exam.

Entry Requirements

This is a research class designed for third year students in the
humanities who have been trained in academic writing and research
design. We expect you to be able to find and study literature by
yourself and write a well structured Status Questionis, develop a
feasible research question. Alternatively you can choose to study the
course History of
Emotions L_GABAALG004 level 200

Literature

• Susan Broomhall (ed.) Early Modern Emotions: An Introduction, (Taylor
& Francis/Routledge 2017) (Affordable paperback, but also available as
e-book through UBVU)
• Additional literature and sources that will be (made) available via
CANVAS or UBVU

Target Audience

Humanities students BA3

Additional Information

This course is part of the minor 'European History and Culture
1200-1800'. Students of this course have classes together with students
of History of Emotions L_GABAALG004 level 200. Extra tutorials and
individual feed back will guide them through their research projects.