This is a research class designed for third year students in history,
literature and arts who wish 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 behaviour 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 behaviour 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? There are ample
opportunities to develop individual research projects. We expect
students to be able to gather and select relevant literature, summarise
a scholarly debate and formulate a research question by
themselves. Via tutorials and individual feedback you will be guided
through your research project.
This course is part of the minor 'European Urban and Cultural History'.