Medieval Lives:  Teaching about Women in the Middle Ages
Professor Judith Bennett, UNC Department of History
 
 
About Professor Bennett
About this Seminar Topic
Summary of this Session
Follow-Up Information
Links to Websites Concerning this Topic
 
This session, held Saturday, November 14, 1998 generated a great deal of interest.  Over thirty participants joined us for a discussion of women's lives in the Middle Ages.  For a summary of this interesting session, click here.
 
About Professor Bennett
Judith M. Bennett is Francis Stuart Chapin, Jr. Professor of History.  Her research centers on ordinary women in the Middle Ages, and her book-length studies include one on peasant women and another on women’s work in the brewing of ale and beer.  She is the author of a forthcoming book for students entitled A Medieval Life:  Cecilia Penifader of Bridgstock, c. 1297-1344.  The recipient of one of UNC-CH’s most prestigious teaching awards, Professor Bennett teaches courses on Western Civilization, medieval history, and women’s history.
 
About This Seminar Topic
“Medieval Lives:  Teaching about Women in the Middle Ages” explored how teachers might integrate information on women into the history of the Middle Ages, as it is taught at the secondary level in North Carolina.  We focused quite specifically on some of the items outlined in the NC Standard Course of Study:

* Debates about how the status of women changed over the course of the Middle Ages;
* Women in medieval religious life, especially veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary and nuns;
* Women in medieval towns and villages;
* Women and medieval culture and learning.

Follow-Up Information
During the session, Dr. Bennett mentioned that she would like to include some additional primary source material on the religious fasting of Medieval women, and some secondary sources on witchcraft.  Below are links to that information:
 
Primary Source Materials on Women's Religious Fasts
 
Secondary Source Materials on Witchcraft
(We have included some materials on American witchcraft as well.)
 
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