History and Political Science
History and Political Science
Medieval Spain
Medieval Spain
Project description
A VANISHED WORLD TERM PAPER ASSIGNMENT
A VANISHED WORLD TERM PAPER ASSIGNMENT
Overview: In the year 711 C.E. the Moors—North African Muslims—crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and stormed into Spain and Portugal, catching the Visigoth rulers completely by surprise. For the next 781 years the Moors wielded varying levels of power over the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula. Indeed, the interactions of Muslims, Jews and Christians meant a story that alternated between violent bigotry and fruitful coexistence.
In A Vanished World, Chris Lowney presents the story of a dynamic era of interactions between members of these three monotheistic religions. The central thesis of this text is that medieval Spain fluctuated between two polar opposites. On one end, unbridled hatred and intolerance reared up against groups that could find themselves on the losing side of power clashes. But medieval Spain, on the other end, demonstrated coexistence and mutual benefit to Jews, Muslims and Christians. The meeting of these three groups produced a blossoming in law, medicine, trade, agriculture and intellectual and spiritual endeavors. Lowney avoids simplistic portrayals of any group, showing ways that Jews, Christians and Muslims sometimes aligned themselves with traditional enemies to oppose their own coreligionists. All in all, Lowney argues that the study of medieval Spain matters mightily; it gives us insights into the polar opposites of intolerance and multiculturalism that affect the world today.
In A Vanished World, Chris Lowney presents the story of a dynamic era of interactions between members of these three monotheistic religions. The central thesis of this text is that medieval Spain fluctuated between two polar opposites. On one end, unbridled hatred and intolerance reared up against groups that could find themselves on the losing side of power clashes. But medieval Spain, on the other end, demonstrated coexistence and mutual benefit to Jews, Muslims and Christians. The meeting of these three groups produced a blossoming in law, medicine, trade, agriculture and intellectual and spiritual endeavors. Lowney avoids simplistic portrayals of any group, showing ways that Jews, Christians and Muslims sometimes aligned themselves with traditional enemies to oppose their own coreligionists. All in all, Lowney argues that the study of medieval Spain matters mightily; it gives us insights into the polar opposites of intolerance and multiculturalism that affect the world today.
Goals for this assignment: This project, worth 35% of your grade, is designed to meet the following objectives:
• To see how leaders leverage power (for good or ill) and coping strategies of the oppressed.
• To understand the rationale for cooperation and see the benefits of mutual support.
• To illuminate setbacks and advances in medieval scholarship and medicine.
• To examine the impact of ideas and spirituality on ways we deal with others.
• To explore ways in which medieval Spain informs our understanding of today’s world.
• To understand the rationale for cooperation and see the benefits of mutual support.
• To illuminate setbacks and advances in medieval scholarship and medicine.
• To examine the impact of ideas and spirituality on ways we deal with others.
• To explore ways in which medieval Spain informs our understanding of today’s world.
Instructions: The prose for a completed paper will consist of three sections: an introduction for the entire project, separate coverage of four (minimum) or five (maximum) chapters, and one section of personal analysis and reflection. Begin your paper by furnishing an introduction of about two or three paragraphs (roughly one page), which will preview for the reader the content of your paper. In your introduction, briefly acknowledge the author and the name of the book, identify the chapters selected, and close the introduction by stating the final section will consist of personal reflection and analysis.
The bulk of your paper will be detailed coverage of four of the nineteen chapters. To assist you in navigating each selected chapter, I have posed questions on what I believe to be historically noteworthy issues from each of these chapters. I have also written a unifying statement that connects together all of the questions associated with a particular chapter. Overall, the purpose of the middle section will be for you to objectively survey many of the key points contained in A Vanished World. Therefore, a fully successful paper will include coverage of most of the items mentioned in each of your selected chapters.
The final section of your paper is designed to allow you to give your own personal assessment about the issues central to this book. It is vital that you support your statements with specific examples from A Vanished World and from other sources, as relevant. If you decide to cover an additional chapter from the nineteen available, your grade will be elevated by 2/3 letter grade. To avoid superficiality in this term paper, please do not write about more than five of the nineteen chapters.
It is important to write in the right voice at the right time. Follow the lead of historians: use self-references (“I” or “we”) only in the introduction and in the personal reflection and analysis section. Scholars will also use self-references in a conclusion. However, AVOID references to self when covering the four or five chapters (in other words, in the bulk of your paper). If you are arguing a point, do so without bringing attention to yourself.
The bulk of your paper will be detailed coverage of four of the nineteen chapters. To assist you in navigating each selected chapter, I have posed questions on what I believe to be historically noteworthy issues from each of these chapters. I have also written a unifying statement that connects together all of the questions associated with a particular chapter. Overall, the purpose of the middle section will be for you to objectively survey many of the key points contained in A Vanished World. Therefore, a fully successful paper will include coverage of most of the items mentioned in each of your selected chapters.
The final section of your paper is designed to allow you to give your own personal assessment about the issues central to this book. It is vital that you support your statements with specific examples from A Vanished World and from other sources, as relevant. If you decide to cover an additional chapter from the nineteen available, your grade will be elevated by 2/3 letter grade. To avoid superficiality in this term paper, please do not write about more than five of the nineteen chapters.
It is important to write in the right voice at the right time. Follow the lead of historians: use self-references (“I” or “we”) only in the introduction and in the personal reflection and analysis section. Scholars will also use self-references in a conclusion. However, AVOID references to self when covering the four or five chapters (in other words, in the bulk of your paper). If you are arguing a point, do so without bringing attention to yourself.
Incorrect way: “I noticed that some Jews didn’t like Samuel serving in Christian or Muslim governments.”
Correct way: “Many Jews of medieval Spain rejected Samuel’s roles in Muslim or Christian governments.”
Here are the technical requirements for this assignment. The prose of your paper should be (on average) about ten pages long (or about twelve for extra credit), double-spaced, with twelve-point font and one-inch margins. (Notations will make it longer.) Be sure to paginate (number each page), and write both the class designation and the section number on the front page (History 110A, sect. __). Title the assignment and include the date you completed it. An optional title page will not be included in the total number of pages. (A nine page paper is not a title page and eight pages of content, for instance.) Avoid large amounts of blank space between sections, as this is bad formatting! Instead, use sectional headings (detailed below). Although you will not need a bibliography, you will need endnotes, done according to the examples I will furnish below. I am somewhat flexible as to the exact page count. But avoid extremes. A paper that is four pages of prose will be too brief, but one of twenty pages will need to be trimmed. Please contact me before the very last minute if you face any problems regarding this assignment.
What of sectional headings? You will need to have a way to easily indicate when one section has ended and another one begins. In order to achieve this, be sure to have sectional headings. Write “Introduction” for the first section, “Selected Chapters” for the middle section, and either “Personal Reflections” or “My Thoughts” for the last section. As part of the introduction, be sure to state the title of each of the chapters that you will be covering.
What of sectional headings? You will need to have a way to easily indicate when one section has ended and another one begins. In order to achieve this, be sure to have sectional headings. Write “Introduction” for the first section, “Selected Chapters” for the middle section, and either “Personal Reflections” or “My Thoughts” for the last section. As part of the introduction, be sure to state the title of each of the chapters that you will be covering.
DUE DATE: Monday, Oct. 21. You may submit the term paper in class, in my office (H-730I) or at the history department office (H-815F).
Citing sources: For this assignment, you will use endnotes: citations listed in numerical order at the end of a paper. There are a few reasons why one needs to cite a source: to give credit to others for their ideas (thereby avoiding plagiarism), to help the serious reader to locate sources in which they have a strong interest, and to furnish supplemental information that does not fit well in the body of a paper or book. For ease of formatting, I strongly recommend that you use endnotes rather than footnotes. (Footnotes can be tricky to do if you include many informational notes. It is all too easy, for example, to have a footnote appear on a different page than the source to which it is referring.) You will need to cite a source at the end of a particular point you wish to make, and before shifting to another aspect of your topic. Since the final section is best done when opinions can be strongly supported by expertise, you are strongly advised to consult another source when putting together your personal reflection and analysis component.THEMES AND ISSUES TO COVER
Please note: We will skip chapter 1 and the Epilogue. DO NOT write out the questions; simply answer them. Have some kind of unifying statement that will connect together the questions associated with that chapter. The ones I have written will give you ideas for creating your own.
Ch. 2, “The Moors Conquer Spain,” pp. 29-42
Unifying statement: The Moors were able take over Spain because of their brilliance and because of the incompetence of the Visigoths.
Unifying statement: The Moors were able take over Spain because of their brilliance and because of the incompetence of the Visigoths.
Q: What factors explain the defeat of the Visigoths by the Moorish invaders? In what ways did the Moors gain the loyalty of newly-conquered Iberian peoples?
Ch. 3, “Santiago Discovered in the Field of Stars,” pp. 43-53
Unifying statement: Santiago (St. James) had several key roles in the growth of Santiago de Compostela and in strengthening Catholic unity in northern Spain.
Unifying statement: Santiago (St. James) had several key roles in the growth of Santiago de Compostela and in strengthening Catholic unity in northern Spain.
Q: What issues are
The post History and Political Science appeared first on Capital Essay Writing Blog.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER THIS PAPER………………………NO PLAGIARISM Get 100% Original papers from the writing experts
CLICK HERE TO GET A PROFESSIONAL WRITER TO WORK ON THIS PAPER AND OTHER SIMILAR PAPERS, GET A NON PLAGIARIZED PAPER FROM OUR EXPERTS
Comments
Post a Comment