History 442/542 Popular Culture  in Early Modern Europe

Course Requirements

This is a reading and discussion course and will operate as a seminar, so it is imperative that everyone attend class regularly and come prepared to ask questions, respond to them, and to discuss assigned texts in common. Needless to say, attendance is required, and your participation in discussions will constitute a major and essential part of the final grade. There will be one examination, a mid-term in week 5. Written work will consist of a term paper of 8-10 pages in length. The most important thing is that you immerse yourself in a topic that engages your imagination and that you research it thoroughly. The topic for this paper is open; my one requirement is that you use at least two outside sources—books or articles, primary or secondary—that are not included in the course readings. In order to save you from the disasters that usually accompany procrastination, I’ll also ask you to write a prospectus for your paper. In this prospectus, you will briefly describe the paper’s content, and indicate the primary and/or secondary sources you intend to use. It will be due in class at the end of week 6. A prospectus should contain four things:

1) A paper title;
2) A description of your topic, one or two paragraphs in length;
3) A description of how you intend to investigate your topic, including a list of books, articles, or primary sources that you intend to use in the process; and
4) Your ideas about why the topic is historically significant.

Note that the mid-term examination will cover all assigned readings and lectures to date.  All work submitted in this course must be your own and produced exclusively for this course.  The use of sources (ideas, quotations, and paraphrases) must be properly acknowledged and documented.  For the consequences of academic dishonesty, refer to the Schedule of Classes published quarterly.  Violations will be taken seriously and are noted on student disciplinary records.  If you are in doubt regarding the requirements for this course, please do not hesitate to consult me.  Finally, all written work must be submitted on time; late work will be accepted only with documented medical justification. The overall breakdown of evaluation is this:

Attendance & Classroom Discussion: 30%
Prospectus: 10%
Mid-Term Exam: 30%
Term Paper: 30%

If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations in this course, please make arrangements with me soon. Also, please ask the Counselor for Students with Disabilities to send me a letter verifying your disability at the following address:

David M. Luebke
1288 Department of History
University of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403-1288