Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants
Defying the Norms of Society and Testing all Boundaries: A Study of Aucassin et Nicolette from a Women and Gender Studies Perspective.
Department
Modern Languages & Literatures Department
College
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Date Range
2013-2014
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities
Abstract
At a time when the Humanities have had to re-invent themselves in order to attract the interest of college students, teaming up with other programs is proving highly effective. In smaller programs, upper level French or German Literature courses are often subject to cancellations due to low enrollment. In order to continue teaching the texts we value, we have to find new ways to peak the interest of the under-graduate audience. One solution is to propose cross-listed hybrid coursesthat allow students to explore a theme through multiple perspectives. Women and Gender Studies is a natural fit for French Medieval Literature. While acceptable gender roles seem clearly defined by the Church, many medieval authors defy the patriarchal patterns and parody their institutions by staging characters who defy the conventions of medieval society. A text such as Aucassin et Nicolette lends itself very well to an exploration of gender ambiguities.
Conference Name
35th Plymouth Medieval and Renaissance Forum
Conference Location
Plymouth NH
ScholarWorks Citation
Caillaud, Anne, "Defying the Norms of Society and Testing all Boundaries: A Study of Aucassin et Nicolette from a Women and Gender Studies Perspective." (2014). Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants. 962.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/fsdg/962
