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"Medieval Women" by Eileen Power, 2001.
This paper reviews the book, "Medieval Women" by Eileen Power, which pieces together the often-fragmented histories of medieval women using a variety of primary sources.
750 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 1 source, $ 26.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, according to Eileen Power in ?Medieval Women?, early social notions regarding the nature of women and their role in society were created by the two most powerful classes of the age, the Church and the aristocracy, and only later were modified slightly by the urban middle class, which rose to prominence in the later Middle Ages. The author points out that, in the area of home and marriage, Power uses letters, wills, and household inventories to support her depiction of women. The paper relates that, because the proportion of women to men was greater within the noble ranks, many women were unable to wed; therefore, for them, monasticism was the only alternative to marriage.
From the Paper
"A considerable portion of the book is spent discussing various facets of the medieval lady?s life and when the bourgeois and peasants are discussed she often presents them in contrast to the noble woman. Many accounts of medieval women nobility often present only one view of their experience, depicting either a fanciful and luxurious life or the bleakness of being regarded as chattel. Fortunately Power draws from the writings of Christine De Pisan, one of the rare women of the Middle Ages to earn a living solely through her writing, to address the way in which the romanticized chivalry of the age overshadows the reality of their existence."
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"Medieval Women" by Eileen Power, 1996.
Critical review of work on women's lives, religion, work, education, writings in Middle Ages.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, $ 47.95
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From the Paper
"In this carefully constructed book, Medieval Women, M. M. Postan has set for herself the task of editing the scintillating research of her late colleague and fellow medievalist, Eileen Power. The sensitivity with which this book is formulated is evidenced by its first observation. Power indicates that a culture is often judged by the status it allots to women as well as how they are treated. Power reveals her deft historical skills when she observes with simple lucidity that the Middle Ages offers its scholars a particularly daunting task of appraisal on this topic. To understand the true position of women Power declares that there must be a blending of their everyday life, its legal rights and restrictions, and a consideration of their theoretical status."
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A Taxonomy of Power and Power-Compliance Gaining Strategies, 2001.
A discussion of the classification system defined by researchers French and Raven in 1959.
2,730 words (approx. 10.9 pages), 9 sources, MLA, $ 81.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses French and Raven's taxonomy of five power sources available for gaining compliance: Coercive power, reward-based power, legitimate power, expert power and referent power. The paper defines each kind of power, giving examples from laboratory studies, advertising, corporate theory and gender-based linguistic studies. The paper includes a discussion not only on the ways of obtaining power, but also on the forms of resistance to that power.
From the Paper
"Perhaps the most obvious definitionally and the crudest method in Raven?s taxonomy would be that of coercive power. Simply put, coercive power is the capacity to dispense punishments to those who do not comply with requests or demands. Consider, for instance, one of the most famous experiments ever conducted dealing with the exercise of power. In the study conducted by Stanley Milgram, subjects were recruited from ?a broad spectrum of socioeconomic and educational levels? to participate in a study of ?memory.? The subjects were then put into pairs, a teacher and a learner. The learner had to administer punishment through the use of electroshocks whenever the subject answered incorrectly. Of course, the learner was really a plant, a psychology student provided by Milgram. But the individual administering the punishment did not know that. So far as he or she knew, he or she had the ability to administer coercive power. Much to the shock and horror of the public when Milgram made his findings known, the ?teachers? did so to the point where the ?learners? protested that the shocks were becoming painful. This transpired as the level of electricity rose to 120 volts, then to 180 volts, to 300 where the subject demanded release, then to 330, when the learner became silent. (The actor playing the role of the experimenter told the subjects they had to go on, that there was no permanent tissue damage being done to the learners, and that he took ?full responsibility.?) Sixty-five percent of Milgram?s subjects conducted the experiment to the bitter end."
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The Significance of Relative Power Over Absolute Power, 2006.
An explanation as to why an emphasis on relative power in international relations is more important than absolute power.
1,313 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper takes a look at relative power versus absolute power, from both realist and liberal perspectives. The paper uses Canada and China as examples. The paper concludes that it is better for the state to emphasize a realist perspective rather than a liberalist one.
From the Paper
"States have always been interacting with one another on a systemic level. According to realists, because states are self-interested, they worry about power of which there are two different kinds. Realists value relative power more than absolute power. Absolute power refers to a state's strive towards flourishing economically, and militarily. On the other hand, relative power refers to a state's emphasis on its relationship with other states around it, watching surrounding states and planning accordingly. However, unlike realists, liberals do not value power as highly and look to gains as being more important. Absolute gains follow a non-zero-sum mentality, which means that a state's gains are infinite. One state's gain does not have to be another state's loss as it could be in the case of relative gains. As a result, what is more important for a state to emphasize: a realist's view of power or the liberal view of gains?"
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From Imperialist Power to Super Power, 2002.
An examination of the history of the United States as an imperial power and consideration of the implications of its position now that America is the only country in the world able to lay claim to the term superpower.
1,536 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the expansion of the American empire from its early days as a nation of farmers through being an imperial power with expanding territories to being the world's only superpower since the collapse of the Former Soviet Union. It evaluates whether it is a good thing for a state to be so powerful and looks at how long America can actually stay in this position in light of today's political world.
Outline
Introduction
Manifest Destiny
Land Acquisition through Conquest and Purchases
Implications of American Imperialism
America's History as an Imperialist Power
America as an Agricultural Country
The Need for Markets
Foreign Markets and American Imperialism
American Hegemony vs. other Imperial Powers
Comparison with the Soviet Union
Comparison with Britain
Negative Implications
America as the World's Only Superpower
America after the Collapse of the USSR
America as a Benign Hegemony
Collapse of Empire
Conclusion
From the Paper
"America began as a small cluster of colonies clinging to the eastern shore of the great continent of North America. As the country expanded westward, and also northward and southward, a spirit of "manifest destiny" gripped the land as pioneers, patriots and politicians sought to bring under American domination ever greater amounts of territory. Through land purchases such as the Louisiana Purchase, and through conquest, as in the case of the lands acquired as a result of the Mexican War and the Spanish American War, the country grew until it stretched from sea to sea, and from the Rio Grande River in the south, far north to the cold stretches of the Canadian wilderness."
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"State Power Is Male Power": Women And The Welfare State, 2002.
Argues that the welfare state, from a feminist perspective, is a feature of a patriarchal power structure.
1,650 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 5 sources, $ 62.95
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Abstract
Canada and the United States are in the midst of a period of economic expansion almost unprecedented in history. Integral to this expansion has been the tax and spending cuts of ideologically conservative governments. These governments have removed a great many lazy women and children from the welfare rolls and, through policies such as workfare, made them productive workers in our society. This paper will demonstrate, however, that this process may be seen as very logical when viewed from a feminist perspective. Underlying the conservative arguments about finances and budget is a subtextual debate about power in general and patriarchal power in particular. It will be argued that the welfare state is an integral feature of this patriarchal power structure. As such, the welfare state's focus on the weakest and the most disadvantaged in our society - whether in cutting benefits or controlling behaviour - reflects a continuing interest of patriarchal power structures in dominating the lives of women who are disproportionately represented in those dependent upon the welfare state.
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Medieval History Through Literature, 2003.
Examines ideas about power in three medieval texts.
920 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 3 sources, APA, $ 31.95
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Abstract
This paper examines ideas about power in three medieval texts: "The Song of Roland", "Jocelin of Brakelond: Chronicle of the Abbey of Burn St. Edmunds, "The Murder of Charles the Good". The main idea in all three texts is that power can be used to justify any action. The paper discusses the argument of the three texts in connection with Machiavelli's "The Prince".
From the Paper
"One of the most useful things that we can learn from history is how little changes from one century to the next at least in some arenas of society. This is certainly true for the ways that power is used for we see in TheS ong of Roland Jocelin of Brakelond ..."
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The Royal Women of Medieval Europe, 2007.
This paper analyzes the role of royal women, including their power and influence, in medieval Europe.
1,853 words (approx. 7.4 pages), 12 sources, MLA, $ 59.95
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Abstract
This paper considers the role of royal medieval women, including their political and religious influence. The author presents a country by country analysis of royal families in medieval Europe, explaining the traditions of succession in each of these countries, and whether or not women could ascend to the throne in these kingdoms. The author concludes that women had political weight during this time. They contributed, even if sometimes indirectly, to the evolution of the states where they lived and they made themselves a place in history.
From the Paper
"The queens of medieval Western Europe were present in almost each and every state, from the Scandinavian kingdoms to Spain and from England to Hungary. Their power was sometimes only in name, other times they had the real attributes of the kings. They got involved in political battles and plots, being (in some of the cases) real partners of their kings and having specific duties or true rulers, in name and in fact, of their empire. The medieval Byzantium is a stage for powerful empresses, from Theodora, in the sixth century and Irene, in the eighth to Anne of Savoy, in the fourteenth century. The first two empresses played an important part in the iconoclastic debate, their role being grounded in the "interstices of Byzantine society, in myths, in liturgical practices and religious beliefs and the symbols surrounding them, which they could draw upon" . Acting on two contemporary "stages" - the religious influence and the direct ruling, the empresses of the Eastern Roman Empire constituted exceptional figures, influencing and directing the politics of their times."
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Plague in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, 2007.
A discussion on how the responses to the plague in medieval and early modern Europe can be best characterized as early examples of the operation of disciplinary power.
2,291 words (approx. 9.2 pages), 11 sources, MLA, $ 70.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses Michel Foucault's contention of the plague as a historical phenomenon, out of which a controlling, intrusive and discursively powerful form of modern rule emerged in Europe. The paper relates that, from a retrospective look at the responses to the plague in mediaeval and early modern Europe, it is tempting to conclude that the responses represented clear early examples of disciplinary power in action. Moreover, plague regimes appear to have been interventionist, controlling and totalizing. The paper then explains that this view leads to a distorted understanding of power as all-encompassing when, in reality, it was anything but. The paper concludes that it would be historically inaccurate to leave the impression that these plague regimes were omnipotent, for the simple reason that the enforcement of power was a messy, contested and negotiated process. There is also a limit to seeking examples of disciplinary power in a past period that Foucault himself did not necessarily see as completely emblematic of his theory.
Outline:
Introduction
Power as Interventionist and Controlling
Power as Limited and Hyped
Conclusion
From the Paper
"Certainly England did eventually move towards a continental style of control. But this move, instigated under the rule of Charles I, was quickly abandoned following the outbreak of the Civil War. (Naphy and Spicer, 2000, p.100) Even if this plan had been carried out by the Crown, which had by and large succeeded in setting up pest houses throughout the rest of the kingdom, London would surely have resisted, for it rejected a system of pest houses in favour of continuous home quarantine, which obviated the need for "an extensive and expensive system of workers". (Naphy and Spicer, 2000, p.126) More significantly, London insisted on relying upon local and national charities as well as normal taxation to fund measures to cope with the plague rather than resort to a special plague tax that would have made the victims of disease wholly dependent on the benevolence of the state - to this extent inhabitants were not subject to the totalizing power of the state. (Naphy and Spicer, 2000, p.126) "
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Medieval Societies, 2005.
This paper discusses some works of medieval literature that focus on medieval warrior societies.
1,800 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 63.95
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Abstract
This paper studies Chretien De Troyes "Arthurian Romances", Seamus Heaney's "Beowulf" and other medieval literature that focus on medieval warrior societies, particularly concepts of heroism, ethics and spirituality as illustrated in the works.
From the Paper
"Medieval societies during the era of Beowulf and the Arthurian Romances were undergoing transformation from pagan illiterate societieswhere codes of conduct governed social relations and together with reason brought happiness. The warrior societies described in Chretien de Troyes' "Arthurian Romances" and Seamus Heaney's "Beowulf" along with other literature of the medieval era, show the ideals of reason and code of conduct as the foundation of human happiness. The character of Beowulf clearly expresses this ideal."
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Outsiders of the Medieval Imagination, 2001.
A discussion of Medieval spirituality and imagination that guided Medieval people's belief system and differentiated between conformer and non-conformer.
5,055 words (approx. 20.2 pages), 7 sources, $ 127.95
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Abstract
A look at the Medieval imagination. The author discusses the idea of spirituality of the Medieval people that considered outsiders as non-conformists, or people that were viewed as sub-human (people with abnormalities etc.) and used the imagination to differentiate between the real and the spiritual world.
From the Paper
"The idea of an outsider is present in all medieval works, this is a society of conformists and those non-conformists were all looked upon as outsiders; but what about the idea of outsiders that come not from the community but from another invisible world altogether. The idea of monsters have existed from ancient times, and even to the modern day with bogey men, but in the middle ages we find a plethora of monsters of all shapes and sizes. One need only look in the elaborately illuminated bestiaries of the medieval period to discover creatures from every realm of the imagination, from the saintly unicorn to the demonic dragon. These creatures, widely influenced by pagan mythology but with their own Christian twists, served an important part of the concept of the medieval persons concept of otherness. If the limit of otherness was not defined by only the human spectrum there was no limit to the amount of difference that a medieval person could differentiate between themselves and those seen as sub-human, such as Jews, heretics, and lepers."
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Italian Cities in Medieval Europe, 2002.
This paper examines why Italian cities in medieval times developed at a faster rate than other European cities, becoming the richest in medieval Europe, possibly the world.
1,354 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 8 sources, APA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at the reasons behind the huge development of medieval Italian cities in relation to the rest of Europe. These factors include: Their superior organization, military history, geographical advantages in terms of trade and commerce and the unique form of government dividing the country into city states.
From the Paper
"Medieval times saw an expansion in city life all across Europe, but nowhere more so than in Italy. As early as the tenth century, Italian towns, though still inferior to those in the East, had become far larger than those in other Catholic European countries. From 1100-1250, the population of many Italian cities grew considerably, rising from around 5,000-6,000 people to between 30,000-40,000. This was because of a number of factors, most notably the commercial revolution and explosion of trade, which Italy was in a unique position to exploit, due, among other things, to her history and geographical location."
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Medieval Towns: Crafts and Guilds, 2005.
A review of an article by Gervase Rosser about the economic and work culture dynamics of medieval communities.
2,373 words (approx. 9.5 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 72.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews Rosser's article about how medieval crafts and guilds functioned in a society in medieval England. The paper also talks about Rosser's effort to rebut many of the generalizations, myths, and factually incorrect views that are currently or previously held by scholars and historians of the medieval era.
The Emergence of Guilds and Their Impact on Workers and the Economy
The Rise of the Guilds in Social Power and Community Prominence
Were Guilds the Historical Framework for the Genesis and Evolution of Formal Organizations?
The Decline of the Crafts and Guilds
Weird Things about Medieval English Life and Times
Biographical Sketch of Gervase Rosser
From the Paper
"Rosser goes to enormous lengths to make clear why he is explaining the misconceptions and misunderstandings with reference to how life in the working world of Medieval England really took place. Rosser is a writer of obvious skill when it comes to deep scholarly thinking; he is a writer who more often than not takes the intellectual high road. But Rosser also apparently realizes that the reader may not be able to climb every step of the way with him on his scholarly ascent, so he takes brief moments to define his terms in more lay-friendly language."
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Medieval Female Mystics, 2007.
An analysis of medieval female mystics and their impact on Christianity.
3,261 words (approx. 13.0 pages), 13 sources, APA, $ 93.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses female mysticism and visionary women in the Middle Ages. The paper begins by discussing how Christianity views women in general and then focuses on Mechtild of Magdeburg and the Helfta Community and the impact that they had on Christianity. The paper ends by describing medieval monasteries and their mystics.
Table of Contents:
The Feminine Mystique of the Middle Ages
Mechtild of Magdeburg and the Helfta Community
Love as the Power of the Mystic
The Medieval Monasteries and Their Mystics
From the Paper
"The female visionaries and mystics from these monasteries expressed a slightly different point of view than their male counterparts. Although they kept the stress placed on physical suffering and mortification, their message was less severe and carrying more love and more emotional involvement in the world. The message of love was stressed particularly by the community of women from Helfta, a family monastery where enlighten minds allowed the rigorous St. Gertrude and the tormented Mechtild as well to live and to write about their experience of ecstasy."
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Early Medieval Culture, 2004.
An analysis of early medieval culture through a review of "The Rule of Benedict" by Saint Benedict, "The History of the Franks" by Gregory, and "On the True Doctrine" by Celsus.
1,040 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how, during the early medieval period in Europe ranging between more or less 300AD and 600AD, three traditions were prevalent, each exerting its influence in the culture of the time. It looks at how the Roman culture, although still very influential in Europe at the time, was fast losing its power as Rome deteriorated and how other influences, such as the invading Germanic forces, were joining the Roman culture in Europe. It shows how, most notably, Christianity and its Church was a fast-growing and increasingly powerful force during these times. It analyzes the extent of each influence by examining "The Rule of Benedict" by Saint Benedict, "The History of the Franks" by Gregory, and "On the True Doctrine", by Celsus, as representative of the early medieval culture and its frequently opposing influential forces.
Outline
The Christian Culture
The Roman Tradition
The Germanic Tradition
Conclusion
From the Paper
"The History of the Franks by Gregory on the other hand, demonstrates a more na?ve view of Christianity. Its focus, insofar as it is influenced by the Christian tradition, is on the supernatural aspect. Gregory for example relates several stories with St. Martin and his religious power as the central character. This saint, a former Roman soldier, worked among the rural population of Gaul and won many superstitious hearts for the Christian cause. Gregory, growing up in an environment filled with such influences, inherited this superstitious character from his parents and his social setting. This manifests itself in the trust Gregory placed in religious relics and their power to protect him."
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