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65807-01 - Introductory course: The ‘Embarassing Institution’: Slavery and the Making of the Early Modern World (8 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2022 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Ettore Morelli (ettore.morelli@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Slavery has widely been recognised as one of the foundations of the world we live in. Some scholars suggest that slavery existed in most human societies in history, and the scholarship on the subject is extensive. Its continuity with other forms of exploitation is well known. Its intimate and ambiguous relation with power is evident. Its various combination with great factors of social difference, such as gender and racial discrimination, is the object of sustained research. The connection with violence and death is sometimes apparent, other times hidden and latent, but always present. Slavery turns human beings into objects, or at least tries to do so; it makes some rich, and others a peculiar kind of poor. Slavery is a complex and pervasive social phenomenon able to adapt to the most disparate contexts without losing some distinctive features. Its traces run so deep in society that they remain visible in language and social practices even when the institution itself is a thing of a long gone past. The Einführungskurs provides an introduction to this key aspect of human history by looking at the multiple developments of the institution of slavery between the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. The geographical focus of the course will be on Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and North Africa, with some references to cases in Africa and Asia and the Americas more broadly intended. Slavery is the lens that is adopted in this Einführungskurs to study society and, through that, to introduce the main aspects of historical research. Multiple approaches to the theme will be adopted, discussing its social, cultural, philosophical, legal, and biological aspects. The course will feature historical sources, literature, historiographical debates, and methodologies. The main objective of the course is to obtain the tools and skills that are required to study history and pursue historical research. English is the language of the course. Texts will be in a range of languages, including Latin, but an English translation will always be offered. |
| Bibliography | Craig Perry, David Eltis, Stanley L. Engerman, David Richardson, The Cambridge World History of Slavery Volume 2 AD 500 – AD 1420, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2021 David Eltis, Stanley L. Engerman, The Cambridge World History of Slavery Volume 3: AD 1420 – AD 1804, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2011 Orlando Patterson, Slavery and Social Death: A Comparative Study, Cambridge MA - London, Harvard University Press, 1982 |
| Comments | Der Einführungskurs findet in englischer Sprache statt und beginnt in der zweiten Semesterwoche. Im Dezember wird es einen dreistündigen Zusatztermin zum Bereich "Digitale Geschichte" geben, der zu Beginn des Semesters festgelegt wird. |
| Admission requirements | Ausschliesslich für Studienanfänger/innen BSF Geschichte und BSF Osteuropastudien. Die Teilnahme an der Begrüssungsveranstaltung ist obligatorisch. |
| Course application | Die Verteilung der Studienanfänger*innen Geschichte auf die verschiedenen Einführungskurse erfolgt bei der Begrüssungsveranstaltung am Mittwoch der ersten Semesterwoche um 9.15 Uhr. Bitte belegen Sie ihren Einführungskurse erst nach der dort vorgenommen Zuteilung der Plätze. Sollte Ihnen die Teilnahme an der Begrüssungsveranstaltung nicht möglich sein, bitten wir um persönliche Rücksprache im Sekretariat des DG. |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Wednesday | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 28.09.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Wednesday 05.10.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Wednesday 12.10.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Wednesday 19.10.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Wednesday 26.10.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Wednesday 02.11.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Wednesday 09.11.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Wednesday 16.11.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Wednesday 23.11.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Wednesday 30.11.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Wednesday 07.12.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Wednesday 14.12.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Wednesday 21.12.2022 | 10.15-14.00 | Departement Geschichte, Seminarraum 1 |
| Modules |
Modul: Einführung in das Geschichtsstudium (Bachelor's degree subject: History) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Departement Geschichte |