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HIS33030

Academic Year 2026/2027

Women and Ethical Action in the First Millennium CE (HIS33030)

Subject:
History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Megan Welton
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

“Women and Ethical Action in the First Millennium CE" will investigate the ideological construction and performance of ethical action by classical and early medieval women. The increased visibility of civic action and calls for equality by women on the global stage represents a remarkable response to tumultuous times. This interdisciplinary module is designed to introduce students first to the complex discourses surrounding virtue ethics, and to explore the manifold experiences of diverse women who asserted their own civic, communal, and religious virtue throughout Roman Empire, in Late Antiquity, and the Early Middle Ages. Throughout the module, students will closely analyze a wide array of primary textual sources, including philosophical dialogues, civic poetry, the lives of saints, and legal codes. A further unit of the course will explore the materiality of virtue in classical and medieval communities, i.e the ways in which spaces and objects inspired people to perform good deeds.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module students will have

- a knowledge and understanding of discourses around virtue ethics in the first millennium CE
- a knowledge and understanding of the experiences of a range of women in the first millennium CE in asserting civic, communal and religious virtue
- a development in your skills when analysing Late Antique and early medieval source materials
- a development in your oratory, written, and collaborative skills

Indicative Module Content:

This module will address such topics as:
• Virtue and the mind in ancient and early medieval education (ex. Musonius Rufus and Dhuoda)
• Rhetoric and the construction of virtue on the public stage (ex. Conquestio Sulpiciae and Passio Perpetuae et Felicitiae)
• Crafting the physicality of virtue in the mateiral world (ex. Queen Gerberga’s so-called Kriegsfahne)
• The performance of virtue (ex. Hrotsvit of Gandersheim’s Sapientia or Kassia’s hymns)

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Not addressed

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Not addressed

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Not addressed

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Advanced Beginner

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Competent

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Not addressed

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 2

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 3
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

95
Autonomous Student Learning

95
Lectures

11
Seminar (or Webinar)

22
Total

223

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module combines a one-hour lecture with a 2-hour seminar. Weekly lectures provide overviews of the topic, with focus on background to readings, and its relation to modern scholarship. Weekly seminars focus on small-group active and task-based learning by means of class debates, discussion and presentations. Autonomous learning is advanced through student-led debate and discussion of set primary sources and student presentations. Student engagement is promoted by oral presentations on research that students have located, researched, and closely analysed. Advanced research, writing and citations skills are developed through their a mid-term analysis and an end-of-semester final essay.

Generative AI may not be used for assessments in this module. If you have any concerns about what is included in the remit of generative AI, please consult with your Module Coordinator.

A proportion of written assignments in each module in the School of History are subject to moderation, meaning they undergo a second layer of review by another grader. This can include oral moderation meetings where the student is invited in for a short meeting with the module coordinator to discuss the assignment. Moderation contributes to better informed marking.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Either (i) construct an original historical argument, grounded in the issues central to this class in a c.3000 word essay or (ii) construct a primary source, with c.1000 word justification. Week 14 Graded No
40
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Students will construct a formal 10-minute presentation grounded in the work for final project, which will presented in as a mini-conference with Q& during their last 2 weeks of the teaching term Week 12 Graded No
20
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Students will write a 1000 word analytical essay on a related topic to the course, in which they will select and closely analyse one primary source and at least two peer-reviewed secondary sources. Week 7 Graded No
20
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Students will be graded on active participation in class, which will will be noted in each class by their engagement with the prepared readings and material and seminar discussions. Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
20
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on written assessments and oral presentations will be provided in writing post-submission on Brightspace. Oral feedback on students' participation will be provided on an ongoing basis. Students will also have the opportunity to rewrite their short historical analysis after reading their post-submission feedback, discussing this feedback during a one-on-one meeting, developing a plan together for next steps, and resubmitting their essay within one week of the aforementioned meeting.

All readings can be found in PDF form or as a link to a digitized facsimile on Brightspace.

Name Role
Professor Michael Staunton Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Mon 11:00 - 11:50
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 09:00 - 10:50
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