2025
Medieval Society and Culture
Name: Medieval Society and Culture
Code: HIS12106L
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area:
History
Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese
Regime de Frequência: Presencial
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning Goals
Understand and incorporate the development parameters of the contemporary world in its relations with
the Past; recognize in general terms the social and cultural diversity of Europe and the Mediterranean
throughout the Medieval period; identify the key structural turning points; apprehend, identify, and
contextualize cultural and heritage products; integrate ideas of comparison, diversity, contact and social
and cultural interaction; apprehend and discuss concepts.
In this sense, it is intended that students acquire knowledge to properly frame the heritage production in
the medieval context, in a perspective of cultural interaction; develop critical and abstract thinking;
develop analysis, critical and autonomous work capacities, namely in group; progressively internalize the
relationship between past and present in order to build critical thinking and active citizenship.
the Past; recognize in general terms the social and cultural diversity of Europe and the Mediterranean
throughout the Medieval period; identify the key structural turning points; apprehend, identify, and
contextualize cultural and heritage products; integrate ideas of comparison, diversity, contact and social
and cultural interaction; apprehend and discuss concepts.
In this sense, it is intended that students acquire knowledge to properly frame the heritage production in
the medieval context, in a perspective of cultural interaction; develop critical and abstract thinking;
develop analysis, critical and autonomous work capacities, namely in group; progressively internalize the
relationship between past and present in order to build critical thinking and active citizenship.
Contents
1. Between Europe and the Mediterranean
1.1 Who are we? Present and Medieval Times
1.2 Discussing concepts: societies and cultures in a long term perspective
2. From the end of the Empire to the 10th century: mutations continuities, ruptures
2.1 Political context
2.2 The origin and expansion of a new religion: Islam
2.3 Languages and cultures: the origin of the European culture
2.4 Between the two shores of the Mediterranean: societies and cultures in contact
2.5 Cultural heritage
3. Europe and the Mediterranean between the 11th and rhe 13th century
3.1 Political context
3.2 Demographic and society
3.3 Latin culture and Arabic culture
3.4 Frontier societies: between the Christian and the Islamic Mediterranean
3.5 Cultural heritage
4. Europe and the Mediterranean in transformation: 14th-15th centuries
4.1 Political context
4.2 Societies in crisis
4.3 Expansionisms: Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean
4.4 Cultural Emergences: from Ibn Khaldoun to the humanism
4.5 Cultural heritage
1.1 Who are we? Present and Medieval Times
1.2 Discussing concepts: societies and cultures in a long term perspective
2. From the end of the Empire to the 10th century: mutations continuities, ruptures
2.1 Political context
2.2 The origin and expansion of a new religion: Islam
2.3 Languages and cultures: the origin of the European culture
2.4 Between the two shores of the Mediterranean: societies and cultures in contact
2.5 Cultural heritage
3. Europe and the Mediterranean between the 11th and rhe 13th century
3.1 Political context
3.2 Demographic and society
3.3 Latin culture and Arabic culture
3.4 Frontier societies: between the Christian and the Islamic Mediterranean
3.5 Cultural heritage
4. Europe and the Mediterranean in transformation: 14th-15th centuries
4.1 Political context
4.2 Societies in crisis
4.3 Expansionisms: Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean
4.4 Cultural Emergences: from Ibn Khaldoun to the humanism
4.5 Cultural heritage
Teaching Methods
The curricular unit on Medieval Society and Culture will adopt a variety of teaching methodologies, including:
1. Oral communication for the presentation, discussion, and argumentation of the programmatic content, employing an inquiry-based and problematising approach to teaching.
2. Encouraging participation in debates, problem-solving activities, and oral presentations by students.
3. Promoting dialogue, collaborative work, and constructive criticism among peers, aimed at developing original thinking on the part of students.
4. Connecting learning with societal challenges that facilitate an understanding of historical legacies.
5. Utilising digital tools and resources for the construction of knowledge, the interpretation of graphic and visual representations of history, and the development of critical thinking.
Use of digital tools, including the critical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), for the construction of knowledge, the graphic and visual representation of history, and the development of digital literacy.
Use of AI: in accordance with Order (Despacho) No. 34/2026:
Permitted uses: AI may be used only in preparing the oral presentation and the written report, to support research, the organisation of ideas and language revision.
Prohibited uses: AI may not be used to generate text submitted as the student's own work, nor in any form during the end-of-semester test or the final exam.
Responsibility: students are responsible for verifying, against the sources and the bibliography, all information obtained through AI.
Declaration: students must state in the report which tool was used and for what purpose.
Non-compliance: improper or undeclared use of AI constitutes academic fraud, under Article 119 of the Academic Regulations and Order (Despacho) No. 216/2026.
1. Oral communication for the presentation, discussion, and argumentation of the programmatic content, employing an inquiry-based and problematising approach to teaching.
2. Encouraging participation in debates, problem-solving activities, and oral presentations by students.
3. Promoting dialogue, collaborative work, and constructive criticism among peers, aimed at developing original thinking on the part of students.
4. Connecting learning with societal challenges that facilitate an understanding of historical legacies.
5. Utilising digital tools and resources for the construction of knowledge, the interpretation of graphic and visual representations of history, and the development of critical thinking.
Use of digital tools, including the critical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), for the construction of knowledge, the graphic and visual representation of history, and the development of digital literacy.
Use of AI: in accordance with Order (Despacho) No. 34/2026:
Permitted uses: AI may be used only in preparing the oral presentation and the written report, to support research, the organisation of ideas and language revision.
Prohibited uses: AI may not be used to generate text submitted as the student's own work, nor in any form during the end-of-semester test or the final exam.
Responsibility: students are responsible for verifying, against the sources and the bibliography, all information obtained through AI.
Declaration: students must state in the report which tool was used and for what purpose.
Non-compliance: improper or undeclared use of AI constitutes academic fraud, under Article 119 of the Academic Regulations and Order (Despacho) No. 216/2026.
Assessment
The curricular unit provides for two assessment models: 1) continuous assessment and 2) final examination covering all the material taught.
Continuous assessment will depend on the fulfilment of the following elements:
Attendance and oral participation in (10%): students must attend 75 per cent of classes (that is, they may miss a maximum of 6 classes). Students covered by special regimes exempting them from regular attendance, under the terms of the Academic Regulations, are not subject to this requirement, with the corresponding weighting redistributed across the remaining components.
Oral presentation (15%) with written report (15%): this will consist of an oral presentation on a topic previously discussed with the lecturer, accompanied by the submission of a written report (3 to 4 pages). The assessment of this component will also include responses to questions posed by the lecturer during the presentation.
Final written test at the end of the semester (60%): this will consist of a written test organised into three sections. The first section will present a map or a graph, which must be critically analysed on the basis of the syllabus content. The second section will consist of the definition of five concepts. The third section will present two essay questions, of which the student must choose one to develop. Students enrolled in continuous assessment will be given a list of selected readings chosen by the lecturer, to support the development of the answers to this last section.
Final examination assessment will be weighted as follows: exam grade (90%) + attendance and participation (10%, where applicable). The final examination will adopt an identical structure of three sections ? a map or graph for critical analysis, the definition of ten concepts, and two essay questions of which one is to be chosen ? but without specific reading guidance: it covers all the material taught, and comprehensive reading of the bibliography is recommended for a good grade.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy
In this curricular unit, the use of AI tools is permitted exclusively as support for research and the organisation of ideas in preparing the oral presentation and the accompanying report (for example, identifying sources, or linguistic and stylistic support), and under no circumstances is the full generation of text submitted as the student's own work permitted. Whenever used, the student must include in the report a statement identifying the tool and the purpose of its use. In the final written test and in the final examination, the use of AI tools of any kind is not permitted. Improper or undeclared use of AI will be treated as academic fraud, under Article 119 of the Academic Regulations of the University of Évora. In cases of well-founded suspicion of improper use of AI tools, the procedure will follow the provisions of Despacho n.º 216/2026, concerning the prevention of academic fraud.
Continuous assessment will depend on the fulfilment of the following elements:
Attendance and oral participation in (10%): students must attend 75 per cent of classes (that is, they may miss a maximum of 6 classes). Students covered by special regimes exempting them from regular attendance, under the terms of the Academic Regulations, are not subject to this requirement, with the corresponding weighting redistributed across the remaining components.
Oral presentation (15%) with written report (15%): this will consist of an oral presentation on a topic previously discussed with the lecturer, accompanied by the submission of a written report (3 to 4 pages). The assessment of this component will also include responses to questions posed by the lecturer during the presentation.
Final written test at the end of the semester (60%): this will consist of a written test organised into three sections. The first section will present a map or a graph, which must be critically analysed on the basis of the syllabus content. The second section will consist of the definition of five concepts. The third section will present two essay questions, of which the student must choose one to develop. Students enrolled in continuous assessment will be given a list of selected readings chosen by the lecturer, to support the development of the answers to this last section.
Final examination assessment will be weighted as follows: exam grade (90%) + attendance and participation (10%, where applicable). The final examination will adopt an identical structure of three sections ? a map or graph for critical analysis, the definition of ten concepts, and two essay questions of which one is to be chosen ? but without specific reading guidance: it covers all the material taught, and comprehensive reading of the bibliography is recommended for a good grade.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy
In this curricular unit, the use of AI tools is permitted exclusively as support for research and the organisation of ideas in preparing the oral presentation and the accompanying report (for example, identifying sources, or linguistic and stylistic support), and under no circumstances is the full generation of text submitted as the student's own work permitted. Whenever used, the student must include in the report a statement identifying the tool and the purpose of its use. In the final written test and in the final examination, the use of AI tools of any kind is not permitted. Improper or undeclared use of AI will be treated as academic fraud, under Article 119 of the Academic Regulations of the University of Évora. In cases of well-founded suspicion of improper use of AI tools, the procedure will follow the provisions of Despacho n.º 216/2026, concerning the prevention of academic fraud.
Teaching Staff
- Flávio Miguel Fernandes Miranda [responsible]
Accreditations and Certifications
