2023

Early Modern Society and Culture

Name: Early Modern Society and Culture
Code: HIS12110L
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area: History

Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English
Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Presentation

In this unit discover the global circulation of people and their forms of social organization, as well as the dynamics of production and diffusion of ideas and cultural models (16th-18th centuries).

Sustainable Development Goals

Learning Goals

Objectives:
- To identify major features of political, economic, social and cultural phenomena in the early modern
European history and their impact worldwide.
- To identify consumer markets, consumer goods and new consumer goods worldwide
- To identify key moments of cultural and scientific innovation and their impacts in technology, production
and consumption.
- To identify social inequalities and understand their influence on consumer culture
- To master the vocabulary and the concepts of material culture.
- To identify the major historiographical debates on current research in Early Modern History.
Skills:
- To develop bibliographical and historical sources research skills.
- To develop critical reading skills and the ability to organize thoughts clearly in written and oral
presentations.
- To practice critical and analytical skills on the interpretation of historical literature and historical

Contents

1. Global conexions and global interactions
- The global integration of space. European and Asian empires.
- Population, ecological structures and demographic growth. Volunteer and forced migrations. - Markets
and global exchange
- Transmission of cultural, religious and welfare practices. The religious reforms conversion and the
otherness,
2. Social context and social practices in production and consumption (16th-18th c)
- Unequal societies. Social groups, hierarchies and discrimination. Gender and minorities.
- Income, consumer goods and new consumer goods
- Urban and rural worlds. Residential and work spaces
3. Cultural context and cultural practices in production and consumption (from the Renaissance to the
Enlightenment)
- Artistic and philosophical movements. The printing revolution and censorship
- Scientific ideas and technological innovation

Teaching Methods

Interpretation and analytic skills will be developed through reading, discussion, and written papers on
historical sources or current historians work (writings, visual images, maps, tables and graphics).
These materials will be available to students in UE moodle platform.
Students will be encouraged to search appropriate source resources and bibliography on University
Libraries and on the web, namely in Jstor, Muse Project, Public Libraries, Museums and Archival websites.
Oral skills will be trained through debates and oral participation Writing skills will be trained through
short written essays
Evaluation
1 – Written test at the end of the semester (50%)
2 – Class attendance (5%)
3 – Participation in debates and in a conference followed by related written assignments (1000-1500
words) (20%)
4 – One or two short written essays (1500 words) on a major historiographical topic (25%)

Teaching Staff