AN4160 Transformations of the Family, from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages

Academic year

2025 to 2026 Semester 1

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Available to General Degree students with the permission of the Honours Adviser.

Planned timetable

To be arranged.

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr R C Grose

Dr R C Grose
This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Becca Grose

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

The fragmentation and partial collapse of the Roman empire was a significant political event, but its impact on ideas about women, children and gender roles are less clear. This module focuses on family life. It investigates changing approaches to separation, adoption, divorce, abortion and enslavement, what these meant for different social groups, and what factors might have caused these changes in different regions of the Mediterranean – whether political, economic, or religious. Using this knowledge, students will then form their own opinion about how to define family, and how far it is useful to speak about Roman, Mediterranean, Western European or Christian models of family life. They will be able to evaluate the values and limitations of studying family life to interrogate social change in Late Antiquity, and how far the period 300-900 is useful for studying family life in Mediterranean religious communities within and beyond Christianity (e.g. Judaism; Islam.)

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

Examination = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

2 hours weekly seminar (x 10 weeks); office hours to be used for additional individual feedback.

Scheduled learning hours

20

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

280

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Describe different types of household structure that existed in the late ancient Mediterranean
  • Describe and evaluate how key modern theories of family and kinship are applied to the late ancient Mediterranean
  • Interpret, analyse and evaluate late ancient evidence for its import to understanding family and kinship
  • Apply their critical understanding of late ancient evidence to construct arguments about late ancient family and kinship
  • Apply their critical understanding of late ancient evidence and modern models to evaluate how far new arguments reshape or modify existing models about late ancient kinship