LibGuides: Middle Ages: Scholars and Universities

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Provides additional background information and further reading. Introduces some subject-specific language.

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Medieval education
Medieval Education in England was the preserve of the rich. Education in Medieval England had to be paid for and medieval peasants could not have hoped to have afforded the fees. When William I conquered England in 1066 at the Battle of Hastings, he took over a country where very few were educated – including the wealthy. The most educated people were those who worked in the church but many who worked in the monasteries had taken a vow of isolation and their work remained isolated with them.
Medieval Universities
The English universities were one of the most significant creations of Medieval England. The scholars who attended either Oxford or Cambridge Universities set an intellectual standard that contrasted markedly with the norm of Medieval England.
Medieval students
The students at Oxford and Cambridge Universities were an integral part of the society that developed around these two medieval universities. Both Oxford and Cambridge Universities catered for scholars who could continue and build on research – but they were also major centres for student learning. The development of both universities can be seen as one of the most important developments in Medieval England.

How universities helped transform the medieval world
The late Middle Ages saw a resurgence of economic activity in Europe. New cities were founded; old cities grew; the volume and the scope of trade expanded and reached new heights, both at the local level and across the continent. Ultimately, this economic expansion changed Europe from a rural backwater into an urban and commercial continent, arguably setting the stage for the subsequent projection of European domination across the oceans.

What are the key features of your chosen aspect of Medieval life?
How does your aspect demonstrate the beliefs and ideas of Medieval society?
What does it reveal to us about what people thought at the time?
What are some of the ways that your aspect reflected and re-enforced medieval social structures?
Explain with reference to at least two different historians’ opinions.
How and why did your aspect change over time?
In your opinion does your topic demonstrate similarities between the medieval period and today? Explain

The medieval power struggles that helped forge today’s universities
Who held power over universities and their pursuit of intellectual inquiry was hotly contested in the Middle Ages. Universities were beholden to popes and kings, but also, in some cases to students.