Survey of Sages — Collaborative SCA Study

Project Description: A collaborative survey study of philosophical viewpoints, scholarly pursuits & intuitive discoveries attributed to women before 1700 CE — through the eSCA, in A.S. LIX. 

Through the "jigsaw learning strategy," participants will study one scholar, but will have the opportunity to learn about many other woman as well. Participants will gather virtually throughout several sessions in early 2025 to give a 15-minute presentation about their scholar of choice. 

Project Background: This initiative arose after Tala realized how much of men's scholarship is well-known to Scadians, but how little we collectively know about women's ideas in period. Instead of proceeding with independent study, Tala decided to expand this learning initiative to help other Scadians establish a survey-level, baseline of knowledge about scholarly women before 1700 CE.

Project Goals: This project is meant to help Scadians develop a cursory knowledge of notable thoughts & ideas advanced by ancient and medieval women. While there are many women in history worth studying, this project focuses on those whose thoughts & ideas have survived in some form to be studied today. Future salons may expand this survey study to include in-depth discussions. Associated web-pages and content will be maintained through the foreseeable future to serve as a resource for the broader SCA community.

Survey of Sages spreadsheet: a dynamic master-list of Scadian participants and the scholars they've chosen to highlight

Survey of Sages Questionnaire: a questionnaire to help our group schedule our meetings and communicate about logistics

Scholar Focus template: an optional document to help participants frame their study

Survey of Sages Study Group calendar: a Google calendar indicating important deadlines, meetings, etc.

Guidelines for Salons

Each participant will sign up for a specific scholar, then study that woman through November and December, 2024. We will meet from January through March, depending on how many sessions are necessary to allow all participants to present their chosen scholar. Each virtual meeting will last 1.5 hours, allowing 15 minutes for 5 presenters, and an additional 30 minutes for questions and discussion.

Presentations need not be elaborate. You can simply read off information you learned based on this template study frame document -- or you can show photos/maps/diagrams, share slides or documents, etc. The goal is simply to impart a survey-level of information about your chosen scholar to the rest of the group.

After choosing a scholar to study, each participant must complete this questionnaire which includes information on scheduling and meeting logistics. 

Norms for Collaborative Study

1. Be Curious and Open-Minded: Approach discussions with genuine curiosity. Be willing to explore different perspectives, even if they challenge your initial thoughts. When possible, support your ideas with sources or examples, and embrace the value of changing your mind when new insights emerge. 

2. Embrace Nuance and Avoid Absolutism: Historical subjects are often complex, with multiple interpretations. Let’s avoid presenting opinions as facts and recognize that historical narratives can be multifaceted. Instead of debating who’s "right," let's explore the range of possibilities together.

3. Respect and Include All Voices: A core principle is to value everyone’s input, regardless of their academic background or familiarity with the material. Encourage quieter participants to share their thoughts, and avoid interrupting or dominating the conversation. 

4. Ask Thoughtful, Open-Ended Questions: As questions are often more useful than answers in learning, encourage participants to ask questions that can spark deeper reflection, rather than leading questions or those seeking only "right" answers.

5. Understanding Historical Context: Discussing ancient and medieval societies can raise complex issues of culture, religion, gender, and ethics. Let’s aim to understand these scholars within the framework of their time, while also recognizing the relevance (or differences) to contemporary issues.

6. Handle Disagreements with Care: Disagreement is natural and often productive! When we disagree, let’s focus on understanding each other’s perspectives. Avoid dismissive language or framing others' ideas as "wrong" or "ignorant." Instead, try phrases like “I see it differently because…” or “That’s interesting; could you say more?”

7. Focus on Engagement, Not Perfection: Participation is about engaging and learning, not getting everything “right.” It's okay to stumble through a thought, express uncertainty, or circle back to an idea later. This is a space for growth, not perfection.

8. Aim to Contribute Positively: Every comment should help further the discussion or understanding for the group. Critique ideas, not people, and aim to build on each other's contributions rather than tearing them down.

9. Academically Approach to Religion: Many pre-1700 women spoke on religious topics. In the SCA, we can study religious topics with an academic mindset while avoiding religious activities.

10. Critical Evaluation of Sources: In a world of abundant information at our fingertips, modern research requires a critical evaluation of sources to identify biases and other complicating factors. Though this is meant to be a casual study group, please be sure to highlight any warnings about problematic sources.

11. No Shame in Learning: There's no shame in being wrong. It just means we didn't have all the information yet. Remember, "I don't know yet" or "I'm not sure" are great answers, and preferable to making up information. Speculation is welcome, but please lampshade it. This is a cooperative learning group, so don't be afraid to ask questions, no matter how basic they may seem to you.