A.D.A.M. (Addressing Difficult Aspects of the Medieval) is a network designed to bring scholars who work on ‘difficult topics’ together.
Such topics might include gender, sexual violence, mental health, disability, and race. This list is not exhaustive; our definition does not aim to be prescriptive or prohibitive.
Our goal is three-pronged: we want to move the field towards greater pastoral, pedagogical, and methodological efficacy.
Many scholars working in this field might find themselves suffering from saturation fatigue, or may feel alone in their studies. We want to bring scholars together and create connections that lessen the strain of researching ‘difficult topics’.
The seminar room, lecture theatre, or classroom can be challenging environments in which to have conversations about ‘difficult topics’. We are compiling a list of resources that might serve as teaching aids when trying to navigate these topics with students, whose own experiences may impact their engagement with the Middle Ages.
Finally, we are encouraging research that interrogates: the problems of establishing new terminologies and improving those that may be problematic; how best to handle extant scholarship with controversial or outdated views; how to approach sensitive topics rigorously within an academic framework.
We wish to stress that we should not be upheld as authorities on such difficult topics: A.D.A.M. is, at its core, designed for collaboration and conversation. We welcome (and encourage!) contributions to this network and its outputs.
Above all, we wish to foster an environment in which scholars can engage with challenging topics in an open, rigorous, and sensitive manner. We have zero tolerance for harassment and look to create a community based on mutual support and constructive critique.
A.D.A.M. 