Sara McDougall Interview

SARA WINTER 2020 NORMAN FREEHLING VISITING PROFESSOR MCDOUGALL interview

Sara McDougall is an associate professor of history at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE RESEARCH PROJECT YOU ARE WORKING ON THIS YEAR? My research into medieval court records has meant that I have spent a considerable amount of time in French municipal and national archives. While reviewing material from this period in history, I am always fascinated by the difference in the punishment allotted to women in comparison to men. Rather than assume any consistency, I’ve found that it is important to consider how conceptions of personhood and individual agency have changed over the past several centuries, not always for the better. I have certainly learned that legal practice surrounding illicit pregnancy in medieval France is much more nuanced than what I had originally expected.

HOW DOES BEING IN THIS ENVIRONMENT WITH OTHER FELLOWS DRIVE YOUR PROJECT? I am in awe of the institute and the energetic environment it fosters for interdisciplinary collaboration. Each week, all of the fellows meet to discuss each other’s work and give constructive feedback. The wide array of disciplines represented by this year’s cohort has been immensely helpful in working through obstacles in my own research. I really appreciate that the humanities are a vital part of university life, in and outside the institute. In the coming months, I hope to engage with scholars and researchers on campus with medical knowledge connected to pregnancy and infancy. With every day I spend here, I am increasingly aware of how special Michigan is as an institution, particularly for the humanities and for interdisciplinary collaboration.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO UNDERGRADUATES? WHY DO YOU THINK UNDERGRADS SHOULD STUDY THE HUMANITIES? My best advice to students is to always look for which subjects excite you and motivate you to continue examining them, day after day. The job market is uncertain and changes often; it’s best to do what you love, but at the same time be willing to question and explore other fields. I thought opera was the only career for me and I was completely wrong! While it might appear daunting and ill-defined at first, try to relax and take advantage of all of the resources that Michigan has to offer. Learn from taking on new opportunities that you might feel unequipped to tackle at first. Find out if you really love what you think you love, but also try to take a course on a topic you think you hate, or that you think you’re not good at. This is a time to try and to explore, you may surprise yourself. And know that training in the humanities in particular promises skill sets and training that can facilitate lifelong exploration and the ability to pursue careers in a variety of disciplines.

–Evan Binkley (History of Art, 2020). Binkley was an active member of the Humanities Under graduate Engagement Group. He is a 2020 recipient of the prestigious Marshall Scholarship.

Read the entire interview online at http://myumi.ch/nb9ox