Media Project Reflection: Berlinghieri’s Saint Francis of Assisi (Research Paper Sample)

DIGITAL MEDIA PROJECT REFLECTION
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Introduction
The Digital Media Project about mediaeval history reveals a lot of knowledge and skills about the people of those ages. For instance, I have learnt that the people of the middle ages heavily relied on religion as a tool for shaping their identities and culture. Additionally, Bonaventura Berlinghieri’s painting on Saint Francis of Assisi demonstrates the significance of art in promoting religion and enhancing the faith of the followers. Further, the revelations in these paintings also bring out the mediaeval understanding of wealth and poverty. The mediaeval people described richness as based on the physical abilities of a person. On the contrary, the modern period highly regards material possessions as the main element of richness.[Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, "Bonaventura Berlinghieri, Saint Francis Altarpiece," in Smarthistory, August 9, 2015, accessed November 19, 2021, https://smarthistory.org/bonaventura-berlinghieri-saint-francis-altarpiece/.]
Additionally, I learn that mediaeval richness came from a supreme being. For instance, any man born crippled was considered an outcast who was not worth interaction with the abled people. On the other hand, modern richness regards the poor as the less fortunate people who have limited access to earthly possessions rather than outcasts. Also, I learn that mediaeval people greatly relied on saints for spiritual nourishment. On the other hand, modern people believe greatly in science and experiment for proper understanding. All these stories are crucial for a historian since they provide information on the evolution of human psychology. It tells us about the type of belief elements that dictated the actions of the mediaeval people.
New-Found Knowledge
First, Bonaventura Berlinghieri’s painting on Saint Francis of Assisi increased my knowledge about the evolution in the historical definition of impairment and disability. Despite the unanimous agreement among scholars that disability as a method of social gratification, the mediaeval people do not necessarily comply with this categorization. According to Tom Shakespeare's modern description, impairment is a bodily condition acquired during birth or encountered at the later stages of life. This condition leads to limited functionalities of the body. On the other hand, disability is a discriminatory attitude towards people with physical impairments. On the other hand, the mediaeval individuals believed that disability was a curse from God. As a result, crippled individuals were outcasts and were excluded from the community. Despite the varied treatment of the disabled historically, I learn that both modern and mediaeval people always discriminated the disabled people in different ways. Impairment in the mediaeval ages