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Lancaster’s joint Chinese Studies and History degree is taught by the School of Global Affairs in conjunction with the Department of History. This degree includes an international placement in Year 3.
Your Chinese Studies programme gives you the opportunity to acquire language skills at beginner level, while gaining a thorough understanding of the country’s historical, cultural, social and political background in a global context. You will learn language and culture in innovative and engaging ways. For example, students learn the Chinese language in its social and cultural context by participating in a wide range of activities through the Chinese Friendship Project. Recent activities have included a day trip to Manchester Chinatown, Chinese Food Corner, Chinese Film Night, Chinese festival celebration, and more.
In History, you will develop your critical abilities studying modules in British, European and American world history.
Your first year comprises an exploration of the Chinese language and its cultural context as well as the core history module. Alongside this, you can choose a third first year subject either from History or from other subjects related to your degree.
Building on your language skills in Year 2, you will have the opportunity to study the culture, politics and history of the Chinese-speaking world in more depth in the core module, Shaping Contemporary China: Moments and Movements. You can also select a module that is international in scope and promotes comparative understanding at a global level. You will combine these with the core module, Making History: Contexts, Sources and Publics and select from a range of History options.
Spending your third year - the International Placement Year - abroad in a Chinese-speaking country gives you the opportunity to develop your language proficiency while deepening your intercultural sensitivity. You can study at a partner institution and practise your language skills in a real-world context.
In your final year, you will consolidate your Chinese language skills and study specialist culture and comparative modules You will also select from a range of history modules. You will also have the opportunity to combine your interests in both subjects in a longer, supervised project.
You can find some examples of optional modules in the Course Structure section below.
Beginners Languages
Studying a language from beginners level is somewhat intense in nature so we only allow students to study one language from beginners level. Please bear this in mind when looking at our first year module options. If you apply to study a degree with a language from beginners level, your optional modules will only include higher level languages and modules in other subject areas.
Our student Wiktoria Wilk talks about her work placement in China, which she did voluntarily as part of her International Placement Year. Students who study Chinese as a major subject are required to spend a period of time in a Chinese-speaking country during their degree.
Our degrees offer flexibility...
with your International Placement Year enabling you to study at a partner institution, conduct a work placement, teach with the British Council, or a combination of these. Many degree schemes incorporate a minor in other subjects to complement your major subject. Our distinctive approach to undergraduate language degrees gives you the opportunity to acquire both high-level language skills and a thorough understanding of languages, cultures and societies within a global context.
Spending a year abroad...
is an integral and assessed part of our language degrees. It gives you the opportunity to improve your language proficiency, broaden your cultural knowledge and gain transferable skills that are much valued by employers.
The International Placement Year is compulsory for students taking Chinese or other languages at major level.
When you arrive in Lancaster...
you might not have a plan for after you graduate, but when you're ready to take the next step, we're here to help you. Studying a language strengthens your written and oral communication competence, your organisational skills, your aptitude in analysing and synthesising information, your ability to contribute to discussions and suggest ideas, and your understanding of other countries and cultures in a global world.
Languages and Cultures at Lancaster University
Study up to three languages of your choice and be supported to take an International Placement Year in Europe or beyond. Our students explain what you could experience studying Languages and Cultures at Lancaster University.
Careers
In a globalised world, foreign languages combined with a knowledge of international history and contemporary cultures are highly valued by employers. During your degree you have the opportunity to develop the ability to think critically, analyse evidence and structure an argument, as well as gaining rich interpersonal, intercultural, cognitive and transferable skills. These skills will give you the opportunity to pursue a variety of careers such as working in museums and heritage, IT, business development, civil service, events management, finance, journalism, publishing, research and sales, as well as teaching and translating both in the UK and abroad.
Many graduates continue their studies at Lancaster in areas such as humanities and interdisciplinary research, making the most of our excellent postgraduate research facilities. We offer Master's degrees in Translation, Languages and Cultures, and History as well as PhD research degrees.
Entry requirements
Grade Requirements
A Level AAB
Required Subjects A level Chinese, and evidence of language learning ability such as AS grade B or A level grade B in another foreign language, or GCSE grade A in a foreign language. Native Mandarin speakers will not be accepted onto this scheme.
IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component. For other English language qualifications we accept, please see our English language requirements webpages.
Other Qualifications
International Baccalaureate 35 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects including appropriate evidence of language ability
BTEC Distinction, Distinction, Distinction accepted alongside appropriate evidence of language ability
We welcome applications from students with a range of alternative UK and international qualifications, including combinations of qualification. Further guidance on admission to the University, including other qualifications that we accept, frequently asked questions and information on applying, can be found on our general admissions webpages.
Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.
Contextual admissions
Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.
Course structure
Lancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and some which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme to complement your main specialism.
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, and the University will make every reasonable effort to offer modules as advertised. In some cases changes may be necessary and may result in some combinations being unavailable, for example as a result of student feedback, timetabling, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes and new research. Not all optional modules are available every year.
This module is taught across the whole of the academic year and is designed to extend and deepen your understanding of the past, simultaneously equipping you with the cognitive, analytical, and digital skills needed to study history. The module will provide both a survey of the last two thousand years of history, and an introduction to the issues and challenges involved in attempting to know and understand the past.
The module is organised to provide a rounded and multi-dimensional introduction to the discipline of history. We will help you to understand humanity through its past, but also to understand which elements of human life resonate with you: people’s conflict or their co-operation; their sense of self or their altruism; their hierarchies or their destructiveness; their peculiarity or how recognisable the past can be.
This module includes three components:
The first introduces you to broad patterns of continuity and change within the standard chronological division of history: Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern and Modern.
The second, ‘Disputed Histories’, introduces new perspectives and methodologies to the study of themes encountered earlier in the course.
The final component explores the skills that you will derive from this module as well as the numerous careers that you can pursue with a history degree.
Each week’s lecture is usually taught by a different faculty member, and so you will be introduced to the historians in the department and the subjects they research.
What our students say:
‘The teaching was very good and the lecturers were consistently engaging.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘The seminars were very helpful on gaining new perspectives on different topics and the group discussions were engaging.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
This module is designed for students who have already completed an A-level in Chinese or whose Chinese is of a broadly similar standard. The language element aims to enable students both to consolidate and improve their skills in spoken and written Chinese. A further aim is to provide students with an introduction to the historical and cultural development of China in the past, and also to contemporary institutions and society.
Seminars are based on a textbook, and emphasis is placed on the acquisition of vocabulary and a firm grasp of Chinese grammatical structures. You will have the opportunity to develop listening and speaking skills through discussions and activities and with the support of audio and visual materials.
You are given the chance to examine how key moments in Chinese history have shaped contemporary Chinese culture. We will look at examples including films, plays, and novels.
Would you like to be able to communicate using Mandarin Chinese? Do you want to acquire key elements to become an expert of Chinese culture, society, and institutions? We focus on teaching absolute beginners how to speak, listen, and read so you can confidently use day-to-day Chinese. You’ll also be given the opportunity to learn about Chinese culture, history, and contemporary society.
You will have the opportunity to learn Chinese pronunciation and intonation, the basics of Chinese grammar, key sentence structures, and insights about the graphical element of writing, such as the significance of types of strokes, radicals, and their ancestral meaning.
To explore Chinese culture, you are given the chance to examine how key moments in Chinese history have shaped contemporary Chinese culture. We will look at examples including films, plays, and novels.
All first year language programmes are supported by a module designed to offer students further opportunities to expand and consolidate their knowledge and skills base. The module is non-credit bearing but students are expected to participate so as to acquire complementary skills useful in areas such as, essay-writing, expanding vocabulary, diversity of learning styles and engaging with culture, alongside other useful strategies to enhance autonomous language learning outside the classroom.
Optional
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This module is an introduction to the systemic and episodic violence that characterised Imperial British authority during the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The specific topics for lectures and seminars include slavery, genocide, anthropology, photography, imperial sexualities, rebellions, and counterinsurgency. The module will draw on examples and analysis from a range of geographic areas: the Transatlantic, South Asia, Australia, East Africa, North Africa and the Caribbean.
We will explore recent debates about British imperial history and British identity. Has Britain ignored its imperial past? Should Britain apologise for its Empire and, if so, to whom?
Subsequent seminars will look at the ways in which violence was normalised as inevitable and necessary during imperial endeavours, both in the UK and in colonies. The final week will return to Europe’s late-colonial 20th century and discuss Aimé Césaire’s argument that European fascism represented the return of imperial violence to Europe.
What our students say:
‘The lectures were highly informative, and we were given a lot of support for completing the assignments, particularly as we had to create our own question.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘[The most valuable part of the module was] being educated on previously untold histories and being able to reflect on and begin to dismantle my own understandings of imperialism.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘The lectures were incredibly informative and eye opening, and were taught very clearly, with well written slides that made it easy to understand and make notes.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
Britain underwent radical change in the early modern period. In the year 1500, England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland were insignificant nations on the fringe of Europe. By the 18th century, the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland' was a world leader on many fronts: democratic government, religious pluralism, a consumer society, and cultural achievements that rivalled France in art, science and philosophy.
In this module, we will explore how groups of people who were not part of the traditional ruling elite, came to exercise more power and control over their lives, and thus played their part in shaping modern Britain. You will have the opportunity to examine and discuss topics such as the Reformation, the Civil War, the Age of Enlightenment, and the beginnings of democracy. This module will also help you develop an understanding of the periodisation of, and differences between, the medieval, the early modern and the modern. You will also develop familiarity with recent historiographical approaches to the period, notably those that emphasise underlying commonalities.
What our students say:
‘The quality of teaching in both lectures and seminars was excellent. Overall a very interesting topic with so much content to enjoy!’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘[I enjoyed the] examination of primary sources as well as historical writing from different periods and in different styles, such as the text by Thomas Babington Macaulay and the transcript of the trial of Charles I. These were especially helpful given that previously I have only really looked at modern sources or texts by modern historians.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
Placing nature at the centre of world history, especially East Asian history, this module considers how environmental transformations have intertwined with political, socio-economic, and cultural processes.
Some of the major themes include:
Visions of nature in different cultures
Forests
Water control
Climate diseases
Human–animal interactions
War and the environment
Disasters and slow violence
Modern environmental concerns
We will examine several questions such as what Asian landscape paintings can tell us about their notions of nature, why the Chinese government has been so keen on water control, whether climate favoured the Mongol expansion, how epidemics connected the world, what is slow violence and how historical environmental injustice continues nowadays.
Through the lens of environmental history, this module will also re-examine classic historical topics such as industrialisation, colonisation, and urbanisation, uncovering the underlying nuances of history.
Ever since Edward Gibbon wrote his ground-breaking work The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in the late 18th century, historians have been preoccupied with the question of what caused the loss of the Empire’s western provinces and the transformation of its eastern half into Byzantium. They have identified much new data, but they continue to disagree as to what happened to the Empire between the 3rd and the 7th centuries CE and why.
For some historians the barbarian invasions of the late 4th and 5th centuries were crucial, but others have argued that they merely finished off a society that was already in deep moral, social and/or economic decline.
For other historians the Empire’s ‘decline and fall’ was a disaster; but others have maintained that the Empire never regressed. They believe that the foundations of medieval (and even modern) civilisation were forged in the cultural ferment of the later rather than the earlier Roman Empire, and that the barbarian takeovers in the West made little difference to the lives of those who lived there.
An introduction to this exciting period of history, this module invites you to discover what really happened and to assess the theories that currently command historians’ support.
What our students say:
‘The lectures covered the, at times very complex, content in a very easy to understand way’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘I enjoyed the breadth of the topic, I felt as if I knew a lot more in a short amount of time.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
This module examines the Second World War in Europe, approaching it from the Axis perspective – ‘the other side of the hill’, as Sir Basil Liddell Hart called it. The module engages not only with historically significant events, but it also deals with questions surrounding discrimination, complicity, and collaboration. We will discuss the different political movements, ideologies, and events that set Germany on its path to National-Socialism, and compare them to similar movements in Europe, opening up the opportunity to think about the different European racisms more broadly.
The choices available to the soldiers and civilians that were caught up in the war, the compromises they had to make, and the options available to them, run as a thread through this module. The module looks beyond Germany’s defeat and encourages students to consider the war’s long-term consequences.
What our students say:
‘Overall, I very much enjoyed this module. As someone who does not really enjoy learning about more modern history, I chose this module as it seemed like something that I had always wanted to know more about, as whenever I had been taught the Second World War it was always the same "good vs evil" narrative. This module gave me a newfound interest into the Second World War and fulfilled the desire to learn more about the topic rather than just going over the same things over and over.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘The amount of research and time that had been put into the lectures was clear and anytime I had any queries I would always get a helpful email back.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
The First World War or, as it was generally known at the time, the Great War or ‘war to end all wars’, was a European and global catastrophe. The scale of death, destruction, and devastation that it wrought, both in the conflict itself and in its immediate aftermath of epidemic influenza and political violence, was unprecedented. Indeed, the war can be considered a rupture in historical time, constituting an irreparable break between the past, present, and future. It not only reshaped individual lives, nation states, and the maps of Europe and the Middle East, but also societies and cultures, so that the world no longer looked the same as it had before.
This module explores the history of this cataclysmic event from a European and global perspective, as well as from a social and cultural one. It is not intended as a military or political history of the war, though these aspects will certainly be considered. Rather, it will show how the First World War transformed people’s lives, beliefs, and perceptions of themselves and their world, from relations between men and women, to ideas about religion, psychology, art, technology, the body, death, and remembrance. It is likewise concerned with the legacies of the war, not only in terms of its immediate geopolitical impact, but also the ways in which it continues to inform and shape our world today.
What our students say:
‘The lectures were incredibly detailed. The lecturer was engaging in both the lectures and seminars. The content was varied and colourful and had something for everybody. The topics were handled extremely well.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘[I enjoyed] learning not just about the war itself but how it catalysed a lot of stuff that happened afterwards, and even how its changes and memory are still present in the modern day. Learning not just about what happened, but why and how, what the implications.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘The use of primary sources in seminars was valuable for allowing us to not only gather information on primary sources but also on where they can be obtained and how they can be used in our future research.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
The city of Lancaster has a long and complex past. The city’s Roman origins, its connections with the transatlantic slave trade, and the infamous witchcraft trials, have all left marks still visible around modern Lancaster. The role of the castle as a court and prison, and the city’s prominence as a ‘hanging town’ in the 18th and 19th centuries, made Lancaster a centre of culture, law and politics in the North of England. In the 20th century, the impact of two world wars, and uncertain economic forces reshaped the whole region, and the opening of Lancaster University in the 1960s fundamentally changed the city’s fortunes.
What can the history of Lancaster tell us about the seismic shifts that have happened across British society? What challenges does Lancaster’s complicated history pose for local museums and heritage institutions? Tracing the history of the city of Lancaster from prehistory to the near present, this module examines the ambiguities and uncertainties of 'place' as a complex amalgam of history, culture, and personal experience.
Across this ten-week module, you will have the chance to study key periods and events in the history of the city, and of the surrounding region. In our weekly lectures and seminars, we will explore themes such as health, education, religion, industry and decolonisation, and think about how regions and localities form part of wider national and international histories.
What our students say:
‘The lecturer had great interaction and care for us students; he took on board adjustments we wanted with the class and took action on them. It was also clear to see he truly cared for what he was teaching and took pleasure in teaching it.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘Trips to Lancaster City Museum and Lancaster Castle were very informative and engaging. The topics chosen were interesting and the seminars helped generate a good discussion of topics and ideas. Engaging with resources such as Roman inscriptions in Britain was particularly interesting.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
Core
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This module comprises of both oral and aural skills, to be taken alongside the corresponding Written Language module. It builds upon skills gained in the first year.
The module aims to enhance students’ linguistic proficiency in spoken Chinese in a range of formal and informal settings (both spontaneous and prepared). Specific attention will be given to developing good, accurate pronunciation and intonations as well as fluency, accuracy of grammar, and vocabulary when speaking the language.
This module also aims at broadening students’ knowledge about different aspects of modern Chinese-speaking societies, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions.
By the end of this module, we hope you will have enhanced your comprehension of the spoken language, as used in both formal speech, and in everyday life situations including those that they may encounter in Chinese-speaking countries.
This module comprises of both oral and aural skills, to be taken alongside the corresponding Written Language module. It builds upon skills gained in the first year of the Intensive course. Students who have taken the Intensive language course in their first year, normally follow this course throughout the second year.
The module aims to enhance students’ linguistic proficiency in spoken Chinese in a range of formal and informal settings (both spontaneous and prepared). Specific attention will be given to developing good, accurate pronunciation and intonations well as fluency, accuracy of grammar, and vocabulary when speaking the language.
This module also aims at broadening students’ knowledge about different aspects of modern society, politics and culture, and contemporary issues and institutions in order to prepare them for residence abroad in their 3rd year.
By the end of this module, students will have had the opportunity to enhance their comprehension of the spoken language, as used in both formal speech, and in everyday life situations including those that they may encounter in Chinese-speaking countries.
This module comprises of reading and writing skills to be taken alongside the Oral Skills module.
This module aims to consolidate skills gained by students in the first year of study, and enable them to build a level of competence and confidence required to familiarise themselves with the culture and society of countries where their studied language is spoken.
The module aims to enhance your proficiency in understanding written Chinese, as well as in the writing of Chinese (notes, reports, summaries, essays, projects, etc.) including translation from and into Chinese; and the systematic study of Chinese lexis, grammar and syntax.
The module aims to enhance your linguistic proficiency, with particular emphasis on reading a variety of sources and on writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers.
This module comprises of reading and writing skills to be taken alongside the Oral Skills module.
This module aims to consolidate skills you have developed in the first year of study, and enable you to build a level of competence and confidence required to familiarise yourselves with the culture and society of countries where your studied language is spoken.
The module aims to enhance your proficiency in understanding spoken Chinese, as well as in the writing of Chinese (notes, reports, summaries, essays, projects, etc.) including translation from and into Chinese; and the systematic study of Chinese lexis, grammar and syntax.
The module aims to enhance your linguistic proficiency, with particular emphasis on reading a variety of sources and on writing fluently and accurately in the language, in a variety of registers.
This module aims to provide you with a solid introduction to the discipline of history at the beginning of your Part-II studies. The module, accordingly, explores the discipline at large, including: its characteristic practices, methods and traditions; its use of different source materials; and its relation not just to the past, but also to the present and the future.
The module includes three thematic blocks. The first section (Contexts of History) provides an overview of different types of historical scholarship, focusing on the methods, theories and intellectual tendencies that characterise them. The second section (Sources and Evidence) examines the use and application of different types of sources as evidence in historical research. The third section (History in Public) considers the public role and function of the discipline, as well as the challenges that historians have faced in the public spotlight, and, finally, the role that the study of history can play in your future.
What our students say:
‘I appreciated the perspective each lecturer brought on how history is written in their area of expertise. It was both fascinating and highly informative. The seminars were also very helpful and overall very good.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘I liked the seminars, and I liked the range of sources we learned about.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
This module is a non-credit bearing module. If you are a major student going abroad in your second or third year you are enrolled on it during the year prior to your departure, and timetabled to attend the events. These include: introduction to the International Placement Year and choice of activities; British Council English Language Assistantships and how to apply; introduction to partner universities and how they function; working in companies abroad; finance during the International Placement Year; research skills and questionnaire design; teaching abroad; curriculum writing and employability skills; and welfare and wellbeing.
This modules focuses on the ‘must-know’ historical moments, political events and aesthetic movements that shaped Chinese and Sinophone cultures in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
You will hone your skills in cultural analysis via diverse media as we explored four topics:
Revolutions and Reforms
Dreams and Futures
Walls and Spaces
Identities and Relationships
During the module, you'll consider themes such as power, resistance, trauma, aspirations, wellbeing, urbanisation, the urban/rural divide, migration, individualisation, collectivisation, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class, and family. Texts, films and art will be studied in historical and cultural contexts, with due regard to relevant global trends such as imperialism, colonialism, postcolonialism, democracy, neoliberalism and nationalism.
During your journey through moments and movements across two centuries of Chinese cultural history, you'll encounter some of the most radical thinkers, writers, filmmakers and creative artists that make the Chinese-language intellectual tradition so distinctive and fascinating. You'll discover a stimulating range of cultural forms and learn how to reflect critically on them as expressions of multi-faceted, nuanced societies.
Optional
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This module invites you to explore the history of an object that is of crucial importance to our ideas about both human health and human identity – the mind. A Global History of the Mind will give you the opportunity to explore how societies across a wide range of times and places have sought to understand, cure and control the mind. Drawing on materials and case studies from around the world, whether modern-day Polynesia or the medieval Middle East, this offers a truly global perspective on the history of the mind.
At the same time, the module encourages you to explore the connections between changing ideas about mental health and sickness to broader questions about human identity – most notably those concerning race, gender and the potential loss of human distinctiveness in a world where artificial intelligence is possible. Unlike traditional courses on mental health, which almost invariably focus on the emergence and spread of western psychiatry, this module offers a decentered perspective. We will examine the mind from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, bringing together philosophy, medicine, religion, race, gender, and social control. In so doing, we will explore questions of urgent relevance to our own society – most notably the ways in which ideas about the mind have featured in the racialization and gendering of people through systems of patriarchy and colonialism. In addition, this module will use case studies from history to give you the resources to consider and question modern ideas about the mind and its role in society.
As well as completing a traditional essay assignment, this module includes a group podcasting assignment. Working together with your classmates, you will develop the skills to put together your own podcast on the history of the mind.
What our students say:
‘The seminars were wonderful. We looked at some quite complicated ideas, but the lecturer led them in a way that enabled us to think for ourselves and come to our own understandings on the topics, without making us feel stupid for not getting things straight away.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘I really enjoyed how the module looked at a lot of different periods/countries. It had a good range and was fascinating.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
20th-century British history is largely a story of change. The impact of democratisation, war, economic decline, the loss of empire, and internal fragmentation has resulted in a nation seemingly in constant flux, often unsure of its identity and its values.
In this module you will explore the patterns of social, economic, cultural and political change which have most affected the lives of the British since 1900. The overarching themes are the formation and reformation of identities based on class, gender, race, empire, nation, and the dual process by which the British were integrated into the state as citizens, and into the market as consumers. As well as being introduced to the key historiographical debates, in this module you will be encouraged to explore the subject through an eclectic mix of primary sources, including cartoons, posters, fiction, press reports, and advertisements.
What our students say:
‘The lectures were incredibly informative and helped me to understand core themes and historiography so I could go away to research it myself.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘Material was presented to both support and disprove ideas we were covering and well fleshed out. These were also the most detailed and interesting lectures I had this term, focusing on a specific decade on each but never forgetting to cover broader trends of history. It also allowed us to use alternative primary sources like posters, fiction and news coverage from the period in depth and showed them to be just as valuable as textual sources.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
This module is designed to support you in embarking on advanced historical research, and it aims to help you develop the skills needed to complete your undergraduate dissertation. Through this module, you will be guided through the cognitive and analytical steps you will need to take to define your future dissertation topic, construct a detailed research proposal, conduct a reflexive feasibility study for your project, present your preliminary findings, and respond to feedback from academics in the department.
The module aims to guide you to design your research proposal, locate it in its relevant historiographical field, test its viability and scope of available sources, as well as produce outlines, detailed structures and bibliographies for your project. The module makes use of both standard and innovative forms of delivery, with a combination of lectures, online talks, drop-in consultation sessions, and one-to-one consultation sessions with potential supervisors and course convenors.
What our students say:
‘The lectures greatly helped me in understanding how I will accomplish the dissertation.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘The guest speakers were particularly interesting and provided a lot of insight [...] which helped me understand how to use the archives themselves.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
What does it mean to die? Does it hurt? Is it frightening? Will I see those I love again? What does it mean to kill, whether an enemy, a friend, or myself? Death is a universal human experience, a cataclysm, triumph or adventure we all confront. But how we do that has varied vastly across history. In the European Middle Ages, the Church’s doctrines shaped ideas of death, from burial in the consecrated ground of churchyards to the theology of heaven, hell and purgatory. The living and the dead were a community: those on earth could speed the dead through their passage in the afterlife, and those in heaven could intercede for the living. Yet at the margins lay a shadowy world, in which the restless dead returned to haunt those left on earth, and the despairing took their lives in an act known as ‘self-murder’.
In this module, we explore varied experiences of death across the medieval centuries in the Christian West, from end-of-life care to execution, and from battlefields to the Black Death. We discover the different means of investigating death, from the chronicles that describe the walking dead, to the archaeology of burial practice, and from murder trials to palaeogenetics, unlocking the passage of disease. This is, by nature, a disturbing field of study. But what we learn cuts to the heart of what it means to be human – in the past and today.
How has disability been experienced in the past? To what extent have different societies and political regimes ‘disabled’ individuals in different ways? Who or what defines the boundaries of bodily normality in any given society?
In this module, we will explore how varying cultural and political understandings of the body have affected the experiences of those living with impairments in the contemporary world, from the influence of eugenicist thought in 1930s-40s Germany, to the rise of disabled activism from the 1960s, and UN imperatives to raise the profile of disability rights from the 1980s.
Drawing on cutting edge research from the small but rapidly blossoming field of disability history, this module will explore how individuals of different genders, religions, and social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds experienced disability differently in recent history. Each week we will explore a different aspect of disability history within a specific geographical and temporal context, which will offer a well-rounded yet targeted perspective on the varying ways in which physical difference has been conceptualised, represented and experienced in recent history. In doing so, the module will offer a lens through which to better understand shifting conceptualisations of citizenship, statehood, and identity in the modern world.
The humanities were once regarded as having an intrinsic value. As disciplines devoted to the study of cultures and societies, the humanities enjoyed prestige as areas of inquiry that were uniquely placed to probe the human condition. But do the humanities still have a role to play in a world where science and technology appear to be driving political and social agendas? Can they help us address global challenges?
This module encourages you to engage with these questions by examining the history of the humanities in different linguistic and cultural contexts, by exploring the connection between the humanities and other disciplines across time and space, and by engaging with the tradition of critical thinking that is central to the identity of the discipline.
You will explore the intersection between the humanities and other disciplines with the aim of understanding what other disciplines can bring to study of art and, conversely, the value of art in our contemporary, outcome-driven world.
During the 16th century, Europe witnessed some of the most important developments in the shaping of the modern world. Although you will learn about these events, the module will focus on the broader historical processes through which you can understand them. At the same time, you will engage with the methodologies and debates that historians of the present-day find most interesting, critically appraising their strategies for assessing patterns of historical change and continuity.
You will therefore examine the work of environmental historians, asking whether transformations in society and the economy can be explained by changes in climate. The module will also ask whether colonial expansion led people to develop new ideas about racial and cultural difference, while at the same time trying to understand how newly colonized people tried to navigate their way through new hierarchies and relationships.
In addition, it will ask whether long-standing questions about transformations in religious life, popular culture, and the centralization of government, can be enriched by approaching them through the prism of new approaches. When you study the body, health, and disease, for instance, you’ll discuss the unexpected role of medical expertise in the development of a renewed form of Catholicism at the end of the 16th century. Meanwhile, focusing on the history of printed news may enable you to understand why rumours and religious bigotry spread so rapidly during the Reformation and Wars of Religion.
What our students say:
‘I really loved working with the lecturer for this module, he made the lectures interesting and chose to approach the topics in ways which I had personally not encountered. The seminars too were informative with proper discussion going on, really expanding on the lectures while still being relevant to them.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘This was my favourite module I did this term. An area of the module I valued was the fact that it was not taught in any type of chronological order, with every week being about a different topic about the early modern period, it kept me engaged every week. The lecturer was excellent; it was clear that he not only loves the material based on how enthusiastic he was, but also that he wanted us to love the material as well.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
HIST215: Introduction to Latin Translation for Undergraduates
This is a special intensive course for students who have little or no previous knowledge of Latin. The course concentrates on the basics of Latin Grammar and vocabulary as used in the Medieval period. However, it will also be very useful for students of the Roman and Renaissance periods. By the end of the course, students should be able to read sources such as title deeds, court rolls, government records, wills, and inscriptions.
In this module, students learn how the language used by institutions shapes individual perceptions of identity. It aims to provide a basic theoretical framework for understanding the relationship between language and power as reflected in current language policies at regional, national, and supranational levels. It gives you the opportunity to recognise forms of prestige and stigma associated with varieties of the three main languages under study. We aim to raise critical awareness of the portrayal and representation of linguistic variations in the media and in the sphere of literature.
The main topics covered in the course include language and power; European language policies; German as a pluricentric language; regional variations of France: linguistic diversity and French national identity; the languages and language attitudes of Spain (Castilian Spanish, Catalan, Basque, Galician); language and power in the Sinophone world.
Perhaps more formative for the modern British state than any before or since, the years 1660 to 1720 saw Britain’s territorial boundaries and infrastructure forged, with constitutional monarchy, expanding state bureaucracy, and political parties as its principal tenets. During the same period, political power in England changed hands; new political personnel operated within novel political institutions and voiced innovative political economies.
Making Modern Britain will challenge participants to analyse and debate formative changes to British literature, commerce, art and architecture as well as to discuss the changed relationship between Britain and the world during this period. Participants will therefore receive a broad understanding of late 17th and early 18th century British history; they will also develop expertise in the following subfields: cultural, art, political, parliamentary, global, economic, constitutional, gender, and business history.
What our students say:
‘The access to databases for sources was very useful. The structure of the module was very valuable and easy to follow. The workshops were really useful, with them being more than an hour, because I felt like they improved my understanding of all the reading and all the content in the lectures.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘Learning more about the economic state of Britain; the way the connections between lectures and readings were handled. Even if it was more challenging to do, it really forced you to think about the module and its contents critically.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
The social and cultural consequences of the Norman Conquest of England were deep and enduring. A foreign, Francophone regime displaced the native élites: many of the former rulers, women as well as men, fled the kingdom. Enlisting in the Varangian Guard, some English warriors even went as far as Byzantium and the Crimea. The new regime was inclusive as much as it was eager to recruit foreigners of all kinds — Frenchmen, Bretons, Lotharingians, Italians, Spaniards, and even Jews — so long as they were serviceable and loyal; but racist as much as it strove to deny persons of English descent access to high office. The English were denigrated as barbarians and peasants, but because the Conquest was not followed by sustained settlement from the Continent, many natives clung on in sub-altern positions, just below the foreigners who held the highest offices and the best estates. The English were also far from being the only victims: the regime also continued the later Anglo-Saxon state’s efforts to subjugate Wales and northern Britain.
As a wide-ranging introduction to the history of Norman England and the debates that it has inspired, this module allows you to consider the history and effects of this transformative event.
What our students say:
‘Paul is an amazing tutor who always provides relevant information and details’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘I enjoyed learning about one of the most fateful events in British history since the Anglo-Saxon conquest and settlement of the Great British lowlands.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
After a survey of the main events leading to the declaration of war against Nazi Germany, this module explores the development of resistance and collaboration in countries that were first occupied, namely, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, France and the Netherlands. The transition between active collaboration to increasing resistance is traced through Vichy France. The module next moves to the Eastern Mediterranean (Greece and Yugoslavia), where resistance became effectively organised, and then to the USSR, focusing on Belarus, Russia, Baltics and Ukraine. Lastly, the module looks briefly at countries that were first part of the Axis and eventually switched sides from 1943 onwards (Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania), paying special attention to Italy.
Although the last segment of the module concentrates on the Holocaust, the fate and treatment of Jews is looked at in each of the countries and regions analysed. Seminars deal with the analysis of sources, including political documents, photographs, posters, letters, films, documentaries and personal memoirs.
What our students say:
‘The lecturer was very good at giving advice and providing extra reading when asked.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘I found I gained the most from workshops, they really helped to build on my knowledge and I had a really interactive seminar.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
This module seeks to support you to apply your linguistic and cultural understanding in a specific professional context. This module gives you the opportunity to spend time on a work-based placement in the UK or abroad. You will be given the opportunity to develop, reflect on and articulate both the range of competences and the linguistic and cross-cultural skills that enhance employability by working in language-related professional contexts and reflecting on key issues in relation to their placement organisation. There is the opportunity to join a local work placement developed by the department, or for you to source your own placements (subject to departmental approval). Workshops before and during the placement will provide preparation and guidance on sourcing, confirming and then reflecting on academic work. Students will share their experiences and learning with each other by means of end-of-module presentations.
How do films deal with topics such as immigration, environment, the posthuman and gender? Do they entertain viewers, instruct them, or both?
This module explores European, Latin American, and Chinese films in their social and historical contexts; the topics mentioned are the focus of key lectures and seminars. The module begins with introductory lectures on cinema and society and on film aesthetics and content. The main aim is to make connections between the films and such contexts, not only on the level of narrative, characterisation and dialogue, but also on that of form and technique.
Some twenty years ago, the mass digitisation of historic materials catapulted historians from the ‘Age of Scarcity’ into the ‘Age of Abundance.’ Vast amounts of printed text, images, maps, objects and ephemera have since been digitised and delivered to audiences in keyword searchable form. Digital archives, such as British Library Newspapers, Early English Books Online, Eighteenth-Century Collections and Nineteenth-Century Periodicals, have long been the first point of call for historians. Ancestry and Findmypast’s capitalisation on the well-documented boom in family history means we can now access the census, birth, marriage and death records and other social and personal records at the touch of a button. Add in publicly funded, open access resources such as Old Bailey Online, Slave Voyages, Digital Panopticon and countless others to the mix, digital historians have been particularly well-served by the creation of the Western print archive 2.0.
But an over-reliance on digital collections has the potential for historians to be less critically reflexive about online resources, so we need to open the ‘black box’ of digital archives and develop new forms of source criticism. On the module, you will evaluate the ‘infinite archive’ and experiment with a range of tools, that may include artificial intelligence, heritage mapping, crowdsourcing, and data visualisation. You will develop a digital historians’ toolkit that provides a beginner-level introduction to the debates, concepts, and techniques used in digital history. These techniques can be applied to a wide range of historical topics. As well as providing you with an understanding of the new ways in which historians are researching their discipline, these skills can be applied to other modules, such as your dissertation, and provide transferable skills that can enhance employability.
What our students say:
‘I really enjoyed the module. [...] It offered an insight into a different approach to studying History.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
This module explores both the broad contours and the key events of American history, from the passage and implementation of the US Constitution (1789) to the conclusion of the Civil War (1865). Using a variety of primary source material, we will look closely at the culture and politics of race, class and gender in this rapidly industrialising and expanding nation and will consider how and why different groups struggled to extend the promises of democracy defined in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights to all Americans.
This module combines a lecture series that offers an overview of the history of the United States in the 19th century with a closely linked set of seminars that focus on the construction of race, class and gender difference over the same period. Seminars are structured around primary readings and recommended secondary texts that offer critical and historical insight into the topics under consideration. This combination allows students to explore important thematic aspects of world history while simultaneously providing grounding for further study and research into the history of the United States in the 19th and/or 20th centuries.
The century following the American Civil War was one of profound social and political change. This module explores the period from post-Civil War reconstruction to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, following the history of the United States from a divided nation to one considered a ‘World Power’. In this period, industrialisation, consumerism, and war changed the face of American society and culture. This module will focus in particular on the construction of race, class and gender in the United States, and the intersections between society, politics, and culture. Using a range of primary sources – including great works of American literature – we will consider contrasting perceptions of ‘modernity’ in this period, and the impact this had upon the United States and its people.
This module combines a lecture series that offers an overview of the history of the United States in the 20th century with a closely linked set of seminars that focus on the construction of race, class and gender difference in over the same period. This combination allows students to explore an important thematic aspect of world history (the construction of race, class and gender difference) while simultaneously providing grounding for further study and research into the history of the United States. Seminars are structured around primary readings and recommended secondary texts that offer critical and historical insight into the topics under consideration.
This module allows you to explore the story of the German Kingdom from the mid-9th century until the early 12th. Formed amid the collapse of the Carolingian Empire, it came close to collapse in the early 10th century, yet it was saved by the Magyar crisis, emerging triumphant under the leadership of a new and charismatic dynasty, the Liudolfings. They re-founded the kingdom, turning it into the most dynamic state in 10th-century Europe. The vast empire they created — the so-called ‘Holy Roman Empire’ — would endure until 1804 when it was finally suppressed by Napoleon Buonaparte; but in the mid-eleventh century the power of its monarchs was hollowed out by a savage crisis from which the realm would never entirely recover — a devastating civil war that lasted five decades, from the mid-1070s until 1122.
This stunning narrative raises many questions. Why did it all go ‘right’? Why did it then go so ‘wrong’? This dramatic story provides fundamental insights into the nature of the medieval kingdom, its capacities and its limitations.
What our students say:
‘This module was very enjoyable; the period was engaging and interesting; the seminars were very beneficial in helping to decipher interesting yet challenging sources which I can use later in my degree.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘Lectures were informative and well-organised, seminar readings were easy to access’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
The Vietnam War remains the only war that the United States has definitively lost in its 240-year history. This course explores the political, social, and cultural effects that the fighting in Southeast Asia triggered back home on American soil, specifically between the years 1964 and 1975.
Utilising a range of sources from memoirs to music and films to television coverage, you will gain a greater understanding of the forces that shaped ‘the Sixties’ and why the Vietnam War deeply affected American society for decades to come. We will engage with the presidencies of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, while exploring the anti-war movement, female and Black American involvement in the war, and how veterans fared when they came home to the United States.
The module, of course, will not eschew the war itself, and the first lectures will ground you in the key figures, decisions, battles, and massacres that led to a conflict which killed an estimated two million Vietnamese civilians, and 58,000 American soldiers.
What our students say:
‘Mark did an absolutely stellar job teaching this course. His lectures were well structured and informative. They never ran over the allotted time and allowed for good engagement and used a large range of media to convey the necessary information. The seminars were likewise amazing, a lot more free...allowing for more open discussion and spread of ideas among coursemates. History 269 is an outstanding module.’ (Anonymous student feedback)
‘The lectures were incredibly interesting and informative, fast paced but not too fast. The content was very interesting and I found the seminars helpful and aided my learning. I was very engaged in the module. Everyone I've spoken to really enjoyed the module’ (Anonymous student feedback)
The Roman Empire stretched from Britain to modern-day Syria, from Morocco to Romania. How did Rome control an empire which ranged from the societies of the Mediterranean basin to those of Arabia and temperate northern Europe? How did the peoples of these regions adapt to, or indeed resist, ‘becoming Roman’?
This module will give you a thorough foundation in the history of the Roman Empire from the first emperor Augustus in the 1st century BCE to late antiquity and the rise of Christianity in the 4th century CE. You will study the immense social, economic and religious changes that occurred across Europe and the Near East in this period, as well as the political and military history of the Empire. You will confront the challenges of writing Roman history from textual sources that are often fragmentary or have political and rhetorical agendas which are alien to us today. You will also learn to integrate material evidence, from coins and inscriptions to archaeology, into your understanding of the Roman Empire.
What our students say:
‘As someone who didn't know a lot on the topic, the lectures were very informative in helping me to build up my knowledge and the readings were accessible but still challenging... Reading about archaeology was also a very different approach to what I'm used to and greatly helped me with analysing physical sources rather than only written works.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘Eleri is a phenomenal lecturer and seminar tutor. She is very engaging, attentive, and helpful... I think the most valuable aspect of the material itself was how well-rounded it was. Rather than just focusing on the city of Rome, or on religion, or culture, or otherwise, we got a well-rounded overview of the entire empire.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
Between 1500 and 1865, Europeans embarked twelve and a half million captive Africans on slave ships for transportation to the Americas, the largest forced trans-oceanic migration in human history.
In this module, you will study the slave trade in the broader context of Atlantic history. You will first see how slavery diminished in Europe during the late Middle Ages, just as Europeans began to systematically explore the Atlantic basin. You will then study the rapid expansion of the trade after Columbus’ voyages, as Europeans enslaved increasing numbers of Africans to work in the fields, mines, and ports of the Americas. Focusing on the 17th and 18th centuries, you will look closely at how the trade operated, and how Africans experienced their enslavement.
You will also study north-west England’s connections to the slave trade by investigating how Liverpool and Lancaster merchants outfitted slave ships and profited from the trade, and the slave trade’s influence on industrialization. In the concluding section of the module, you will see how the slave trade was abolished in the early 19th century, and the persistence of a clandestine trade until the end of the American Civil War.
What our students say:
‘The lectures and seminars were both great and extremely helpful in thinking critically and from a new perspective, which was invaluable in helping me to write the course's essay, but also helped me with my other coursework.’ (Anonymous student evaluations)
This module explores cultural and theoretical approaches to queerness and LGBTQIA+ lives, identities, and politics across diverse linguistic and cultural contexts. It includes texts and artworks by philosophers, writers, filmmakers, and artists from the LGBTQIA+ community around the globe, asking how different queer voices and cultures have approached questions such as:
What does it mean to be queer or LGBTQIA+ today?
How are human experiences of gender, sexuality, and queer identity conceptualised and expressed?
How do queer people stand up against oppression and violence, and how have they in the past?
What might queer tomorrows look like?
How do LGBTQIA+ people and communities imagine the future?
The module explores key theoretical approaches in queer theory, and gender and sexuality studies, typically spanning cutting-edge fields such as queer environmentalism, postcolonial queer studies, transgender studies, intersex studies, and the queer medical humanities.
This module aims to give you a background to and insight into the diversity of twentieth and twenty-first century thought and contemporary definitions of culture.
Some key questions explored on the module include: What is 'culture' and how does it work? How do 'art' and 'culture' relate to each other? What do we mean when we talk about the production and consumption of culture? Why does popular culture arouse conflicting responses? What role does the body play in our understanding of culture? How does culture define who we are? Can a work of culture be an act of resistance?
With these questions in mind, this module focuses on texts which raise questions about class, race, gender, and subcultures.
The module encourages intercultural dialogue between students from different backgrounds and specifically welcomes Visiting and International students.
Virginia was the founding point of the presence of English people in North America, and of the first Africans in English-speaking America. This module considers the problems of founding a new society in the Americas during the earliest years of English adventurism. We will explore topics such as slavery, the ethics of land claim, the relations between pre-settled peoples and newcomers, trade, commodities like tobacco, and the emerging tensions between England and the colonies.
The module begins, chronologically, with the earliest voyages to the North American mainland, the adventurism of Sir Walter Raleigh and the settlements on Roanoke Island and Chesapeake, the relationship with the Powhatan Confederacy, and the Lost Colony. It then moves its attention to the Virginia Company and the settlement of Jamestown and explores the different experiments by successive governors – John Smith and Sir Thomas Dale in particular – to build a stable and workable community. It looks at the introduction of tobacco, the switch towards a plantation economy and society using slave labour, and the fall of the Company. Finally, it explores the problems of proprietary government, and ends with the governorship of Sir William Berkeley and the rebellion for ‘liberty’ under Nathaniel Bacon, which marked the enslavement of indigenes and Africans.
What our students say:
‘The sources included within the lectures were excellent in terms of highlighting broader themes and the overall narrative. The seminars were also particularly useful in terms of reflecting on the entire module’. (Anonymous student evaluations)
‘[I enjoyed] the innovative approach Sarah took to the historiography, and the emphasis on the primary source material’. (Anonymous student evaluations)
Core
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As part of The International Placement Year you will normally spend at least eight months abroad in your third year. You will have the opportunity to:
analyse the contemporary relevance of a tradition, contemporary social, political or economic issue, or a living part of the regional culture.
reflect critically on cultural differences observed in everyday life such as social relationships, politics, attitudes to food, drink, religion, etc., explaining them in the context of various historical, social and cultural developments.
think analytically about your intercultural position and understanding of the relevant culture(s).
reflect on language use (different registers, varieties of pronunciation and accents, dialects, vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, and aspects of grammar) and the process of the acquisition of skills in the relevant language(s).
The module also aims to enhance and develop your language skills, with all assessments being written in the target language. If you have started a language as a beginner in year one you will spend a minimum of four months in a country where that language is spoken. If you are a joint honours student who is studying two languages, you may choose to spend the year in either of the two countries concerned or, if appropriate arrangements can be made, you can spend a semester in each country.
Lancaster University will make reasonable endeavours to place students at an approved overseas partner. Students conduct either a study placement at a partner University, a teaching assistantship placement with the British Council or an appropriate working placement with a vetted employer abroad or a combination of placements (please note that there are some restrictions on British Council placements which usually last for the whole of the academic year).
Joint honours degrees
If you are a joint honours student who is combining a language with a non-language subject, your placement year will provide the opportunity to develop your language skills and cultural awareness, but will not necessarily relate to the non-language aspect of your degree.
Lancaster University cannot accept responsibility for any financial aspects of your International Placement Year.
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This module includes authentic texts only slightly adapted from the originals, with a special focus on contemporary Chinese society and institutions. You will have the opportunity to learn how to communicate comprehensively and systematically using the appropriate expressions and language norms in the right context.
You’ll have the opportunity to develop your skills in understanding and joining political, academic and journalistic discussions using advanced Chinese language skills. An aim of this module is for you to be able to translate between English and Chinese and develop an idiomatic style of formal writing.
It’s not necessary to have studied the Part I, Chinese Language 2 or 3 modules in order to continue on to this module. However you must have reached a CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) B1-B2 level of Chinese proficiency.
This module is integrated with the Chinese Language 4 module.
This module has two main aims. The first one is to enhance your linguistic proficiency with emphasis on understanding of spoken and written Chinese, the speaking of Chinese (prepared and spontaneous) in both formal and informal settings, the writing of Chinese, and the systematic study of Chinese lexis, grammar and syntax. The second aim is to increase your awareness, knowledge and understanding of contemporary China.
By the end of this module we aim for you to have an informed interest in the society and culture of the Chinese-speaking world. You should also have acquired almost native-speaker abilities in both spoken and written language.
This is a non-credit bearing module aimed at preparation for coursework and employability. If you are a major student you will be timetabled to attend the events. These include areas such as returning to Lancaster, academic writing after the year abroad, careers information on graduate schemes and postgraduate study opportunities.
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The gods are encountered at every turn in the Roman Empire, but seldom in the same way or in the same places. This module explores the immense diversity of religious experience, practice, and belief in the Roman world in order to understand religion’s role in the shaping of society and identity across the Empire. You will learn to use a broad range of archaeological, epigraphic, iconographic and literary evidence to reconstruct the lived experience of religion in the Roman Empire, from gods worshiped by German soldiers on the rain-swept Romano-British frontier, to domestic shrines in the kitchens of Pompeii, to the great Greco-Roman pilgrimage sanctuaries of Asia Minor.
How can we use site plans to think about the experience of moving through a sanctuary? How do animal bones and pottery assemblages allow us to reconstruct the dynamics of religious sacrifice and ritual feasting? What insights do first-person accounts of encountering gods through dreams and visions by authors such as Aelius Aristides or Cicero give into personal relationships with the divine?
Through detailed analysis of primary material and in-depth engagement with modern scholarship on Roman religion, we will explore the complex role played by divine cults, sacred spaces, and religious identities in the construction of society across the vast geographic and chronological span of the Empire. You will also have the opportunity to take part in a field trip to sites and museums on Hadrian's Wall, to experience a range of temple locations and material evidence for Roman religion in person.
What our students say:
‘The lecturer’s enthusiasm and dedication was obvious – there was never a dull moment in the classroom and I really valued every single minute of those seminars. Genuinely some of the most fun I have had throughout my degree.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
This module explores the origins of modern consumer society in Britain, introducing you to an exciting and innovative field of historical research. In the hundred years from the abolition of advertising tax in 1853 to the birth of commercial television in the 1950s, advertising became an omnipresent feature of modern capitalism. In this module, you will explore the causes and consequences of this process of commercialisation using a range of primary sources, from press reports and cartoons, to business archives, social surveys, and, of course, the advertisements themselves.
You will explore the changing relationship between people and their possessions, the impact of new shopping environments like the department store and the supermarket, and the rise of ethical consumerism. Advertising is political, and you will also examine how it helped Britain win two world wars and market the Empire to its own people. You will learn how advertisements work by designing your own advertising campaign in a particular historical context. By the end of the module, you will understand how advertising sells us much more than simply clothes or food, how it shapes the way we view gender and race, and how it creates support for a market economy based on the principles of freedom and choice.
What our students say:
‘I thoroughly enjoyed the module! My favourite aspects were to do with the psychology of advertising and how this impacted gender roles.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘I really enjoyed the variety that this module offers. Every week was a new topic and a new way to analyse different perspectives from the module period.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘I think the range of coursework styles for this module were really fun to complete.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
On 6 January 2021, the US Congress was attacked in a chaotic offensive of fire and fury that led to five deaths and countless injuries. After decades of gradual polarisation, the United States – the preeminent world power and self-proclaimed beacon of democracy – was coming apart in dramatic fashion as the world looked on. Three weeks later, the US Capitol witnessed the arrival of a new president and heard an inaugural address which focused on the need for unity and warned of democracy’s fragility.
This course will examine the reasons why, and the extent to which, American society, culture, and politics polarised in the years since 1960. To do so, it will examine a wide range of issues, such as: race relations, class conflict, gender and sexuality, socioeconomic policy, media, the ‘culture wars’, the modern American presidency, and political polarisation between Democrats and Republicans.
What our students say:
‘The quality of teaching is by far the best that I have received whilst at Lancaster, the lecturer’s seminars were engaging and thought provoking and readings set were informative about the various topics from week to week. In my opinion I have written my best essay work whilst doing this module as it has given me a thorough understanding of post war American history.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘The most interactive class I've taken. Encouraged me to want to research the topics each week in detail.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
This module will consider different ways in which the concept of ‘dictatorship’ has been understood and critiqued throughout the twentieth century. Considering examples from Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Guinea, Italy, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe, students will explore the differences between the Latin American caudillo, European dictators, and the ‘Big Men’ of Africa. Selected critical and theoretical sources will be drawn upon to develop a more critical understanding of dictatorship, including the work of Hannah Arendt, Roberto González Echevarría and Achille Mbembe.
The module will also examine relationships between dictatorship and cultural production. How have dictators represented themselves in their writing, speeches and literature? To what extent have they controlled cultural production and to what end? How, in turn, have they been represented in cultural production? What role do writers, artists and intellectuals play in evaluating and critiquing dictatorship? In turn, can the writer, artist or intellectual be considered to be a dictator in the particular world view he/she projects and/or the rhetoric he/she adopts?
This module investigates Europe’s ‘dark years’ mostly, but not only, through films produced from the 1940s to the present. We study individual and collective attitudes towards the occupation, taking into consideration political beliefs, and contextualising the fate of European Jews prior to and during the Holocaust. We also explore conflicting memorialization of resistance, collaboration and the Holocaust. Although the module is open to include other countries, we look especially at the USA, UK, France, Poland and the USSR, in addition to Nazi Germany.
The module starts with a brief introduction to the relationship between film and propaganda in Nazi Germany, followed by its use in the UK and the USA to canvas support for ‘the people’s war’ or to counter US isolationism. We then explore photojournalism and the role of film and documentary in constructing the ‘foundational narrative’ of Gaullist France as a ‘nation of resisters’, and the challenge to that view with France becoming a ‘nation of collaborators’ from the late 1960s.
Towards the end of the module, we investigate films, photographs and Jewish testimonies on the USSR’s Great Patriotic War that were released during Khrushchev’s Thaw or Gorbachev’s Glasnost. Throughout the second term of the module, we chart the development of Holocaust testimony through documentaries and fiction films that focus sequentially on Gentile rescuers, Jewish victimization, survival, and resistance. We read them through the lens of Levi’s ‘grey zone’, as well as Lanzmann’s and Hilberg’s definitions of perpetrators, victims, or bystanders. Throughout this segment, students lead class discussions about a film or topic of their choice. The module deploys methodologies from social and cultural history, as well as film and media studies.
What our students say:
‘A very well organised module overall that suited to everyone’s strengths and aided everyone’s weaknesses. Great selection of film and reading materials, I could not recommend this special subject more.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘The best course I’ve done at the university.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
This module introduces you to major themes that shape the experience of contemporary city dwellers: gender, social inequality, and practices of citizenship. These interlinking themes are introduced through novels, poetry and films and typically covers the following European, North American (with the emphasis on immigrant communities within its cities) and Latin American cities: New York, Mexico City, Santiago de Chile, Barcelona, and Berlin.
The combination of lectures, workshops and textual analysis encourages cross-referencing between the themes; students are encouraged to identify links between the topics studied (for example, gender and sexuality are relevant to an analysis of social inequality, and vice versa).
The Dissertation is a module that progresses from the methodological understandings acquired in Second-Year courses.
You will write a 10,000-word dissertation exploring a challenging historical problem. While, in many cases, we expect that the topic chosen will arise from courses you are studying, it should also be possible to accommodate topics which do not have a direct bearing on your taught courses. The aim is to give you the opportunity to work in depth on a topic of your choice, and to gain the satisfaction of working independently and of making a subject your own. Research for dissertations will usually combine work on secondary literature with the use of primary sources (in translation where necessary). You are expected to demonstrate knowledge of the wider historical context of the subject being explored by including a critical review of relevant published work and to show an awareness of the limitations of primary sources used.
On the 17 July 1936, a group of Spanish generals launched a military coup against Spain’s democratically elected Second Republic. The following three years would witness a bitter struggle to determine the future of the Spanish nation. Ending just months before Germany’s invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Spanish Civil War has since been dubbed a ‘dress rehearsal’ for the Second World War. On the rebel side, General Francisco Franco enlisted the help of Hitler and Mussolini to defeat his domestic opponents. Meanwhile, the Republic was supported by Soviet Russia.
Yet the Civil War was also a Spanish conflict with important local dimensions. Republican Spain enjoyed a rich culture of mass politics, and Spanish socialists, communists, anarchists, liberals and feminists fought to the last against Franco’s reactionary coalition of ‘Nationalists’. Following his victory in April 1939, Franco would outlive his international fascist allies by several decades, and the difficult legacies of the war remain keenly present within modern-day Spanish politics and society.
Drawing on a large range of sources, including autobiographies, oral histories, novels, films, songs, and political speeches, students taking this module will gain an in-depth knowledge on the domestic and international origins, outcomes, and legacies of the Spanish Civil War. Indicative topics will typically include the origins of the Civil War, The Second Spanish Republic, 1931-1936; Republican militias, including anarchist and communist factions; the Army of Africa: Legionnaires and Moroccan Regulars; militiawomen, the Sección Femenina and gender on both sides; diplomacy, non-intervention, and the International Brigades; fascists abroad – Hitler and Mussolini; the aftermath of war, victors, vanquished, and repression in Franco’s New State; the legacies and historical memory of the Civil War.
What our students say:
‘Spending 20+ weeks learning about a relatively short time period (3 years of war plus build-up and aftermath) meant that I was offered a thorough understanding of the topic. The thematic approach to the module was well-structured. I have definitely developed better skills at scanning texts and absorbing the most relevant information since the start of the module, as a result of the two points above. Constant exposure to primary source material each week has benefited my historical analysis skills. Finally, the learning environment in each seminar is engaging and enjoyable; I always looked forward to attending and rarely felt reluctant to contribute to discussions.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
The 13th century began with a rebellion that sought to cast a tyrant from the throne of England, followed after fifty years by a revolution, in which a party of barons and bishops backed by a vast popular following seized power from the king and set up a council to govern in his stead: a move that was utterly radical. This period has been hailed as the foundation of the enlightened democracy we enjoy today – but the reality is far darker. This was a world in which religious leaders had the power to punish kings, where rebels fought as sworn crusaders, and where people willingly went to their deaths for a political cause believing themselves martyrs. This world was not democratic, but theocratic.
In this module you will explore the major events of the period, in England and across Christendom; from the making of Magna Carta and the Fourth Lateran Council, to the Albigensian Crusade, the seizure of power in 1258, and the bloody Battle of Evesham that brought the end of England's First Revolution. You will meet the people who shaped this world – from powerful queens like Blanche of Castile and Eleanor of Provence, to leading knight William Marshal and the masterful pope Innocent III; from tyrannical and hapless kings to the churchmen who defied them and were recognised as saints; and from Simon de Montfort, the revolution's charismatic and brutal leader, to the low-born men and women who flocked to his banner. You will be able to uncover their stories through their letters, testimonies, and eye-witness accounts, and a wealth of other primary sources.
Through a range of topics, you will be able to explore your particular interests – whether in the political, religious, military, gender or social aspects of this period – and consider the big questions arising from this module: what can move women and men, poor and rich, to risk their livelihoods, to take life and give their own to decide who ruled the realm?
What our students say:
'Teaching is excellent and the seminars were a great opportunity to discuss our own ideas and talk things through with an expert in the field. The seminars were something I looked forward to every week and we had the opportunity to explore many of the primary source material for ourselves.' (Anonymous student evaluation)
'Many parts [were the most valuable] – from the development of a close-knit group, to the challenging yet interesting assessment work, to the feeling of really ‘mastering’ the subject.' (Anonymous student evaluation)
The labelling of the Second World War as the People’s War in Britain draws attention to the importance of the men and women who waged it. With the blurring of the Home and Battle Fronts, the conventional gender contract in which men fight to protect the vulnerable at home and women keep the home fires burning was challenged, not least by the revolutionary act of conscripting women to the war effort.
In this module you will examine how the Second World War was experienced by a wide spectrum of British men and women, some of whom identified with the war effort, some of whom were deliberately excluded, or chose to challenge gender conventions in their choice of role. You’ll consider different categorisations of experience (military/civilian; home front/battle front; male/female) and explore whether there was a hierarchy of service and subsequently of remembrance.
Were gender roles in Britain really transformed by the exigencies of war? Through a wide range of written and visual sources, including autobiographical materials, poems, photographs, films, parliamentary minutes, newspapers, posters and cartoons, we will seek to understand individual and collective experiences of the war, and their gendered dimensions.
What our students say:
‘The lecturer for the module has been incredible. He has made each seminar interesting and engaging, and a genuinely enjoyable experience each week. Also, the lecturer’s feedback in class and on assignments has been both constructive and encouraging, and it is thanks to him that I have seen a huge improvement in my work throughout the year’. (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘This is by far my favourite module I have done during my time at Lancaster, the content was engaging and the module was very well structured. The lecturer’s enthusiasm for his subject made each lesson exciting and especially informative. We were given excellent guidance for each assessment and consistently encouraged to think independently and imaginatively about each topic’. (Anonymous student evaluation)
Today the claim that God designed everything in the universe has given way to the theory of evolution. The usual story of this change is one of conflict between science and religion. This module, however, will challenge the popular narrative.
Focusing on the period 1450 –1800, we will reconsider the rise and fall of the idea that nature was the work of a divine intelligent designer. As well as trying to understand why the design argument became so important in the early modern period, we will seek to understand why it fell out of favour during the 18th century – long before the theory of evolution.
But we will not simply be studying the history of ideas. To understand the role of design in early modern science, we will study a wide range of disciplines and practices – from intellectual disciplines like philosophy, rhetoric and theology, to material practices including chemistry, architectural design, archaeology and art.
What our students say:
‘The course structure, teaching and seminars were the most engaging and useful I’ve had over my three years at university’. (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘The engaging and interactive seminars allowed for a comfortable environment which made the subject more interesting and enjoyable’. (Anonymous student evaluation)
What makes a good translation and how do translations do good? This module aims to help you understand the practice of translation as it has evolved historically from the 18th century to the present across European and American societies.
The materials we study include historical textual sources as well as contemporary documents. Our aim is to look at translation as both a functional process for getting text in one language accurately into another and a culturally-inflected process that varies in its status and purpose from one context to another.
We will pay particular attention to the practical role that literary translators play within the contemporary global publishing industry and consider the practicalities of following a career in literary translation in the Anglophone world.
Ideas about modern manhood have had significant influence around the world since the ‘globalisation’ wrought by colonisation and imperialism in the nineteenth century.
This module focuses on the search for new icons of masculinity in a modernising China, introducing students to key discursive notions such as “Mr Science” and “Mr Democracy” in the Republican era; the worker-soldier-peasant triad in the Mao era; the peasant heroes of the immediate post-Mao years; and the “explosive” nouveau riche, white-collar, migrant worker, and “little fresh meat” masculinities of the market-infused postsocialist era. Students analyse how cultural products present and critique notions of Chinese masculinities. Material is considered for its significance in key debates about masculinities, and may include novels, short stories, essays, graphic posters, art, music, films, TV drama series and reality shows, online dramas, websites, as well as secondary literature from a range of academic disciplines.
The question at the heart of Sinophone Studies is “What is Chineseness in the modern world?” This question has played out in different fashions across the various Sinophone cultures.
Sinophone cultural production offers crucial counterpoints to the depictions of Chinese identity in mainland Chinese, Han-centric creative works. Drawing from the work of scholars in the nascent field of Sinophone studies, this course understands Sinophone cultures as existing in the “minority nationalities” of China; in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and other locations in the East Asian “Sinosphere”; and in the significant Sinitic-language immigrant populations of the Americas, Australasia, and elsewhere. It recognises Sinophone cultural production as multilingual and multi-ethnic.
This module introduces key Sinophone literary works and films including novels, short stories, and films. Discussion focuses on the diverse ways in which Chineseness is imagined, negotiated, or resisted in these works, and the alternative cultural identities that they put forward.
DELC338 Spirits in the Material World: Cultures and Sciences
This module lives in the space between the here-and-now and a future made possible by science. You’ll explore perceptions of science across different languages and cultures, from Asia to Europe to the Americas, and explore relationships between the spiritual and the material.
You’ll look at some intriguing questions about science and the twenty-first century human condition such as: Where is AI taking humanity and are we already robots? Are science fiction writers a form of contemporary shaman? What possibilities do modern medical advances offer for transformative queer and trans healthcare?
You’ll find out about differing views on these and other topics from a wide range of source materials, such as speculative fiction, graphic novels, film, philosophical essays, and online talks. Themes typically cover Spirit and Matter, Speculative Fiction, The Post-Human, Philosophy, Art and Neuroscience, Biomedicine and the Hospital.
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The English East India Company (founded 1600) was the most famous corporation in world history: its business connecting the British Isles across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. It was a protagonist of globalisation. Its longevity – from Elizabeth to Victoria – provides a common thread with which to illuminate the broader English/British story and the separate histories of the territories with which the Company engaged. Historians have debated what the Company represented. It did much to stimulate global trade, but was it a private business in the modern sense? It ruled British territory on behalf of the British state, but was it a state in its own right?
This module encourages you to engage with these (and other) large and important questions and digest the high-quality literature that the Company has rightly attracted. But the core of this class will be the challenge and joy of digesting the remarkable corpus of documents and writings that the Company issued or provoked from well-known political economists like Karl Marx and Adam Smith, to managers like Elizabeth Dalyson and non-European writers such as Mirza Abu Taleb Khan. You will be introduced to translated Persian documents, the correspondence of Company factors in Japan, charters, board room minutes, pamphlets, and histories and will explore art and architecture in the cities it did so much to develop. You will gain a broad understanding of 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century British, Indian, and global history; and develop expertise in cultural, art, political, parliamentary, global, economic, constitutional, gender, and business history.
What our students say:
‘The seminars really got the whole group involved and we've all really bonded as a result. The information was so valuable and really helpful for revision!’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘I really appreciated the one-on-one meetings for essay feedback. Having twenty minutes set aside specifically for it made the feedback feel much more comprehensive.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
Many writers have described the years of unprecedented historical change that surrounded the turn of the twentieth century as a time of 'cultural crisis'. This interdisciplinary module in US cultural history explores that so-called crisis through the close reading and analysis of a variety of important written and visual texts, including fiction and non-fiction, architecture and urban design, painting, photography and cinema. Module themes include: technology and culture, labour and capital, imperialism and the 'myth of the west', immigration and urbanisation, celebrity and consumer culture, reform politics, the Great War, and cultural modernism.
What our students say:
‘The lecturer made an effort to make the course a way to equip us with a richer view of life rather than just a tick-box exercise to pass an exam. He also actively took our advice and concerns throughout the course.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘The lecturer’s overall teaching style is brilliant. Both his deep understanding of the course and his passion for it are contagious. The module also gave me a new perspective on history, learning, and life (not to sound too dramatic.)’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
‘The most valuable part of the module was the genuine attempt to get us to critically think about the world around us, using the modernity of 19th and 20th century America as a base. It really helped to broaden my mind on culture as a whole, and I am much more willing to fill my future with books and art, far more so than before.’ (Anonymous student evaluation)
This module covers key debates on how television shows are consumed both nationally and transnationally, the appeal of crime dramas, cultural translation, and in particular the concept of domestication. Theoretical frameworks are applied to examples from television series produced in languages that are taught to degree level at Lancaster and are available in English via dubbing or subtitling. Selected case studies are devoted to the exploration of a particular theme. Typically, such themes may include aspects such as the sympathetic perpetrator, setting, local colour and exoticism, gender, race and ethnicity.
Fees and funding
Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12-month session, starting in the October of your year of study.
The International Placement Year is mandatory for language programmes and typically costs include: travel to placement country or countries; travel documents – passport, VISA or work permit (if required); proof of funds (if required); accommodation while working overseas; travel to place of work while overseas unless this is paid by the employer. It is possible that there may be further costs e.g. for required documentation, however these are not typical. There may be opportunities to apply for funding and/or a bursary that would help to cover these costs.
There may be extra costs related to your course for items such as books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation, you may need to pay a subscription to a professional body for some chosen careers.
Specific additional costs for studying at Lancaster are listed below.
College fees
Lancaster is proud to be one of only a handful of UK universities to have a collegiate system. Every student belongs to a college, and all students pay a small college membership fee which supports the running of college events and activities. Students on some distance-learning courses are not liable to pay a college fee.
For students starting in 2025, the fee is £40 for undergraduates and research students and £15 for students on one-year courses.
Computer equipment and internet access
To support your studies, you will also require access to a computer, along with reliable internet access. You will be able to access a range of software and services from a Windows, Mac, Chromebook or Linux device. For certain degree programmes, you may need a specific device, or we may provide you with a laptop and appropriate software - details of which will be available on relevant programme pages. A dedicated IT support helpdesk is available in the event of any problems.
The University provides limited financial support to assist students who do not have the required IT equipment or broadband support in place.
Study abroad courses
In addition to travel and accommodation costs, while you are studying abroad, you will need to have a passport and, depending on the country, there may be other costs such as travel documents (e.g. VISA or work permit) and any tests and vaccines that are required at the time of travel. Some countries may require proof of funds.
Placement and industry year courses
In addition to possible commuting costs during your placement, you may need to buy clothing that is suitable for your workplace and you may have accommodation costs. Depending on the employer and your job, you may have other costs such as copies of personal documents required by your employer for example.
The fee that you pay will depend on whether you are considered to be a home or international student. Read more about how we assign your fee status.
Home fees are subject to annual review, and may be liable to rise each year in line with UK government policy. International fees (including EU) are reviewed annually and are not fixed for the duration of your studies. Read more about fees in subsequent years.
We will charge tuition fees to Home undergraduate students on full-year study abroad/work placements in line with the maximum amounts permitted by the Department for Education. The current maximum levels are:
Students studying abroad for a year: 15% of the standard tuition fee
Students taking a work placement for a year: 20% of the standard tuition fee
International students on full-year study abroad/work placements will be charged the same percentages as the standard International fee.
Please note that the maximum levels chargeable in future years may be subject to changes in Government policy.
Scholarships and bursaries
You will be automatically considered for our main scholarships and bursaries when you apply, so there's nothing extra that you need to do.
You may be eligible for the following funding opportunities, depending on your fee status:
Unfortunately no scholarships and bursaries match your selection, but there are more listed on scholarships and bursaries page.
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We also have other, more specialised scholarships and bursaries - such as those for students from specific countries.
Lancaster has a flexible approach to undergraduate study. Many degree schemes incorporate a minor in other subjects to complement your major subject.
International placement year
Spending a year abroad is an integral and assessed part of our language degrees. We offer flexibility to split your time abroad between different activities.
Careers and Employability
When you arrive in Lancaster, you might not have a plan for after you graduate, but when you're ready to take the next step, we're here to help you. Studying a language strengthens your written and oral communication competence, your organisational skills, your aptitude in analysing and synthesising information, your ability to contribute to discussions and suggest ideas, and your understanding of other countries and cultures in a global world.
The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.
The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.
More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.
Our Students’ Charter
We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.
Undergraduate open days 2024
Our summer and autumn open days will give you Lancaster University in a day. Visit campus and put yourself in the picture.
Our historic city is student-friendly and home to a diverse and welcoming community. Beyond the city you'll find a stunning coastline and the picturesque Lake District.
