HIST202: Norman England, 1066-1154 Conquest, Colonisation and Conflict

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: Has previously taken a History module

Course Description

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 Englishmen even went as far as Byzantium and the Crimea. The new regime was inclusive in so far as it was eager to recruit foreigners of all kinds—Frenchmen, Bretons, Lotharingians, Italians, Spaniards, and even Jews—as long as they were serviceable and loyal; but racist in so far 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. A wide-ranging introduction to the history of Norman England and the debates that it has inspired, this course allows you to consider the history and effects of this transformative event.

Assessment Proportions

• Exam: 60%
• Coursework: 40%

HIST214: A Global History of the Mind, 1000-2020

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: Has previously taken a History module 

Course Description

This course 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 time and places have sought to understand, cure, and control the mind. Drawing on materials and case studies from around from 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 course 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 course 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 course 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.

HIST240: Slavery and Freedom: North America, 1620-1800

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS

Course Description

In this module, you will explore the simultaneous rise of slavery and freedom in North America between 1620 and 1800. You will first examine the colonization of Massachusetts by Puritan migrants, and see how their liberty was constrained by gender relations, market dependency, and religious orthodoxy. Viewing the southern colonies in comparative perspective, you will explore the reasons why tobacco and rice planters transitioned from employing white indentured servants to enslaving Africans, and the racial codes that they developed to justify their decisions. You will understand how slave-holding American colonists could espouse discourses of liberty during the American Revolution, and the differing outcomes of the Revolution for Patriots, Loyalists, enslaved people, and Native Americans. You will conclude by studying the rapid expansion of slavery into the Deep South and the settlement of the trans-Appalachian frontier by free settlers after the Revolution. You will thus see how the United States—the “Empire of Liberty”—was forged in both slavery and freedom, creating a divided nation at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Educational Aims

This module aims to:

• Introduce students to the history of North America before 1800.
• Introduce the concept of a spectrum of (un)freedom in the early modern world.
• Introduce the concepts of comparative and entangled histories.
• Introduce students to scholarly debates about slavery's role in shaping the history of the United States.

Assessment Proportions

• Exam: 60 %
• Coursework: 40%

HIST259: Inventing Human Rights, 1776-2001

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: Has previously taken a History module

Course Description

Of all intellectual and ideological concepts in the modern world, few are as contested and powerful as human rights. At their most influential, concerns for the protection of human rights have been used to justify international conflict and widespread military intervention in order to save the lives of thousands of people. Yet human rights critics argue that they are a form of cultural imperialism that limits the sovereignty of local populations. How has an ethical and moral concern for individual lives come to be so divisive? Why after years of supporting the establishment of international human rights law do many governments now pledge to scrap their own human rights acts? This module will examine the history of human rights, putting their development into a broad historical context. It will chart the development of rights discourses from the pre-modern era through to the present, assessing the influence that the enlightenment, imperialism and war have had on their construction. It will offer students the opportunity to explore differing aspects of the history of human rights. Indicative topics include: Codifying and Quantifying Rights: 1776, 1789, 1948, The Universality of Human Rights, Human Rights and Humanitarianism, 1807-2001, Decolonisation and Self-Determination, 1945-1991, Gendered rights, Capital punishment in the nineteenth and twentieth century, Responding to Genocide: The Holocaust, Bangladesh, Srebrenica, Amnesty International, 1961-2001, Helsinki Watch/Human Rights Watch, 1975-2001.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

HIST279: Gandhi and the End of Empire in India, 1885-1948

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: Has previously taken a History module

Course Description

By what means was Indian independence seized from the British Empire in 1947? This module explores opposition to British rule in India from the end of the nineteenth century until 1947 when colonial India was divided to create the nation states of India and Pakistan. In particular, we will explore the modes of resistance that emerged from the Indian freedom struggle and in particular, the role of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi transformed the Indian National Congress, an organization that had been founded in 1885 as a loyal and moderate organization. Gandhi created a mass movement that challenged the colonial state in extraordinary ways. British rule in India gradually lost credibility and struggled to find the means of maintaining control in the face of massive resistance to its right to govern India.

You will explore Gandhi’s philosophies of personal restraint and political resistance to the injustices of the colonial state. You will also trace the emergence of religious politics in India during this period and the increasing pace of communal conflict, in particular Hindu-Muslim antagonism. What was the role of the colonial state in firing communal anxiety? Did Gandhi’s political ideas allay or encourage the conflation of political action and religious identity? The course ends with the partition of India, the largest migration in history and a process in which over one million people lost their lives, and the event that led, in 1948, to Gandhi’s assassination by a Hindu fundamentalist.

Educational Aims

The aim of this module is to allow students to develop an understanding of the means by which British political authority was resisted in South Asia. Students will gain an insight into the ways in which different social and political orders were affected both by colonialism and the freedom struggle. They should also become familiar with the particular historiographical questions raised by studying anti-colonial resistance. The course will develop an understanding of immediate and longer term affects of constitutional change in colonial governance, and students should also develop an appreciation of the ways in which orders of authority are reflected in the built environment.

Outline Syllabus

This course will begin by considering the relationship between imperialism and nationalism in South Asia. It will go on to explore the inception of political and religious organisations which were formed towards the end of the nineteenth century to challenge British Imperial authority. Students will engage with the various forms of criticism directed at the colonial state as well as the means by which popular support was garnered by nascent nationalist organisations. The course will examine the rise of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi as a political leader, within and outside of the Indian National Congress. The course will culminate with the Quit India movement and the British acceptance of decolonisation.

Topics covered will include:

• Religion, caste and nationalism
• The role of Indian women and the 'woman question' in nationalism
• Gandhi's philosophy of resistance
• Communalism and nationalism
• The constitutional organisation of British withdrawal
• The Partition of India

Lectures will provide introductions and background to the themes of the course. Seminars will develop explorations of visual and textual sources through discussion and assessed group work.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

HIST281: Britain in the Twentieth Century

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Term only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: Has previously taken a History module

Course Description

The module gives a broad thematic overview of the history of Britain in the twentieth century. Twentieth-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. Throughout the module, as well as being introduced to the key historiographical debates, you will be encouraged to explore the subject through an eclectic mix of primary sources, including film, television, cartoons, posters, press reports, and advertisements.

Educational Aims

The module aims to equip students with an overview knowledge of the key themes and events of twentieth-century British history, from the Boer War to the election of Tony Blair, by means of engagement with the most important historiographical debates. Though students will gain an insight into the timing and pace of change, the content is taught thematically, to enable students to develop their understanding of the most important factors shaping modern Britain, from changing gender roles and the growing importance of race, to the development of the role of the state and changes in Britain’s international role.

Outline Syllabus

The module gives a broad thematic overview of the history of Britain in the twentieth century. Twentieth-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. This module 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.

Throughout the module, as well as being introduced to the key historiographical debates, you will be encouraged to explore the subject through an eclectic mix of primary sources, including film, television, cartoons, posters, press reports, and advertisements.

The module may be studied alongside Hist280, or on its own. It is taught by means of lectures and weekly workshops, and is taught thematically rather than chronologically. Key themes may include:

• Poverty and welfare
• Gender and sexuality
• Class and politics
• Consumerism, advertising and leisure
• The impact of war
• The end of empire
• Race and immigration
• International relations
• National identity

The module also provides a grounding for further exploration of modern British history at special subject or postgraduate level.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

HIST282: The Historian in the Digital Age

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only
• US Credits: 4 Semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: Has previously taken a History module

Course Description

This module aims to provide students with a knowledge of:

- the strengths and limitations of digital approaches to historical research

- how researchers have used digital approaches to provide new insights about the past

- the different digital approaches to historical research

- critically evaluating the effectiveness of digital approaches to history

- a range of IT skills relevant to historians

Educational Aims

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

- be able to use on-line and other electronic archives in a critical manner.

- undertake historical research in a competent manner using digital methods.

- be able to critically evaluate the use of digital approaches to historical research

Outline Syllabus

Historical sources are increasingly becoming available in digital form. The most widely used sources are large textual corpora including Early English Books Online, which claims to include everything published in English before 1700, the British Library Newspapers collections which have continuous runs of local and regional newspapers for up to 100 years, and the Old Bailey Online which includes the Old Bailey proceedings from 1674 to 1913. Quantitative sources, such as census returns and vital registration (birth, marriages and deaths) data, provide another type of rich, digitised historical source. These sources have the potential to offer major new insights into a wide range of historical topics, however, to do so requires a new generation of historians who have digital skills to complement their historical expertise.

This course will provide an introduction to the rapidly developing field of Digital History. It starts from the assumption that the student has only basic IT skills. It introduces them to a range of software tools and approaches, and the issues and challenges of using them properly in historical research. These will be applied to a wide range of historical sources and topics. The course is taught using a combination of lectures and workshop sessions held in an IT lab. By the end of the course the students will have a range of practical skills in topics such as spreadsheets, databases, and managing texts. As well as providing the student with an understanding of new ways in which historians are researching their discipline, these skills can be applied to other courses taken by the student, such as their dissertation, and provide transferrable skills that will help with their employability.

Assessment Proportions

Essay (40% of final assessment): An essay of 2,500 words chosen from a list of options. The deadline for this will be Friday of week 6.

Project (60% of final assessment): This will take the form of a practical exercise whereby students will apply digital humanities techniques to a particular historical topic. A range of historical topics will be provided for students to choose from, or students can pursue their own project. A project portfolio will be submitted along with a 1,500 word write up. The deadline for this assignment will be Friday of first week of the term following the end of the module (i.e. week 11 or 21).

HIST286: Restless Nation: Germany in the 20th Century

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 semester credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: Has previously taken a History module

Course Description

This module gives a broad thematic overview of the history of Germany in the twentieth century. Few country’s histories have been more tumultuous over the past two centuries than that of Germany. Rapid industrialisation, varied federal traditions, revolutions, the launching of and defeat in two world wars, responsibility for war crimes and genocide on an unparalleled scale, foreign occupation and re-education, and political division for four decades have made German history, and the ways in which Germans have remembered it, contentious and of broad public concern. In few countries have visions of the nation's history been so varied and contested, and few peoples have created and faced such challenges when confronting their 'transient' or 'shattered' past.

In order to provide a thematic focus, this module will examine in particular the reasons for the rise of National Socialism, the character of National Socialism, and the difficulties of the Federal Republic of Germany to deal with its difficult and contentious past, that is the attempt at 'coming to terms with the past' (Vergangenheitsbewltigung).

Educational Aims

The module aims to equip students with an overview knowledge of the key themes and events in German history from the 1890s to the 1990s. Though students will gain an insight into the timing and pace of change, there is also a thematic focus to the module: the rise of National Socialism within a struggling democratic society, the character of National Socialism, and the difficulties of the Federal Republic of Germany to deal with its difficult and contentious past. This is to enable students to understand different political systems, the temptations of fascism, and the challenges to 'come to terms with the past' (Vergangenheitsbewältigung).

The module will thus focus on the 'shattered' past of 20th century Germany as a 'restless nation' and the varied attempts to make sense of this history. The module will also help students to appreciate the politics of history, that is the uses and abuses of history in political and wider cultural debates.

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.236: Politics and History of the Middle East

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term Only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in politics.

Course Description

In the few years that have passed, the Middle East has experienced momentous changes. Most notable of these changes are the so-called ‘‘Arab Spring’’ uprisings, which started in late 2010, and the following consequences of these uprisings on the international relations of the region. Topics include the early emergence of Arab states, origins and sustainability of authoritarian regimes, state types and personality cult, masculinity and constructions of identity and belonging, women’s movements, social mobilization and the Arab uprisings. The course offers students from a variety of backgrounds the opportunity to engage with the most important themes in the study of the politics of the Middle East and to locate and contextualise them within wider debates and scholarship of international politics.

Educational Aims

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

• Identify the central themes in an argument;
• Compare and contrast differing political arguments and positions and assess their validity;
• Demonstrate an ability to apply theory to empirical cases and problems;
• Argue their own position verbally and show understanding of positions of others;
• Work co-operatively in a group setting.

Outline Syllabus

Topics include the early emergence of Arab states, origins and sustainability of authoritarian regimes, state types and personality cult, masculinity and constructions of identity and belonging, women's movements, social mobilization and the Arab uprisings. The course offers students from a variety of backgrounds the opportunity to engage with the most important themes in the study of the politics of the Middle East and to locate and contextualise them within wider debates and scholarship of international politics. The syllabus will typically include the following topics:

1. Introducing the region: a theoretical framework
2. The impact of colonial and Ottoman legacies on the current politics of the Middle East
3. Competing ideologies: rise of secular nationalism and Islamism after WW2
4. Building nation-state and the sustainability of authoritarianism in the region
5. Personality cult and legitimacy
6. Women's movements and national struggles
7. Arab uprsinings
8. Sectarianism

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%