Module HIST1031: THE ENGLISH HOUSEHOLD & FAMILY,1500-1800

Department: History

HIST1031: THE ENGLISH HOUSEHOLD & FAMILY,1500-1800

Prerequisites

• Normally an A or B grade in A-Level History, or an acceptable equvalent (e.g. in terms of Scottish Highers or lB)

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• This module introduces a number of aspects of English social history which have been the focus of much innovative research in the field over the past twenty years.
• It also offers students some of the challenges and opportunities involved in trying to analyse change over long periods of time and encourages them to question text-book orthodoxy by looking at the latest research.

Content

• The module starts by considering several books which offer overall accounts of changing relationships between family members and between families and the community from 1500 to 1800.
• It then examines the growing body of specialist literature which qualifies or develops these general themes, so that by the end of the course students should find themselves able to reconstruct their own accounts of the most important developments of the period.
• The topics investigated include the making of marriage within different social groups ranging from the poor to the aristocracy, childrearing, education, and the problems of adolescence and old age, relationships between the family, the local community, and the state, and the difficult question of whether there has been any significant alteration over the centuries in the emotional content of personal relationships.

Learning Outcomes

• a knowledge of the history and historiography of the English household and family from 1500-1800;
• a familiarity with concepts and methods associated with early modern English social and cultural history.

• Subject specific skills for this module can be viewed at: http://www.dur.ac.uk/history.internal/local/ModuleProformaMap/
• In addition students will acquire an ability to write an historical essay to university standard that can effectively take account of trends and changes taking place over period of time ranging from 50 years to three centuries.

• Key skills for this module can be viewed at: http://www.dur.ac.uk/history.internal/local/ModuleProformaMap/

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Student learning is facilitated by a combination of the following teaching methods:
• lectures to set the foundations for further study and to provide the basis for the acquisition of subject specific knowledge. Lectures provide a broad framework which defines individual module content, introducing students to themes, debates and interpretations. In this environment, students are given the opportunity to develop skills in listening, selective note-taking and reflection;
• seminars to allow students to present and critically reflect upon the acquired subject-specific knowledge, methodologies and theories, and to identify and debate a range of issues and differing opinions. The seminar is the forum in which students are given the opportunity to communicate ideas, jointly exploring themes and arguments. Seminars are structured to develop understanding and designed to maximise student participation related to prior independent preparation. Seminars give students the opportunity to develop oral communication skills, encourage critical and tolerant approaches to reasoned argument and historical discussion, build the students' ability to marshal historical evidence, and facilitate the development of the ability to summarise historical arguments, think in a rapidly changing environment and communicate in a persuasive and articulate manner, whilst recognising the value of working with others and, occasionally, towards shared goals.
• Assessment:
• Unseen Examinations test students' ability to work under pressure under timed conditions, to prepare for examinations and direct their own programme of revision and learning, and develop key time management skills. The unseen examination gives students the opportunity to develop relevant life skills such as the ability to produce coherent, reasoned and supported arguments under pressure. Students will be examined on subject specific knowledge;
• Summative essays remain a central component of assessment in history, due to the integrative high-order skills they develop. Essays allow students the opportunity to recognise, represent and critically reflect upon ideas, concepts and problems; students can demonstrate awareness of, and the ability to use and evaluate, a diverse range of resources and identify, represent and debate a range of subject-specific issues and opinions. Through the essay, students can synthesise information, adopt critical appraisals and develop reasoned argument based on individual research; they should be able to communicate ideas in writing, with clarity and coherence; and to show the ability to integrate and critically assess material from a wide range of sources.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One or more short assignments submitted in writing or delivered orally and discussed either 1:1 or in a group context.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University