Module HIST2651: Revolution: Cultural Change and Social Upheaval in Modern France

Department: History

HIST2651: Revolution: Cultural Change and Social Upheaval in Modern France

Prerequisites

• A pass mark in at least ONE level one module in History.

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To introduce students to the social, cultural and political history of France in the age of revolution.
• To examine the impact of revolutionary theory and practice on French life, including not just the political, but also the social and cultural realms.
• To contribute towards the achievement of the Department's generic aims for study at Level 2.

Content

• This module explores the social, cultural and political history of France in the Age of Revolution. In particular, it will examine the impact of revolutionary thought and practice on wider French life. It will situate French political protests in the context of a changing intellectual and cultural environment that was shaking up traditional hierarchies across the Atlantic world and within French society itself. Accordingly, the violent upheavals of the great days of revolutionary protest in Paris will be analysed within a wider chronological, geographical and cultural framework. In addition, we will consider the way political ideas were envisaged and represented, and more generally the way new forms of writing, media and communication emerged, reshaping social norms and cultural values. It will also assess the way cultural change affected France in the modern period, including changing relationships between men and women, between social leaders, rural communities and the developing working class, between Paris and the provinces, and between France and the wider world. Overall, the module will enable a deeper understanding of the impact of social change in France both on politics and on intimate relationships within the private and public spheres.

Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge and understanding of aspects of French political, cultural and social history in the Age of Revolution
• An awareness of the nature of revolutionary protest, and its impact on French politics, society and culture
• Ability to evaluate critically various methodological and historiographical approaches to the subject

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

• 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:
• 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.
• Assessment of Primary Source Handling Students are assessed on their understanding of original primary sources, usually in print, their character varying according to the nature of the subject, and the students' ability to bring that knowledge to bear on 'cutting edge' research-based monographs and articles. Students are given the opportunity to discuss and articulate an understanding of changing interpretations and approaches to historical problems, drawing evidence from a body of primary source materials. Students are required to demonstrate skills associated with the evaluation of a variety of primary source materials, using documentary analysis for a critical assessment of existing historical interpretations.

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