Module HIST1671: A Divided United Kingdom, 1851-1997

Department: History

HIST1671: A Divided United Kingdom, 1851-1997

Prerequisites

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

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To introduce students to the key themes and developments in the political, social and cultural history of the United Kingdom
• To enable students to understand the historical roots of much contemporary politics and society
• To place a strong emphasis on exploring primary sources which will enable students to appreciate how contemporaries understood their own lives and society

Content

• This module will explore the United Kingdom between 1851 and 1997 around the three major themes of National Life, Unequal Lives, and Private Lives in a broadly chronological fashion. National Life will explore: how the mid-nineteenth century ‘age of equipoise’ was established, and how it was extended or transformed by the tensions created by a democratising nation-state which nonetheless continued with the deeply embedded features of an ‘ancien regime’; how the relationship between centre and periphery, one national, imperial Parliament and four kingdoms was managed in the face of nationalist movements, economic dislocation and the challenge of total war; how the differing resource-allocation priorities of a ‘warfare’ state and a ‘welfare’ state were negotiated; and how the fear and reality of ‘decline’ (e.g. late Victorian fears of ‘deterioration’, and economic and decline) impacted on political life. Unequal Lives will examine how life chances were determined by unequal access to education, employment, statutory and voluntary support by virtue of class position, ethnicity/race, gender, geographical location and other social or spatial differences. Finally, Private Lives will examine the impulses and movements behind emancipatory gains around, say, sexuality and physical or mental disability, and the forces making for social authoritarianism and emancipatory regress.

Learning Outcomes

• An understanding of the issues which are addressed by modern British political, social and cultural historians.
• An understanding of the differing conceptual frameworks informing various (competing) historiographical traditions around the modern nation-state, social inequalities and the private lives of UK subjects.

• 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:
• 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:

A written assignment of 1500-2000 words to be submitted in Michaelmas

■ 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