HI2126 Britain Since 1850

Module Organiser: Prof Ciaran O'Neill
Duration:
Contact hours: 1 lecture per week and 4 tutorials
Weighting: 5 ECTS
Assessment: 100% Continuous Assessment

'Britain since 1850' surveys the period of Britain's greatest global presence and addresses political, cultural, and social change in British life and the impact of Britain upon the wider world over the last two centuries. Students taking this module should have gained an understanding of such questions as the changing relations between parliament and people - from the Great Reform Act to female suffrage to the emergence of devolution; political life; imperial expansion and decolonization; the state and the life of the nation, from workhouse to welfare state; the impact of the two world wars and the place of Britain in the post-war world.

Significant objectives of this course will be: to develop proficiency in the interpretation of primary sources; to familiarize students with some of the key debates in historiography of Britain since 1850; to develop skills in accessing and interpreting the extensive secondary literature for modern British history.

The aim of this module is to survey key developments in the history of Britain since 1850.

Bibliographical advice will be provided in the module handbook

Learning Outcomes

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

• Outline chronologically and explain key developments in the history of British Social and Political History since 1850
• Assess the impact of these developments on Britain itself and the wider world
• Search for, and critically appraise, relevant literature
• Undertake an extended analysis of select contemporary sources
• Communicate analysis and argument in written and verbal format