Themes in Early Modern History
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| HIST1006 | History | 1 | 20 | Full Year UK |
- Code
- HIST1006
- School
- History
- Level
- 1
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Full Year UK
Summary
This module introduces students to major issues in the social, political and cultural history of Europe in the early modern period by analysing demographic, religious, social and cultural changes that took place between c.1500 and 1789. Students will examine the tensions produced by warfare, religious conflict, the changing relationships between rulers, subjects and political elites, trends in socio-economic development and the discovery of the New World.
Target Students
1st-year Single and Joint Honours History students. Students taking this course may not take HIST1007 or HIST1008
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 22 weeks
- One 1-hour lecture each week for 22 weeks
Assessment
- 40% Coursework 1: Individually assessed coursework item (2,000 words)
- 10% Participation: Seminar engagement and participation.
- 50% Exam (2-hour): Exam 2 hours.
Assessed in both autumn & spring semest
Educational Aims
This module provides students with the broad historical framework necessary to interpret the major social, political and cultural developments that characterise European history from c.1500 to 1800. The period between 1500 and 1800 (the early modern period) was dynamic, underpinned by both change and continuity, difference and diversity. It features iconic events and people, some of which you will have studied before, but also lesser known aspects of early modern Europe. The thematic approach is crucial in understanding key concepts and aspects of early modern history and facilitates comparison. Themes include: ‘What is early modern history?’, European Reformations, Toleration and Persecution, International Relations, Monarchies and Princely Courts, Euopean Expansion and Empire, Africans in Shakespeare’s England, Popular Culture, Popular Protest, Urban Life, Rural Life, Witchcraft, Gender and Sexuality, Poverty and Diversity in Early Modern Europe. Throughout, students will be encouraged to deal critically with broader historiographical debates on these issues.Learning Outcomes
a. Knowledge and understanding. By the end of the module students should be able to:
• explain and interpret the underlying forces that shaped European history in the years c.1500-1789
• show an awareness of the factors affecting the lives of people who lived at this period
• evaluate the forces of continuity and change at work within the period
• show an awareness of the variety of perspectives in the discipline, notably those of economic, political, social and cultural history
b. Intellectual skills. By the end of this module students should be able to:
• think critically and imaginatively about the subject matter
• identify and address key problems relevant to it
• be aware of differing historical interpretations of the subject matter
• read secondary sources critically
• construct coherent and independent historical arguments of their own
c. Professional/practical skills. This module will develop students’ ability to:
• select, sift and synthesise information from a range of secondary and selected primary sources
• dentify and compare key arguments in those materials
• demonstrate appropriate bibliographical and referencing skills
• use the IT resources effectively to assess information
d. Transferable skills. This module will also help students to:
• manage a large and disparate body of information
• communicate arguments and ideas effectively in speech and writing
• express themselves clearly, coherently and fluently in written work
• work and learn actively with others
• manage and take responsibility for their own studies
• demonstrate appropriate IT skills in seminars and the presentation of coursework.
Conveners
- Dr Adolfo Polo Y la borda ramos