The Victorians: Life, Thought and Culture
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| HIST2022 | History | 2 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- HIST2022
- School
- History
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
The module mixes intellectual, cultural and social history to produce an overview of cultural trends in Britain between c. 1830 and 1901. Key themes may include:
Work and Time
Religion: Sin and Redemption
Poverty
Childhood
Public Health
Victorian Art
Death
Sexuality
Empire
Evolution
Shopping and Consumerism
Target Students
Students must have taken HIST1001 or HIST1002. Also available to exchange students hosted by the Department of History.
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
One one-hour lecture per week and one one-hour seminar per week
Assessment
- 50% Coursework 1: Individually assessed coursework item (2,500 words)
- 50% Coursework 2: Individually assessed coursework item (2,500 words)
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
To provide students with an understanding of the principal cultural and intellectual trends in Victorian Britain. To introduce them to competing interpretations of Victorian history and to encourage awareness of the relevant historiographical debates in the field in order to assist in the development of the key skills listed below.Learning Outcomes
a. Knowledge and understanding.
By the end of the module students should be able to:
• explain and interpret the main intellectual and cultural trends in Britain between c. 1830 and 1901 and demonstrate an understanding of historical changes that took place at that time
• reflect on the nature of history as a discipline
b. Intellectual skills.
By the end of the module students should be able to:
• think critically and imaginatively about Victorian Britain
• identify and address key problems relevant to the period
• interpret secondary sources on Victorian Britain and be aware of differing interpretations
• construct coherent and independent historical arguments of their own
c. Professional/practical skills.
The module will develop students’ ability to:
• select, sift and synthesise information from a range of secondary and primary sources
• identify and compare key arguments
• demonstrate IT proficiency in completing assignments
d. Transferable skills.
The module will develop students’ ability to:
• manage a large and disparate body of information
• express themselves clearly, coherently and fluently in written work and in class
• work and learn actively with others
• manage and take responsibility for their own learning
• use IT for research and presentation purposes