Modules

• Year 1

  Core Modules

  Intermediate Spanish (40 credits)

  ×

  Intermediate Spanish

  Overview

  Course contents:
  This module aims to consolidate and expand on existing Spanish language competency by developing written and oral language skills, knowledge of Spanish and Latin American culture, and grammatical proficiency, to equip students with professional and employability skills in preparation for further study of Spanish. It consists of four elements designed to provide a comprehensive consolidation of Spanish language competence:
  
  1. Language Seminar (1hr per week)
  Seminar aims to develop students’ ability to understand, translate, and compose Spanish-language materials in a range of forms: text, image, audio-visual. Language will be engaged in context, guided by themes such as University Life, Culture & Identity, and Culture & Communication. Linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, translation, responsive and report writing.
  2. Grammar Workshop (1hr per week)
  Workshop designed to consolidate and enrich students’ knowledge and understanding of Spanish grammar and syntax. All major areas of grammar will be encountered, laying the foundations for future study of the language and its nuances.
  3. Specialised Language Cursillo (1hr per week)
  cursillo offers language skills for special purposes and contains two strands: Language for Business and Language for Law. Both provide linguistic and socio-cultural knowledge important to work-related situations in different fields.
  4. Conversation Class (1hr per week)
  Conversation class is led by a native speaker of Spanish and compliments the content of the Language Hour. Students will meet in small groups to discuss, debate, and present on the main themes of the course.

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of the module students should:
  1. have developed and consolidated their proficiency in the core language skills (grammatical, syntactical) required at this level:
  2. be able to read Spanish texts in a variety of forms and demonstrate a sensitivity to their detail and nuance in speech, writing, and when translating:
  3. be able to produce Spanish texts appropriate to different requirements and registers:
  4. be able to investigate, structure, and present a complex argument in longer pieces of written work:
  5. be able to communicate using more sophisticated grammatical and syntactical constructions with a good level of accuracy (without basic errors)

  Skills

  On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: comprehensive dexterity using Spanish grammar; translation skills; text analysis; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills.

  Coursework

  45%

  Examination

  35%

  Practical

  20%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  40

  Module Code

  SPA1111

  Teaching Period

  Full Year

  Duration

  24 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Exploring History 1 (20 credits)

  ×

  Exploring History 1

  Overview

  This module allows students to study a closely-defined area of history. They will choose from a range of courses offered by History staff and will study one topic in detail. Each course is designed as a significant area of study in its own right, and as a means of developing in depth some of the issues of historiography and method that students will encounter over their course of studies in History at Queen's. Particular emphasis is placed on essay writing at university level.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of this module, students should be aware of the range of approaches that have been used to study the past. They should be able to demonstrate knowledge of a particular historical case study and how it has been debated amongst historians. They should also be aware of the links between historical research and methodological/theoretical frameworks.

  Skills

  Ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence; develop communication skills, both written and oral; an ability to work independently; the ability to use and interpret a range of sources.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS1003

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Spanish for Beginners (40 credits)

  ×

  Spanish for Beginners

  Overview

  An intensive introduction to the Spanish language: grammar, comprehension, spoken, translation, expressive and descriptive writing

  Learning Outcomes

  To learn and develop proficiency in the core language skills

  Skills

  Fundamentals of Spanish grammar; Translation skills; text analysis; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills

  Coursework

  45%

  Examination

  35%

  Practical

  20%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  40

  Module Code

  SPA1121

  Teaching Period

  Full Year

  Duration

  24 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Exploring History 2 (20 credits)

  ×

  Exploring History 2

  Overview

  This module allows students the chance to enrich their understanding of historical methods, theories and themes via a closely defined case study. Students will choose from a range of course offered by History staff and will study one topic in detail. Each course is designed as a significant area of study in its own right, and as a means of developing in depth some of the issues of historiography and method that students will encounter over their course of studies in History at Queen's.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of this module, students should be aware of the range of approaches that have been used to study the past. They should be able to demonstrate knowledge of a particular historical case study and how it has been debated amongst historians. They should also be aware of the links between historical research and methodological/theoretical frameworks.

  Skills

  Ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence; develop communication skills, both written and oral; an ability to work independently; the ability to use and interpret a range of sources.

  Coursework

  30%

  Examination

  60%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS1002

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Spanish 1 (40 credits)

  ×

  Spanish 1

  Overview

  Course contents:
  This module aims to consolidate and expand on existing Spanish language competency by developing written and oral language skills, knowledge of Spanish and Latin American culture, and grammatical proficiency, to equip students with professional and employability skills in preparation for further study of Spanish. It consists of four elements designed to provide a comprehensive consolidation of Spanish language competence:
  
  1. Language Seminar (1hr per week)
  Seminar aims to develop students’ ability to understand, translate, and compose Spanish-language materials in a range of forms: text, image, audio-visual. Language will be engaged in context, guided by themes such as University Life, Culture & Identity, and Culture & Communication. Linguistic competence will be developed through a range of methods that may include: group discussion, translation, responsive and report writing.
  2. Grammar Workshop (1hr per week)
  Workshop designed to consolidate and enrich students’ knowledge and understanding of Spanish grammar and syntax. All major areas of grammar will be encountered, laying the foundations for future study of the language and its nuances.
  3. Specialised Language Cursillo (1hr per week)
  cursillo offers language skills for special purposes and contains two strands: Language for Business and Language for Law. Both provide linguistic and socio-cultural knowledge important to work-related situations in different fields.
  4. Conversation Class (1hr per week)
  Conversation class is led by a native speaker of Spanish and compliments the content of the Language Hour. Students will meet in small groups to discuss, debate, and present on the main themes of the course.

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of the modules students should:
  1. be able to read Spanish texts in a variety of forms and demonstrate a sensitivity to their detail and nuance in speech, writing, and when translating;
  2. be able to produce Spanish texts appropriate to different requirements and registers;
  3. be able to investigate, structure, and present a complex argument in longer pieces of written work;
  4. be able to communicate using more sophisticated grammatical and syntactical constructions with a good level of accuracy (without basic errors).

  Skills

  On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: comprehensive dexterity using Spanish grammar; translation skills; text analysis; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills.

  Coursework

  45%

  Examination

  35%

  Practical

  20%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  40

  Module Code

  SPA1101

  Teaching Period

  Full Year

  Duration

  24 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Optional Modules

  The Long Road to Black Lives Matter (20 credits)

  ×

  The Long Road to Black Lives Matter

  Overview

  A systematic introduction to ways in which history is used outside the university campus, including in museums and exhibitions, film, memorials and political discussion. The course will involve visits to local museums and students will get a chance to work together to pitch a new public history project. Previous projects have included public exhibitions, new museums or digital apps. The module focuses on the history of race, ethnicity, slavery, colonialism and anti-colonialism and their representations in pubic history.

  Learning Outcomes

  Students who successfully complete the module should • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the role of academic history within society; • Be able to present historical information systematically and in accordance with normal
  
  academic practice; • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of effective group work • Have identified a dissertation topic and be able to demonstrate an ability to place it in its broad historiographical context.

  Skills

  Working in groups; oral communication skills, public history theory.

  Coursework

  60%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  40%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS1005

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  History and Historians: Contested Pasts (20 credits)

  ×

  History and Historians: Contested Pasts

  Overview

  This module will examine a number of controversial historical themes. The controversy arises not only from the historical incidents themselves, but also through the variety of historical interpretations that have been placed on these subjects. The module examines a number of contemporary debates about what constitutes historical truth. It does so via close examination of a number of important case studies: the crusades; the holocaust and slavery. Each provides a fascinating opportunity to discuss questions about the nature of historical truth and the comtemporary importance of history. It will challenge preconceptions about the nature of history, stimulate awareness of the diverse ways in which the past can be studied, and introduce students to parts of the historical enterprise that few are likely to have encountered. Emphasis is placed on developing key skills and this is done by three short pieces of writing. One critically reviews an historical article, a second is a blog/journal, and the third is an essay.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of this module, students should be aware of a range of theoretical and methodological approaches that have been used to study the past. They should be able to demonstrate knowledge of case studies in a number of historical areas and, in doing so, be aware of the important links between empirical historical research and methodological/theoretical frameworks. They will be aware that different theoretical, methodological or ideological approaches can and do produce competing conclusions. They will be familiar with historical writing in a range of forms that take them beyond the textbook (articles, monographs, edited collection and - where appropriate - approved websites).

  Skills

  Students should develop skills in literacy; oral communication; the organisation of logical arguments; basic bibliographic research; effective presentation of written work; and working in a group to construct a presentation. A particular focus is placed on basic research and writing skills. These will be assessed by three assessed pieces of writing.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS1001

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Introduction to Iberian Studies (20 credits)

  ×

  Introduction to Iberian Studies

  Overview

  This module introduces students to key concepts, movements and historical moments pertaining to the cultures, literatures and societies of the Iberian Peninsula (i.e. Spain and Portugal). It explores a selection of texts (literary and visual) from a range of authors and artists from the early modern period (16th / 17th century) to the present day. This course will give you a broad overview of the main historical events in Spain and Portugal from a cultural perspective.

  Learning Outcomes

  By the end of this module students should - acquire a basic knowledge and understanding of crucial periods of peninsular cultural history - develop an understanding of the complex inter-relations between a text and its historical context - have an awareness of the distinct methods of cultural analysis and begin to apply these appropriately to a range of texts, written and visual.

  Skills

  Students should begin to - situate art and literature in their socio-political contexts - develop skills of critical analysis - develop essay writing skills - develop bibliographical research skills

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SPA1005

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Introduction to Latin American Studies (20 credits)

  ×

  Introduction to Latin American Studies

  Overview

  Course Contents
  This module introduces students to key concepts, movements, literary and historical moments pertaining to the cultures, literatures and societies of Latin America. Throughout the module, a representative selection of primary and secondary texts from a range of historical periods will be used to explore key issues and themes. Themes will vary from year to year but may include: exploration, conquest, identity, borders, dictatorship, and migration.

  Learning Outcomes

  By the end of this module students should:- acquire a basic knowledge and understanding of crucial periods of Latin American culture and history - develop an understanding of the complex inter-relations between a text and its historical context - have an awareness of distinct methods of cultural and historical analysis and begin to apply thses appropriately to a range of texts, writtren and visual.

  Skills

  Students should begin to: - situate art and literature in their socio-political contexts - develop an awareness of key historical trends - develop skills of critical analysis - develop essay writing skills - develop bibliographical research skills

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SPA1008

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  A World on the Move:Historical and Anthropological Approaches to Globalization (20 credits)

  ×

  A World on the Move:Historical and Anthropological Approaches to Globalization

  Overview

  This modules provides an anthropological introduction to the study of globalisation, using comparative case studies from the contemporary and the historical record, and outlining links with perspectives in the field of history. Among the issues discussed are: global and local linkages in a world of economic, cultural and political connectivity; cultural convergence and the expression of cultural difference; migration, refugees, trafficked people, tourism; diasporas, the idea of home and national borders; transnational family networks in the contemporary world; global and local regimes of power and resistance.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of this module, student should be aware of the complex ways in which globalising forces have influenced people's everyday experiences in different socio-cultural settings and changing historical contexts.

  Skills

  Students should develop skills in literacy; oral communication; the organisation of logical arguments; effective presentation of written work; and teamwork.

  Coursework

  80%

  Examination

  20%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  ANT1003

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Revolutions (20 credits)

  ×

  Revolutions

  Overview

  The aim of the module is to introduce level 1 students to the concept and the scholarly debates that surround the term revolution. It does so by examining four examples of revolutions, which may include the Consumer Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Revolution of the 1960s. By doing so, it will raise broader questions about what causes historical change, the interplay between long-term trends and short-term turning points, and the role of individuals. The module will also introduce students to the importance of small group teaching at university and the importance of individual contribution to tutorials. This will be done through an individual presentation, a structured response to presentations from other students, and a short student reflection on the theory and practice of small-group teaching.

  Learning Outcomes

  An understanding of the concept and the scholarly debates that surround the term revolution; An ability to engage with the most important historiographical debates relating to the subject-matter of the module; Effective presentation and oral communication skills; The ability to contribute effectively and courteously to class debates and discussions; An ability to write an informed analysis of historical problems discussed in the module; Enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence; An ability to reflect on learning experience.

  Skills

  None.

  Coursework

  0%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  100%

  Stage/Level

  1

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS1004

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

• Year 2

  Core Modules

  Spanish 2 (40 credits)

  ×

  Spanish 2

  Overview

  Building on skills acquired at Level 1, this module aims to develop more advanced language skills in spoken and written language. Students will be required to take on increasingly complex tasks which require them to be aware of and use different written and spoken styles and registers. Task will promote linguistic, sociolinguistic and cultural awareness at a more advanced level. The module will contain the following elements:
  1. Text-based class – (1 hour a week).
  This class will focus on developing skills in reading, writing, literary and non literary translation. Students will be required to read and respond to texts which deal with current issues in Spanish speaking countries in Europe and Latin America.
  2. Grammar Workshop ( 1 hr per week)
  This class will introduce students to more advanced grammar with an emphasis on students’ ability to explain the use of grammar in Spanish as well as demonstrating correct usage. Topics to be covered include: ser/estar, indicative tenses, prepositions, subjunctive
  3. Oral class ( 1 hr per week)
  This class will encourage students to develop their skills in spoken language with an emphasis on being able to communicate information and a point of view and on eliminating basic errors from spoken language as well as developing fluency in spoken Spanish
  4. Cursillo ( 1 hr per week)
  This class will focus on preparing students for the year abroad and on highlighting and developing the professional skills which students develop as a result of studying Spanish at degree level
  
  There will be an extra hour of language tuition for ex-beginners

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of the modules students should:
  1. be able to demonstrate a level of fluency, accuracy and spontaneity in speech and writing, and a wide range of vocabulary and expression, so as to be able to discuss a range of complex issues.
  2. be able to read a wide variety of Spanish texts (fiction and non fiction) and identify important information and ideas within them.
  3. be able to demonstrate a good grasp of structures of the language covered in the module and identify and use appropriate reference works including dictionaries and grammars.
  4. be able to organise and present a coherent argument in Spanish relating to topics covered in the course, and present their knowledge and ideas in a range of formats and registers

  Skills

  On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: Translation skills; text analysis; essay writing; lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills - including practical language knowledge for living and working abroad

  Coursework

  45%

  Examination

  35%

  Practical

  20%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  40

  Module Code

  SPA2101

  Teaching Period

  Full Year

  Duration

  24 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  Yes

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Optional Modules

  Apocalypse! End of the World. (20 credits)

  ×

  Apocalypse! End of the World.

  Overview

  The aim of the course is to introduce students to historical and anthropological reflection on millennial / millenarian beliefs and movements across space and time. Taking a long view of historical events and using case studies of present-day groups that attend to ideas about the end of the world, taking advantage of the interdisciplinary character of the School, and using a wide range of primary sources, including novels, film, websites, and ethnographic case studies and film, this course will invite students to consider the ancient roots of millennial theory; its foundational texts, exponents / prophets and movements; examples of well-known failed and successful millennial claims and movements, including the Crusades, radical puritans, Mormons, Jewish Zionists, American evangelicals, new religious movements, including UFO and suicide cults, and radical Islamists; the use of millennial theory as presentist critique; the development of millennial majorities, and the social, cultural and political implications of their dominance; millennialism’s place in utopian theory; and a final consideration of theoretical rejoinders, in which the course leaders encourage students to consider whether millennial claims might be right – for example, in terms of global warming – and whether that might change the way in which historians and anthropologists should approach the subject.

  Learning Outcomes

  An understanding of the broad history and anthropology of millennial movements across space and time; An ability to discuss millennial ideas and movements using heuristic tools from history and anthropology; An ability to use electronic resources and to develop key research skills; Effective communication skills; An ability to write an informed analysis of historical problems discussed in the module; An ability to work independently.

  Skills

  Enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence; Further develop communication skills, both written and oral; Critical appraisal of, engagement with, and effective use of a variety of historical and anthropological sources.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HAP2065

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Afterlives: Rogues and Mystics of the Spanish Golden Age (20 credits)

  ×

  Afterlives: Rogues and Mystics of the Spanish Golden Age

  Overview

  Just as the 'Renaissance' sought to establish a dialogue with the classical past, artists and writers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have looked to Spain's past to make sense of its present. In this Level 2 module students will explore the creative responses of new generations to the innovations of the Spanish Golden Age. Students are introduced to two key modes of expression associated with the Spanish Golden Age and go on to consider their appropriation and transformation in the modern and post-modern era. They will engage with the anonymous tale of the irresistible rogue, Lazarillo de Tormes, and explore select writings of the Spanish mystic, Santa Teresa de Ávila.

  Learning Outcomes

  1. To establish a familiarity with a representative selection of texts from the Spanish Golden Age to encourage sensitivity to the ways in which later writers and artists reproduce, rework, or contest these discourses and paradigms.
  
  2.To examine critically the rich flowering of literature in Spain during the twentieth century through the study of a representative selection of literary texts by major and minor writers.
  
  3. To consider the continued relevance of Early Modern literature and culture to later, and especially modern, cultural and intellectual concerns.
  
  4. To promote students’ acquisition of generic skills in textual analysis as a means to support progression to study of Hispanic Studies at level three and beyond.

  Skills

  By the end of this course students will be equipped to:
  -Demonstrate an understanding of the dialogue with earlier cultural epochs which has defined twentieth and twenty-first century cultural movements in Spain
  
  - Consider Spanish literature in this period against the backdrop of developments in European culture and history generally, and in relation to particular circumstances in Spain
  
  -Apply knowledge of general artistic and historical trends to individual texts
  
  -After initial input from the course tutor, apply and evaluate critical approaches to the material under analysis independently.
  
  -Argue at length and in detail about an aspect of the topic, supporting the argument with evidence from the text and with opinions from secondary literature.
  
  -Use a range of critical terminology, applying it to independently researched material as well as to material introduced by the course tutor
  
  -Analyse texts in the Target language in a variety of genres and styles, showing awareness of their relation to the social, historical and generic context in which they were written, and present the results orally / in writing

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SPA2037

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Alexander The Great and the Creation of the Hellenistic World (20 credits)

  ×

  Alexander The Great and the Creation of the Hellenistic World

  Overview

  An analytical survey of ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern history from the conquest of the whole of Balkan Greece by Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, to the emergence of successor kingdoms within Alexander’s conquered territories after his death in 323 BC. After an introduction on sources and methodology, the course proceeds chronologically. Topics receiving special emphasis include: the rise, and the ultimate triumph, of Macedon over the Greek city-states; Alexander’s war against Persia and subsequent conquests; the fragmentation of Alexander’s empire after his death; and events in Sicily and the West (including the expansion of Rome in Italy).

  Learning Outcomes

  To apply objective historical methodology to a period of alleged decline in Greek history.

  Skills

  Skills of analysis and evaluation, in particular the organization and interpretation of widely scattered and fragmentary source material.

  Coursework

  60%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  40%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2020

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Fantastic in Latin America (20 credits)

  ×

  The Fantastic in Latin America

  Overview

  Harry Belevan has written that the Fantastic mode of literature is revolutionary because it created a new type of reader, one attuned to the limits between reality and unreality in a text. With this in mind, this course begins with a reflection on the practice of close analysis in order to develop the tools of active reading that will allow a proper engagement with the rich tradition of lo fantástico in Latin America. Students will then learn how the Fantastic has been theorised by critics, before using this knowledge as a lens through which to explore a range of texts by some of Latin America’s most important cultural icons (e.g. Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar) and exciting new authors (e.g. Samanta Schweblin, Mariana Enriquez).

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
  • Provide a close reading of both image and text using a range of critical terminology
  • Discuss and identify the most common characteristics of the Fantastic mode in literature and film
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the work of important, 20th century Latin American artists
  • Argue at length and in detail about an aspect of the topic, supporting the argument with evidence from the text and with opinions from secondary literature

  Skills

  On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
  • Identify own areas of strength and interest
  • Closely analyse the subtleties of a written text
  • Undertake independent research
  • Time management and working to deadlines
  • Adopt a critical approach to the selection and organisation of a large body of material in order to produce a written argument of some complexity
  • Extract relevant information for presentation and discussion based activities.
  • Demonstrate ability to combine a variety of IT skills in researching and reporting on a topic (Word, PowerPoint, Internet)

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SPA2040

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Cabinets of Curiosity: Museums Past and Present (20 credits)

  ×

  Cabinets of Curiosity: Museums Past and Present

  Overview

  This module will focus on museums from the Renaissance to the modern day, charting the transition from private collecting to public display. It will consider the shifting roles of museums across time and will provide students with an understanding of how and why museums’ aims, purposes and functions continue to change. Students will engage with debates about object collection, preservation, repatriation and display, and will explore some of the current issues facing museums. They will also consider diverse museum audiences, including the elite and wealthy audiences of the eighteenth century and international audiences served by twenty-first-century online museums. Through their reading, research and museum visits, students will also begin to appreciate the different roles of museum staff and through their object engagement project, will gain vital skills that could be useful for their own future employment.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of this module, the successful student should be able to
  - Discuss the history of museums
  - Understand debates about the purpose, aims and roles of museums in society
  - Explain how and why the function of museums and their target audiences have changed over time
  - Identify current issues facing museums, particularly in Northern Ireland
  - produce object labels or object biographies for a wide audience

  Skills

  - Analytical skills
  - Research skills
  - Object appreciation skills
  - Written, oral and visual communication skills
  - Debating skills
  - Computer/multimedia skills
  - Group work skills

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2067

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Understanding 20th Century Mexico through Art, Film and Literature (20 credits)

  ×

  Understanding 20th Century Mexico through Art, Film and Literature

  Overview

  This module introduces students to key moments in Mexican history and cultural production through the study of art, film and literature.
  
  The module will introduce students to a selection (typically three or four) of the following topics:
  The Mexican Revolution
  The Rights and Experiences of Indigenous Populations
  1968, the Mexico Olympics, Student Movements and Tlatelolco
  Migration, Border Crossing and Border Culture
  The Zapatista Uprising
  Mexico’s Dirty War
  Mexico City becomes a mega city
  Inserting women into Mexican history
  NAFTA, maquiladoras and femicide
  Communism, Fascism, and the Spanish Civil War exiles in Mexico
  Workers’ Movements and Workers’ Rights

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of the course, student should:
  
  • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of a selection of key moments in 20th century Mexican history
  • Understand how cultural production (art, film and literature) has responded to a selection of key moments in 20th century Mexican history.
  • Be able to use their knowledge of the set texts to construct an argument on a given topic.
  • Understand individual texts and the contexts and critical debates surrounding them.
  • Have demonstrated the ability to read and understand works of fiction and academic criticism in Spanish.
  • At an advanced level students should have acquired an appreciation of the complex relationships and dialogues between texts and reality.

  Skills

  On successful completion of the course, student should be able to:
  • Articulate ideas and arguments in written form using evidence from primary and secondary literature as appropriate
  • Prepare presentations and handouts suitable for a specified purpose or audience
  • Interpret texts in different media using appropriate critical vocabulary and terminology
  • Be able to recognise and explain nuance and ambiguity in texts
  • Adjust their writing style for different purposes
  • At an advanced level students should be able to point out shortcomings in scholarly literature and analysis
  • Read complex texts in Spanish

  Coursework

  70%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  30%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SPA2005

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Configurations of the Brazilian City (20 credits)

  ×

  Configurations of the Brazilian City

  Overview

  Over 85% of the population of Brazil lives in cities. In this module, students will explore and engage with a diversity of Brazilian urban configurations, spanning cities of different sizes in different regions of the country (as well as, potentially, cities outside of Brazil in which Brazilian migrants have established a presence). Students will be
  
  introduced to and learn how to analyse varied practices of the occupation and representation of Brazilian urban spaces by their inhabitants and visitors in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, which might include verticalization, auto-construction, migration, mapping, tourism, datafication, performance, events, protest, and commerce/trade, as well as different cultural forms such as film, literature, art, music, digital culture and so on. The module will also foreground diverse perspectives on the city informed by attributes such as race and ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality. Previous knowledge of the Portuguese language and cultures of the Portuguese-speaking world are not required.

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of this module students will be able to: * Critically analyse a range of occupations and representations of Brazilian urban spaces informed by an awareness of their specific features as well as the historical, social, cultural, geographical, and political contexts in which they are undertaken * Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of twentieth and twenty-first century Brazilian urban configurations, grounded in an interdisciplinary approach to the topic and the ability to engage with a range of social and cultural formations * Argue at length and in detail about an aspect of the topic, supporting the argument with evidence from relevant social and cultural material and with opinions from secondary literature.

  Skills

  On successful completion of this module students should have demonstrated: - Interpretive and analytical skills through the critical analysis of varied examples of Brazilian urban occupations and representations - Organisational and time management skills through their use of non-contact time to effectively prepare for and meet deadlines for classes and assessments - Oral and written communication skills through participation in class discussions and completion of coursework assignments - Independent study skills through identifying and making appropriate use of relevant secondary materials - The ability to formulate independent views and their effective expression and deployment in verbal and written form - The ability to combine a variety of IT skills in researching and reporting on a topic (e.g. Word, PowerPoint, Internet, etc).

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SPA2132

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Northern Ireland Conflict and paths to peace (20 credits)

  ×

  The Northern Ireland Conflict and paths to peace

  Overview

  What caused the Northern Irish conflict? What factors sustained it? What role did world leaders, paramilitaries, clergy and local politicians play in progressing the peace process? And what role does civil society, arts, culture and heritage play in building social cohesion?
  This interdisciplinary, team-taught module will draw on expertise from across the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics to explore some of the key themes of the Global Bachelor’s Program. Using Northern Ireland as a case study, it will ask questions about the means through which societies can move from conflict to peace, about the roles that various actors can play in conflict resolution, and about the roles that public representations and explorations of the past can play both in entrenching divisions and in furthering peace and mutual understanding.

  Learning Outcomes

  By the end of this module the successful student should be able to demonstrate in assessed essays, coursework and seminar contributions:
  - A familiarity with the major issues and debates around the development of the Northern Ireland conflict, the peace process, and the role of civil society in peace-building. - A sense of the interrelatedness of political, economic, cultural and social forces in shaping the past
  - An appreciation of the internal and external forces that contributed to the conflict AND helped build peace
  - A heightened sense of the complexity of identity, politics and place in Northern Ireland
  - Demonstrable awareness of the role that arts, culture, heritage and public engagement with the past can play in building social integration.

  Skills

  On completion of this module the student should be able to:
  - Understand and process complex information
  - Engage in sustained and self-directed reading
  - Engage in intellectual discussion based on reading and class content
  - Communicate complex information effectively and with precision in oral presentation and in writing to an academic audience

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HAP2001

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Uniting Kingdoms (20 credits)

  ×

  Uniting Kingdoms

  Overview

  The aim of this module is to examine the interrelationships between the kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1603 to 1815 and the factors contributing to the formation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. It will provide an overview of the principal events and developments following the union of the Crowns in 1603, including the attempts by the Stuart monarchy to promote uniformity, the wars of religion of the mid seventeenth century, Cromwellian rule, the Williamite revolutions in each of the three kingdoms, the Anglo-Scottish Union, church-state relations, Jacobite rebellions, the age of revolutions, and the British-Irish Union.

  Learning Outcomes

  An understanding of the various relationships between England, Ireland, and Scotland and the forces that encouraged the creation of the United Kingdom
  An ability to engage with the most important historiographical debates relating to the subject-matter of the module

  Skills

  Enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically, and evaluate evidence
  Further develop communication skills, both written and oral
  Critical appraisal of, engagement with, and effective use of a variety of sources.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2064

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Recording History (20 credits)

  ×

  Recording History

  Overview

  Students should develop knowledge of twentieth-century social history through a case-study of Belfast. By conducting their own interview, and analysing those conducted by the other members of the group, students should develop a working knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of oral history as a research method and thus enhance their understanding of the broader methodological issues posed by research in modern social history. They should develop team-working skills (through collaborative research on their chosen topic), as well as their capacity for independent learning (through the conduct of one-to-one interviews and the transcription and analysis of those interviews). Oral presentational skills will be developed through reporting on work-in-progress in seminars. The module will, therefore, significantly enhance many of the skills related to the types of employment to which history graduates aspire, i.e. team-working, interpersonal skills, the ability to synthesize large bodies of information, and the compilation of written reports.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of this module, students should have acquired the following skills:
  
  Team-working (through collaborative research on your chosen topic)
  A capacity for independent learning (through the conduct of one-to-one interviews and the transcription and analysis of those interviews).
  Oral presentational and interpersonal skills will be developed through reporting on work-in-progress in seminars and by carrying interviewing.
  The ability to synthesize large bodies of information
  The ability to compile professionally prepared written reports.

  Skills

  Taking Recording History should enable students to:
  
  develop skills in the collection and analysis of primary sources
  gain experience of project management
  develop research skills
  gain experience of pitching project ideas in a non-academic context
  develop experience of the professional compilation and presentation of research results, including footnoting, referencing

  Coursework

  80%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  20%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2063

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Roman Origins of the East and West; From Augustus to Charlemagne (20 credits)

  ×

  The Roman Origins of the East and West; From Augustus to Charlemagne

  Overview

  This course focuses on one of the most exciting periods in the formation of the East and West, namely, the transition between the ancient and medieval worlds. Invasions of ‘barbarian’ hordes across the Rhine and Danube frontiers in the fifth and sixth centuries ended a stable system; in the seventh and eighth centuries, the invasions came from the south, as the forces of Islam exploded from Arabia and changed the Mediterranean Sea from a Roman lake to a contested frontier. In response to these political changes, individuals such as Augustine, Jerome, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory Nazianzos, Basil of Nyssa and John Chrysostom sought to incorporate the Classical heritage into the Christian life. Beginning with the Emperor Augustus, this course charts the development of the Roman empire and surveys its major institutions and culture, from the mechanics of autocracy to the character of polytheism. The success of Christianity within this empire is examined, particularly in relation to persecution and the ways in which the triumphant Christian church shaped ‘late antiquity’ are explored. This world, however, became subject to forces of change that transformed it dramatically. The course proceeds to highlight the significance of Theoderic, King of the Ostrogoths, who strove to unify Roman and barbarian cultures. It also examines Justinian the Great, the Byzantine emperor, whose attempt to reunite the Roman world ultimately failed. This course looks at Rome’s successor states in the East and West, namely medieval Byzantium, Frankish Gaul, Ostrogothic Italy and Visigothic Spain. The emphasis is on the theme of continuity and change. We look at how the Franks, having conquered Gaul, drew on Roman imperial and Christian ideology to legitimise their authority; how the Visigoths, having established their authority in Spain, produced a remarkably rich Roman-based culture; how the Romans of Byzantium, under hammer blows of Gothic, Hunnic and Muslim invasions, forged an enduring Byzantine culture combining Roman polity, Greek civilisation and Christian religion.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Help students think critically, reason logically and evaluate evidence.
  • Develop students’ written and communication skills.
  • Encourage critical appraisal of historical sources.
  • Enable students make effective use of electronic sources

  Skills

  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Late Roman and early medieval history.
  • Make conceptual links between different historical periods and places.
  • Trace concepts and ideas over time.
  • Critically evaluate historical issues and problems in this field.
  • Write essays and develop arguments, making extensive use of both primary and secondary literature in the field

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2049

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The American South, 1865-1980 (20 credits)

  ×

  The American South, 1865-1980

  Overview

  The outcome of the Civil War sealed the destruction of slavery and raised hopes among African Americans and others of a new,more egalitarian social order in the American South. After a promising start in the immediate aftermath of the War,those hopes were crushed beneath the weight of racial reaction and the demands of the region's new industrial order,leaving ordinary southerners of both races languishing amidst intense poverty and racial violence. In this module we will attempt to understand both the remarkable resilience of racial divisions in the American South and the periodic attempts on the part of black and white southerners to challenge regional "tradition".

  Learning Outcomes

  To explore and understand the consequences of the ending of slavery in the American South.

  Skills

  An ability to analyse orally and on paper, the complex issues of race in the context of the American South.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2029

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Politics and Society in 20th Century Ireland (20 credits)

  ×

  Politics and Society in 20th Century Ireland

  Overview

  Home Rule or Union?; Social and economic change; Gaelic revival and parliamentary politics; separatism; the Home Rule/Ulster crisis, 1912-14; war, rebellion and revolution; partition, independence and devolution.

  Learning Outcomes

  To understand the course of Irish development during the remaining years of the Union; partition, independence and devolution in Northern Ireland.

  Skills

  The acquisition and analysis of information; prioritisation and interpretation; effective presentation of written and oral reports.

  Coursework

  30%

  Examination

  60%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2012

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The American South 1619-1865 (20 credits)

  ×

  The American South 1619-1865

  Overview

  In a nation which would later commit itself to upholding the ideals of freedom and democracy, the early American South developed a distinct social order based on the enslavement and subordination of Africans and their descendants. This course will explore the development of southern distinctiveness over two centuries, from the evolution of racial ideology in the early Chesapeake to the armed defence of the South's "peculiar institution" in the Civil War.

  Learning Outcomes

  To explore and understand the unique development and problems of the American South.

  Skills

  The ability to analyse and explain orally and on paper, the complex issues relating to the topic.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2028

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Expansion of Medieval Europe, 1000-1300 (20 credits)

  ×

  The Expansion of Medieval Europe, 1000-1300

  Overview

  A dramatic expansion of medieval Europe occurred between about 1000-1300. This module will explore the growth of kingship and state formation, but will cover not only political history, but also economic and social, religious and cultural change. The main historical themes that dominated and shaped the history of Europe in the central Middle Ages will be explored with a focus on those institutions that laid the foundations for the formation of modern Europe.

  Learning Outcomes

  Students should acquire knowledge of the history of medieval Europe and be able to recognize and evaluate historical debates relating to the content of the module; be able to engage with historical interpretations and to judge between them; be able to evaluate the strengths and limitations of the principal primary sources relating to the module; be able to write informed and critical analysis of the historical issues and problems explored in the module.

  Skills

  Development of skills in critically analysing, contextualising and evaluating different types of written evidence; development of a critical understanding and appraisal of different types of historical writing and of approaches and concepts used by historians;; development of writing skills through formative and assessed coursework and a timed examination; development of oral communicative skills through tutorial presentation.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2047

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Europe between the Wars, 1919-1939 (20 credits)

  ×

  Europe between the Wars, 1919-1939

  Overview

  The course will stress the major themes and distinctive modern conflicts of the interwar period, particularly those resulting from World War I and leading to World War II. Considerable attention will be given to the rise of fascism, Nazism and other forms of right-wing authoritarianism. The internationalisation of the Spanish Civil War will be used as a case study to explore political polarisation and the gradual collapse of the post-Versailles order. Throughout the course, students will become familiar with the cultural and social implications of the interwar clash of ideologies, including the impact on women, children and ethnic minorities.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of this module, students should be able to demonstrate: 1) an understanding of the main political developments that occurred in Europe between the end of the Great War and the outbreak of the Second World War 2) an understanding of the principal phases of the breakdown of the Versailles order 3) an understanding of the reasons for the rise to power of Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini and Hitler, and the social and political consequences of these dictatorships 4) an understanding of the impact of left and right-wing authoritarianism on ethnic minorities, women and children 5) an awareness of the historiography of the interwar period and an ability to engage in key debates on the subject

  Skills

  On completion of this module, students should have acquired the following skills: 1) the ability to engage critically with various kinds of historical evidence, including primary and secondary literature, official documents, documentary and fiction film, photography and the press 2) the ability to distil historical research into a cogent, well-written, well-organized and well-argued essay 3) the ability to engage with confidence and authority in critical discussions with classmates and the tutor on a wide variety of themes related to Interwar Europe 4) the ability to formulate original responses to questions on Europe between the war based on research, reading and tutorial discussion.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2050

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Nationalism and Liberation in 20th Century Africa (20 credits)

  ×

  Nationalism and Liberation in 20th Century Africa

  Overview

  Nationalism has been a key factor in African history since the late 19th Century. How has it emerged, under what forms, how has it evolved, when and how did it become a mass ideology, and what happened to it after the independence of African states in the second half of the 20th Century? This module offers a critical look at these themes, focusing on ideas, cultures and the politics of nationalism and liberation. The module considers different theories and articulate their discussion to a consideration of diverse case studies, e.g. Ghana, Congo, Angola, Mozambique, and South Africa.

  Learning Outcomes

  Students who successfully complete the module should
  • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the history of Africa in the late 19th and 20th centuries;
  • Be able to develop critical arguments about nationalism, liberation and the non-Western world;
  • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of essay writing, archival work, and oral presentation.

  Skills

  Critical writing; archival research; oral presentation.
  Archival research will be kept to a minimum, in an archive in Belfast or online. The oral presentation will be a presentation of archival material to be used for the second essay.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2061

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Revolutionary Europe, 1500-1789 (20 credits)

  ×

  Revolutionary Europe, 1500-1789

  Overview

  The module will examine the revolutionary developments in Europe from the age of the high Renaissance around 1500 to the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 and its aftermath. Although the course content will be structured and delivered chronologically, the main focus of the module will be on those specific events and developments that historians have labelled ‘revolutionary’. Included in the analysis will be the cultural innovations brought on by the Renaissance, the upheavals in the religious world effected by the Reformation, the social and political changes associated with the rise of the state, and the revolution in forms of thought (from the scientific to the political) that emerged during the Age of Enlightenment. The module will end with a close study of the French Revolution, which was in many ways the culmination of the events and developments that make up the content of the module.

  Learning Outcomes

  Students should acquire knowledge of the main historical developments of early modern European history and the extent to which the various revolutionary aspects of the age (from the religious and the cultural to the social and political) led to a fundamental reshaping of society and provided the foundations for the making of the modern age. The student should acquire knowledge and understanding of these historical developments in historical context, by which is meant they should acquire an understanding of the cause, consequences, and basic histories of developments such as the Renaissance, Reformation, state formation, and the rise of political revolution. They should also be able to place the specific developments within the broader dynamic of early modern history, thus acquiring a knowledge of how the various revolutions during this period influenced each other.

  Skills

  The module should enable the student to develop the following skills:
  
  Analytical Thinking: the ability to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments;
  Critical & Independent Thinking: the ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field;
  Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
  Efficient and Effective Work Practice: demonstrate the ability to work efficiently to deadlines for both written work and tutorial presentations;
  Clear Organisation of Information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2057

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The making of contemporary Britain: 1914 to the present (20 credits)

  ×

  The making of contemporary Britain: 1914 to the present

  Overview

  The course examines key debates in British history between 1914 and the present and complements "The making of modern Britain". It charts political, economic and social change in twentieth century Britain, including decolonisation and the loss of empire.

  Learning Outcomes

  At the end of the module, students should have developed an increased ability to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of contemporary British history as well as an enhanced ability to critically evaluate historical issues and problems in this field. Increased ability to discuss key historiographical debates relating to contemporary Britain. Students should also have enhanced ability to prepare written analyses of a primary source that draws upon key secondary literature. Increased ability to gather and synthesise material.

  Skills

  Students should develop an enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically and evaluate evidence, as well as to have further developed written and communication skills. They should also have an increased critical appraisal of and engagement with historical sources. Enhanced ability to make effective use of a range of sources.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2018

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Politics and Society in 19th Century Ireland (20 credits)

  ×

  Politics and Society in 19th Century Ireland

  Overview

  The union and post-union government of Ireland; the development of nationalism and unionism in their different forms; the relationship between religion, politics and society; economic and social development, the famine and emigration; gender relations and the family; the land question and attempts to resolve it; Home Rule and resistance to it; Ireland’s relations with the British empire.

  Learning Outcomes

  Students should understand the key developments in Ireland’s political and social history over the course of the nineteenth century, in terms of continuities and changes.

  Skills

  The acquisition, weighing and assessment of historical information and interpretation. Analytical skills in interpreting and critiquing primary sources. Development of presentation skills involving the analysis and interpretation of material and articulation of evidence-based argument.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  2

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS2011

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

• Year 3

  Core Modules

  International Placement: Languages Year Abroad (100 credits)

  ×

  International Placement: Languages Year Abroad

  Overview

  Students complete a work, volunteer or study placement in fulfilment of the residence abroad requirements of their Modern Languages degree.

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of this module students should be able to demonstrate:
  - Advanced linguistic skills
  - Enhanced cultural and intercultural awareness
  - An understanding of the work environment and professional skills OR an understanding of a different university system and enhanced academic skills
  - Personal development
  
  These skills will be assessed as part of the co-requisite module, either FRH3050 or SPA3050

  Skills

  Students undertaking the placement will develop their skills in the following areas: linguistic skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking); professional or academic skills; cultural and intercultural awareness; personal development.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  100

  Module Code

  MML3040

  Teaching Period

  Full Year

  Duration

  30 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  Yes

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Working and Studying Abroad (20 credits)

  ×

  Working and Studying Abroad

  Overview

  The project will require the student to reflect on their extended period of residence abroad and the skills acquired as a result. It will include a 2000-word essay in the target language or languages. There will also be an oral examination in the target language or languages to be completed in the first half of the first semester following re-enrolment into Level 3.

  Learning Outcomes

  At the end of this module it is intended that you will:\n\nLinguistic Skills:\ndemonstrate advanced competence in the target language in both oral and written contexts\nbe able to understand the spoken language at near-native level\nhave developed enhanced strategies for independent language acquisition\nbe able to prepare and deliver an analytical report and oral presentation in the target language\n\nAcademic/Professional Skills\nhave demonstrated an ability to adapt to a new educational/professional context\nbe able to analyse and reflect critically on these experiences, and to communicate your conclusions orally and in writing\nhave developed an awareness and understanding of the structures and ethos of an educational institution (school/university) or workplace in a foreign country, and draw comparisons with the UK/Ireland\nhave enhanced your employability profile\n\nCultural Awareness\nhave gained an enhanced understanding of the culture and society of the foreign country through the experience of living and working/studying there\nbe able to draw comparisons with those of the UK/Ireland, and reflect critically on your own culture and society

  Skills

  have enhanced personal skills in six key areas (self-management & development, managing tasks, communication, working with others, applying knowledge, problem solving)\nbe able to articulate these skills in such a way that you are able to maximise personal development during residence abroad for your future career

  Coursework

  50%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  50%

  Stage/Level

  3

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SPA3050

  Teaching Period

  Full Year

  Duration

  30 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  Yes

  Core/Optional

  Core

• Year 4

  Core Modules

  Spanish 3 (40 credits)

  ×

  Spanish 3

  Overview

  Building on skills acquired at level 2, and during residence abroad, this module aims to develop advanced competence in the target language. Linguistic, sociolinguistic and cultural awareness will be consolidated and deepened. The module will contain the following elements:
  1. Text- based work in the target language (1 hour per week)
  This contact hour is centred upon skills in persuasive and report writing, drawing upon a variety of contemporary source texts in Spanish, which are grouped thematically. A range of language acquisition and development methods will be employed: group discussion, reading and critical analysis, summary & paraphrase and responsive writing.
  2. Translation into English (1 hour per week)
  Students will build upon translation skills embedded at Levels 1 and 2 to deepen their ability to respond to a range of source text types of an advanced level of difficulty, grouped according to the course themes as for Hour 1. They will also develop editing skills and improve their expression in English.
  3. Contextual study (1 hour per week)
  The research led strand will introduce students to literary, cultural and historical source material from Spain and Latin America, deepening and contextualising the linguistic elements of the module by placing them in a broader socio-historical context.
  4. Conversation class (1 hour per week)
  Conversation class is led by a native speaker of Spanish and complements the content of the Language Hour. Students will meet in small groups to discuss, debate, and present on the main themes of the course

  Learning Outcomes

  On Successful completion of the Module Students should:
  
  1) Be able to demonstrate a high level of fluency, accuracy and spontaneity in their written and spoken Spanish, including the use of a broad variety of linguistic structures and vocabulary, congruent with carrying out activities in Spanish in a professional environment
  2) Be able to deal with a broad variety of material in the target language, including material which is complex and abstract, and which involves a variety of genres, dialects and registers;
  3) Be able to synthesise knowledge, identify key points, and structure and present arguments at a high level in a range of formats and registers

  Skills

  On successful completion of the modules students should have developed the following range of skills: Advanced skills in translation and textual analysis; the ability to argue at length and in detail about a topic in both Spanish & English, lexicographical skills; report writing skills; IT skills; presentation skills; spoken language skills

  Coursework

  45%

  Examination

  35%

  Practical

  20%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  40

  Module Code

  SPA3101

  Teaching Period

  Full Year

  Duration

  24 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  Yes

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Optional Modules

  Paths to Independence and Decolonisation in India and East Africa (20 credits)

  ×

  Paths to Independence and Decolonisation in India and East Africa

  Overview

  This module explores different, yet interconnected, paths towards independence in India and East Africa. On the surface the Independence movements in India, Kenya and Tanzania have little in common. India became independent in 1947, Tanzania in 1961 and Kenya in 1963. Leaving aside the partition of British India into what is today India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, independence for the subcontinent was already being discussed since about the First World War, whereas Kenya saw the emergence of a strong majority national movement only after the Second World War. However, there existed cultural and political connections between the Indian Subcontinent and East Africa which played a significant role in the struggle for independence in these regions. This course aims at illuminating the circulation of political ideas and the way in which they acquired specific meaning in local contexts. Moreover, the course highlights the importance of South-South connections in the making of the modern nation-state in Asia and Africa. Students will be expected to engage with a range of interdisciplinary sources such as governmental reports, political tracts, film documentaries, oral testimony and fiction.

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
  Acquired knowledge and informed understanding of nationalist movements in Asia and Africa, their specific characteristics, and the connections and links between the countries studied.
  Analyzed and discussed a wide range of source materials.
  Confidently evaluate a range of relevant historiographical debates and approaches.
  Analyse a multiplicity of primary sources.
  Evaluate evidence for continuity and change across the period, and compare regional variations.

  Skills

  Students will improve their ability to engage with and critique a variety of historical interpretations.
  Students will develop their ability to identify and locate primary and secondary sources and to exploit them in constructing sustained and coherent arguments.
  Students will enhance their self-confidence, team-working and oral and written communication skills by engaging in group discussions, making presentations, and submitting written work.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3133

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Long Sexual Revolution: Family Life in Western Europe, 1945-1970s (20 credits)

  ×

  The Long Sexual Revolution: Family Life in Western Europe, 1945-1970s

  Overview

  The Second World War caused enormous upheaval to families across Europe, separating parents and children as well as couples and resulting in an estimated 11 million children having lost one or more parents by 1945. The project of the reconstruction of post-war Western European society placed a huge emphasis on reuniting families, where possible, and reconstructing the so-called traditional family. As the Cold War took hold, the idea of the ‘traditional’ – nuclear, Christian – family also came to be seen as a bulwark against the threat of Communism. However the return to traditional family life after 1945 was in large part an illusion, since the impact of war was so deep that there could be no return to normal. The long separation of war put enormous strain on the couples and families who were reunited, while aerial bombardment meant that millions had lost their homes: separation, divorce and single mothers were common features of the late 1940s. The war also changed how psychologists thought about parents and children: witnessing the trauma of children in war sparked a new focus on children and childhood in psychoanalysis.
  
  By the 1950s, Western European society was also being transformed in new ways: migration was transforming European cities into modern, multicultural spaces, while villages and farmlands across Europe were being emptied of people. The scale of social change meant that political and religious authorities also felt the so-called traditional family to be under threat, prompting moral panics about women and youth. By the late 1960s, it was clear that the ‘traditional family’ of conservative, Christian rhetoric was deeply out of touch with reality. The ‘sexual revolution’ of the 1960s gave way to wide-scale youth revolt by the end of the decade. The 1968 protests which erupted across schools and universities in France, Italy, West Germany and beyond, were above all a generational rebellion. The second-wave feminist and gay liberation movements of the 1970s continued their radical critique of the family, suggesting new communal forms of living were the answer.
  
  This module will examine the political importance of the family in the post-war reconstruction and the Cold War, setting the rhetoric of political and religious leaders against the reality of changing family life, while exploring how new ideas of family life emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. We will draw on the history of the emotions to discuss changing family relationships. We will also examine how ideas about children, childhood and adolescence changed over the late twentieth century from the fears about feral ‘wolf children’ playing in the rubble of bombed cities to the emergence of the teenager in the 1960s. While the focus will be on Western Europe, with case studies drawn from France, Britain, Italy and West Germany, we will also examine the alternative ways of thinking about the family that emerged from communism. Tutorials will focus on source analysis and discussion: primary sources will be drawn from newspapers, political posters, novels, memoirs and films as well as manifestos and oral history interviews.
  
  Weekly topics may include:
  
  Displaced children after 1945
  Returning veterans and post-war families
  The family as Cold War propaganda
  Moral panics about 1950s youth
  Race, migration and multiculturalism in Britain and France
  Migration and the family in southern Europe
  Radical ideas about family in 1960s Italy and West Germany

  Learning Outcomes

  Aims
  
  • Explore a variety of approaches to the history of the family, as they apply to late twentieth-century Europe.
  • Examine the history of family life in late twentieth-century Europe as it intersects with cultural, social and political developments in history from the impact of World War II, the rise of consumer society, developments in medicine and technology to the rise of youth cultures, counter cultures and protest movements.
  • Prompt reflection and debate about how and why the private, intimate sphere of family life can become the subject of political and religious concern.
  
  Objectives
  
  Having successfully completed the module, you should be able to:
  
  • Understand the different methodological approaches to the modern history of the family.
  • Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of different types of primary sources including personal testimonies, manifestos, fiction and mass media sources such as film, magazines and documentaries.
  • Discuss how commercial, religious and political forces have shaped people’s attitudes to family life, emotions and relationships over the course of the late twentieth century.
  • Be able to draw connections and comparisons across time and space, using the case studies covered in the module.

  Skills

  In completing this module you will develop the following skills:
  
  • Analysing and discussing a range of primary sources in textual, visual and audio-visual forms
  • Working individually and as part of a group to analyse sources and readings, and to present historical arguments
  • Examining and evaluating the arguments of other historians
  • Presenting your arguments and analyses in written form

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3023

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Twentieth-Century China (20 credits)

  ×

  Twentieth-Century China

  Overview

  This module examines the last century for the most populous country in the world. During that period China experienced far-reaching changes and after a long submission period to the Western powers reaffirmed its central role on the global stage. In terms of political structures, there was a move from empire to republic, and then from a right wing to a left wing mono party rule. In that regard, the century can be split into before and after World War Two, when the leadership of the country was first in the hands of the Chinese Nationalist Party led by Sun Yatsen and then Chiang Kaishek, and since 1949 by the Chinese Communist Party led by Mao Zedong, then Deng Xiaoping and his successors. The twentieth century for China also witnessed epochal changes regarding society and culture, including the New Cultural Movement, the May Four Movement, the emancipation of women, and opposition to Confucian values. The course also presents the intricate foreign policy, which passed from a tributary system, to Japanese occupation, to a central player of the Cold War in Asia, and to a central player in the globalized world of today.

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
  • Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of the political and social changes of twentieth-century Chinese history.
  • Confidently evaluate a range of relevant historiographical debates and approaches.
  • Analyse and evaluate in translation a variety of primary sources drawn from across the period.
  • Evaluate evidence for continuity and change across the period, and compare regional variations.

  Skills

  • Students will improve their ability to engage with and critique a variety of historical interpretations.
  • Students will develop their ability to identify and locate primary and secondary sources and to exploit them in constructing sustained and coherent arguments.
  • Students will enhance their self-confidence, team-working and oral and written communication skills by engaging in group discussions, making presentations, and submitting written work.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3132

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Ancient City (20 credits)

  ×

  The Ancient City

  Overview

  This module considers the ancient Greco-Roman city as a dynamic form of settlement, from its origins in archaic Greece to its demise (or transformation) in the late antique West. Our readings will include ancient discussions of the political and economic roles of cities and of urban architecture and design, as well as depictions in prose and poetry of everyday life in imperial Rome and classical Athens. We will also examine the material remains of these two ancient “mega-cities” and of the smaller but well-preserved cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. We will attempt to formulate our own definition(s) of the ancient city, and we will trace changes in the organization and uses of urban space, and in ancient writers’ conceptions of the political, social, economic, and religious roles of cities, over the course of classical antiquity.

  Learning Outcomes

  - An understanding of the historical and geographical diversity of ancient Mediterranean urbanism.
  - An ability to recognize and evaluate historical debates (both ancient and modern) relating to the development of the Greco-Roman city.
  - An ability to evaluate the wide range of textual and material-cultural evidence pertaining to the Greco-Roman city.

  Skills

  - The ability to engage with historical interpretations and to judge between them, both orally and in written form.
  - The ability to evaluate the strengths and limitations of diverse primary and secondary sources.
  - The ability to locate relevant sources and to construct a consistent written argument from them.
  - The confidence to discuss, present and articulate arguments to peers.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3129

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Sin Cities? Everyday Life in the Modern Metropolis (20 credits)

  ×

  Sin Cities? Everyday Life in the Modern Metropolis

  Overview

  What, when and - perhaps most importantly - where was modernity? Were cities merely the inactive sites or containers of emerging economic, social and cultural processes, or was urbanity a fundamental part of what it meant to be living in a ‘modern age’? ‘Sin Cities’ explores these questions through the study of metropolitan centres in the Western world between c.1880-1939. You will be taken through urban life in places such as London, New York, Paris and Berlin – and the pleasures, anxieties and identities that they came to represent.
  
  The course begins with the late-nineteenth century growth of both academic and popular belief in the idea that cities were now somehow different to what had come before – new, shocking, and possibly the end (or maybe the beginning?) of Western society. Following lectures and tutorials range widely across a diverse field of analytical approaches and topics, including: sexuality sub-cultures; shopping and entertainment; miscegenation and ‘slumming’; prostitution and ‘sexual danger’; and the rise of urban sociology. We will end the module by debating the importance of the ‘urban variable’, and its value as a distinct category of historical analysis.

  Learning Outcomes

  i) Students will acquire knowledge and understanding of urban history as a specific discipline.
  ii) Students will be able to critique the concept of ‘modernity’ in a Western framework.
  ii) Students will hone their capability to understand different theoretical approaches (gender, class, sexuality) relevant to social history more broadly.
  iv) Students will be able to understand the history of different countries in a comparative framework.

  Skills

  i) Students will enhance their ability to critically analyse different primary sources in connection with secondary literature.
  ii) Students will increase their confidence and ability to orally present analysis and argument, working in groups.
  iii) Students will increase their ability to organise and synthesise secondary literature in a coherent argument.

  Coursework

  60%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  40%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3128

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Diaspora: Irish 19th-century migration (20 credits)

  ×

  Diaspora: Irish 19th-century migration

  Overview

  This module investigates the making of the Irish diaspora; explores factors that led unprecedented numbers of Irish migrants to permanently leave the country of their birth in the course of the 19th century and comparatively assesses the often challenging experiences of Irish migrants in the leading host societies of Britain, the United States and Australia. It also assesses the Irish migrant outflow against the backdrop of European migration to ascertain the distinctive features of Irish 19th-century migration. Course contents: Week 1 Introduction to migration history Week 2 The Scattering: the Irish case study Week 3 The key features of a diaspora Week 4 Pre-famine migratory patterns Week 5 Famine migration Week 6 Post-famine migration Week 7 Women and Irish migration Week 8 Host society analysis I: Britain Week 9 Host society analysis II: The United States Week 10 Host society analysis III: Australia - convict migration Week 11 Host society analysis IV: Australia - free settler migration

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of this module, students will:
  
  In Understand the social and economic conditions in Ireland, and in recipient countries over the course of a century; Comprehend why people leave their country of birth; the difficulties and prejudices they often face in their new homelands; and the impact of migration on the place of birth and to the place of destination; Develop a wider and deeper understanding of the experience of Irish migration and the historical debates that surround the Irish diaspora; Understand the occupational and residential distribution of Irish migrants, paying particular attention to regional diversity and gender difference; An Be aware of the comparative aspect of migration studies; AN Be able to investigate migration in a rigorous academic manner Co Communicate historical arguments effectively both orally and in writing Have knowledge of Irish immigrants’ political, cultural and religious affiliation and the complex and problematic questions of ethnic identity, ethnic fade and attitudes to migrant populations which are issues of considerable contemporary resonance.

  Skills

  Managing and Prioritising Knowledge: identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; manage such information in an independent manner Analytical Thinking: identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; construct independent arguments Critical and Independent Thinking: ability to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field professional and career development skills Communication Skills: ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing Diversity: ability to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment Self-Reflexivity: ability to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development Time Management: ability to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; cope with stress; and achieve a work / life balance Practical and technical skills: demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT/historical databases/online archival resources. Organisational skills: Efficient and effective work practice: demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines Clear organisation of information: show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information Organisation and communication: demonstrate ability to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; show ability for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way Enterprising thinking: Demonstrate ability to think and argue in novel and enterprising ways, to display originality of thought and argument and the ability to clearly support arguments by the use of historical evidence

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3137

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Afterlives of the Empire: Decolonisation in the Portuguese-speaking World (20 credits)

  ×

  Afterlives of the Empire: Decolonisation in the Portuguese-speaking World

  Overview

  This module aims at discussing decolonisation (from political and military to cultural; from the 1970s to present day), and its effects in contemporary Portugal and in the former Portuguese colonies in Africa through a critical study of the end of the empire and its aftermath. Focusing on specific
  
  themes and case studies, the module will enable students to become familiar with relevant postcolonial and decolonial theoretical approaches and use them in the in-depth study of different types of primary sources (e.g. film, biography, speeches, literary text, photography, posters, music). Although the detail of the programme may be subject to variation, the topics for discussion are likely to include the following: representation, self-representation, race, gender, identity, heroic reputations, citizenship and nationalism.

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of the module students should be able to: - Demonstrate a deep knowledge and understanding of the specific topics studied; - Employ relevant theoretical and analytical approaches to the reading of primary sources; - Demonstrate the ability to analyse primary source materials; - Discuss key topics in a critical and analytical way, and build a coherent argument, both orally and in written form; - Demonstrate the ability to work efficiently in collaboration with colleagues; - Demonstrate an ability to summarise and critically engage with scholarship on the area of study; - Identify and develop relevant topics for independent research and study, with the support of the tutor.

  Skills

  On successful completion of this module students should have demonstrated: - Interpretive and analytical skills through the study of postcoloniality and decoloniality in Portugal and Portuguese-speaking Africa; - Organisational skills through their use of non-contact time to effectively prepare for classes and assessment; - Oral and written communication skills through class discussion and presentations; - Independent study skills through identifying and using relevant secondary reading material; - The ability to formulate independent views and their effective expression and deployment in verbal and written form.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SPA3132

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  2666 by Roberto Bolaño (20 credits)

  ×

  2666 by Roberto Bolaño

  Overview

  This module gives students the opportunity to engage with one of the so-called ‘classics’ of contemporary Hispanic literature. It is hoped that reading Roberto Bolaño’s novel 2666, which extends to almost 1000 pages, will prove a challenging yet rewarding experience for final year students. The course will require students to embark on a semester long endeavour to develop a comprehensive understanding of the novel and its complexities. Students will be required to compile an annotated bibliography, consisting of 6 journal articles or chapters, in preparation for writing an essay on a question that they will set, in consultation with the lecturer, on a topic of their choosing. At least two of the texts discussed in the annotated bibliography must be written in Spanish. This module is designed to introduce students to some of the skills they would need to undertake an independent research project.

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of the course, student should:
  
  • Be able to demonstrate detailed knowledge of the text 2666 and identify suitable evidence from the text to construct an argument on a given topic
  • Understand the range of critical debates surrounding the text and use evidence from secondary literature to construct an argument
  • Have an understanding of the various contexts to which the novel refers
  • Have demonstrated the ability to read and understand works of fiction and academic criticism in Spanish.

  Skills

  On successful completion of the course, student should be able to:
  • Conduct a simple literature search and be familiar with resources such as JSTOR, Project Muse and SciELO
  • Select the most relevant sources from a wide selection available
  • Summarise and evaluate secondary academic literature with particular attention to whether it is useful in addressing a particular question
  • At an advanced level students should be able to point out problems or gaps in scholarly literature and analysis
  • Begin to formulate research question(s) based on reading primary and secondary literature.
  • Construct an argument based around a research question
  • Use evidence from primary and secondary literature to construct an argument
  • Be able to acknowledge differing opinions found in secondary sources
  • Interpret a literary text recognising nuance and ambiguity

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SPA3004

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Exceptional Origins of the American Republic (20 credits)

  ×

  The Exceptional Origins of the American Republic

  Overview

  The Italian Renaissance statesman, political philosopher and historian Niccolò Machiavelli is best known for his treatise The Prince. Machiavelli’s creation of the archetype of the autocratic ruler has been admired by countless statesmen, historians and political scientists ever since.
  
  It may therefore come as a surprise that the righteous “New World” Founders of the American Republic were almost without exception devoted followers of the “Old World” Machiavellian Prince. John Adams, for one, confessed that he was a keen “student” of Machiavelli, dubbing him “the restorer of true politics,” and a man who had brought about a “revival of reason in matters of government.” Needless to say, this poses some awkward questions around what Adams lovingly described as “Our pure, virtuous, public spirited federative Republick.”
  
  But Machiavelli was not the only political thinker the American Founders turned to for ideas about how to build a new Republic that would withstand the test of time. In fact, they read just about every author who had written on the rise and fall of states. This poses a range of intriguing historical, political and constitutional questions. For if the nation state that the Americans cobbled together from examples they had found in previous philosophers, political historians and other writers, then how did they come up with the idea for an America that was ‘exceptional’ and hence unique among modern nations?
  
  In this module we will be exploring America’s supposedly “exceptional” liberal tradition, destined by God himself to thrive for ever in a Republic beyond the reach of despotism, in which governments exists solely because they derive “their just powers from the consent of the governed.” And yet for many outside America, it is a nation that is socially, racially, economically, politically, ecologically, and morally broken. That said, America put humans on the moon (surely for some good reason) and relieved the world of many a dictator (though often not for legitimate reasons). And those who like to take aim at America’s social deprivation and capitalist greed, need to explain why socialism never even came close to getting a foothold in the country.
  
  In this module we will be looking at how the nation that arose from the American Revolution and subsequently put its undisputable mark on the course of history (for better or for worse), comes across to many non-Americans as a phenomenon that is self-contradictory, if not wholly irrational. For that reason, this module sits at the confluence of political idealism and historical experience. Methodologically, the topic is wedged between the history of ideas and what may be described the history of fact or event.

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of this module, students will:
  
  
  • Be able to integrate the history and politics of the US within world historical, political and cultural developments, particularly within a transatlantic context
  • Be able to recognize recognize the key social and political events that marked the settlement of the Americas and the creation of the United States
  • have gained an understanding of the processes of colonization, nationhood, and identity formation in the context of the America
  • will be able to negotiate the different disciplinary aims and methodologies of the history of ideas and history proper
  • will have an understanding of the interdependent relation between a nation’s—notably America—ideas and ideologies on the one hand, and historical event and experience on the other

  Skills

  • are able to use primary sources in fashioning arguments
  • are able to analyze and interpret historiographical, literary, sociopolitical and philosophical sources as well as cultural artefacts
  • can make constructive contributions to class discussions and reproduce relevant material under exam conditions
  • have some grasp of how to situate their own interpretations of this period in a broader historiographical fabric have improved oral and writing skills
  • Students will learn to build these sources first into their essay, and then into their take-home exam essays.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3142

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Surviving the Victorian city: poverty, welfare and public health in nineteenth-century Belfast (20 credits)

  ×

  Surviving the Victorian city: poverty, welfare and public health in nineteenth-century Belfast

  Overview

  Using Belfast as a case study, this module will explore the dichotomy between industrial and economic growth and the poverty and disease that accompanied it with the emergence of the industrial city in nineteenth-century Ireland and Britain. We will examine the social conditions that accompanied industrialisation and urbanisation and the experiences of the poorest in society as they sought to survive the city. We will seek to understand the various factors that led families into destitution, the ways in which they sought to get by, and how they engaged with welfare authorities and the workhouse as a last resort. We will also examine societal attitudes towards poverty and disease and explore the attempts by welfare and civic authorities to tackle these. There will be an emphasis on the role of the poor law in health and welfare in the latter half of the century, and a focus on the experience of specific groups such as women, children, and the sick.

  Learning Outcomes

  Students will identify the main factors that drove Belfast’s urban and industrial growth during the nineteenth century and will be able to place this in the wider context of both Ireland and Britain. They will understand the social consequences of rapid urbanisation and the challenges around poverty and public health that this presented, and will engage with historiographical debates around poverty and welfare in the nineteenth-century city. They will develop a clear understanding of the poor law and how it operated in the nineteenth-century city.
  
  They will critically examine a range of primary sources, examining how these can be approached in order to uncover attitudes towards poverty and the poor and the ways in which society sought to address poverty, destitution and disease. In particular students will become familiar with the types of sources that can help uncover the lived experiences of the poorest in society.

  Skills

  Students will improve their critical skills and their ability to engage with historiographical debates. They will develop their ability to locate and use a range of primary sources and to apply these appropriately to independent historical research Students will develop their communication skills, understanding and articulating complex ideas in a variety of written forms, and engaging in discussion and debate over a range of issues.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3140

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Extermination: History and Memory of the Murdered Jews of Europe (20 credits)

  ×

  Extermination: History and Memory of the Murdered Jews of Europe

  Overview

  This is a final-year UG taught module devoted to the destruction of European Jewry during the Second World War. The module will treat separately the following components of the history and memory of an event often referred to as the Holocaust or Shoah, but here called “the Extermination”: 1. The origins of the Jewish peoples some 5,000 years ago and their eventual settlement in North Africa and Europe near the end of the Ancient period. 2. The flowering of Jewish culture in the Middle Ages and Early Modern periods. 3. The growth of antisemitism and anti-Jewish pogroms across Europe from the late 19th C., spawning successive waves of emigration. 4. The peculiar qualities of Nazified antisemitism in Germany from 1933, included the piecemeal and soon wholesale denial of civil rights for German Jews. 5. Wartime escalation of the persecution of Jews, both in Germany and across occupied Europe. 6. The transition to ghettoization, and then extermination, resulting in the murder of six million Jewish persons by spring 1945. 7. The implication in the Extermination of a wide array of collaborators beyond Nazi Germans, including bystanders, neighbors, neutral governments and the Allies. 8. Post-1945 memory wars, stalled attempts at reparations and restitutions, and the creation of public history research centers and memorials. 9. The struggles to represent the Extermination, on the stage, in the cinema, on the page and in other media. 10. The more recent biological imperative for historians to reinvent Holocaust Studies as the last wartime survivors and eyewitnesses die out.

  Learning Outcomes

  * an understanding of the destruction of the Jews of Europe between 1939 and 1945, in the context of previous and later historical developments * knowledge of a variety of historical sources from this period, including official documents and the press, memoirs, novels, films and images, as well as with secondary materials and historiographical debates appearing books and articles * knowledge of the wartime European political regimes and their ideologies that gave rise to exterminationist antisemitism * an understanding of the outlook and experiences of various sectors of Jewish society over the course of WWII, including women and children * an understanding of the post-war emergence of Holocaust studies and the various ways that the Extermination was remembered, memorialised, but also trivialised and falsified * an appreciation of the depths of the problems of representation, on the screen and on the page, as well as in other forms of representation * an understanding of the key role of survivor testimonies in creating narratives of the Extermination, and the current crises of transition to a post-survivor re-invention of Holocaust studies.

  Skills

  * to promote the development of key skills required to study history effectively * the ability to identify and select information relevant to the topic area from a variety of sources * the ability to analyse and evaluate evidence and argument * the ability to present your own arguments in essays, using appropriate evidence to support your views * the ability to work effectively within a group, making appropriate contributions to discussions, debates and tasks, as well as contributing and presenting a small group presentation * to hone public speaking skills and confidence, through discussions, debates and presentations

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3139

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Imperfect Heroines: Spanish Fiction in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (20 credits)

  ×

  Imperfect Heroines: Spanish Fiction in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

  Overview

  This module will look at fictional works featuring female protagonists in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Spanish fiction, starting with the Romantic period and ending around 1975. Through studying a group of fictional works together with a selection of essays and non-fictional writing from the same authors, the module will consider how women have been portrayed as individuals and how they have been typecast. Students will gain an understanding of how these approaches were justified, how they related to other contemporary concerns and debates, and how they evolved over time, from Romanticism’s ideal woman, to the gender conventions of the Restoration, the ‘mujer nueva’ of the fin de siglo, or the ‘chica rara’ of Francoist Spain. Texts studied will be subject to availability and may include Espronceda’s El estudiante de Salamanca, Alas’s La Regenta, Pardo Bazán’s Memorias de un solterón, Chacel’s Memorias de Leticia Valle, Quiroga’s Tristura, or Martín Gaíte’s El cuarto de atrás.

  Learning Outcomes

  On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
  -demonstrate a broad understanding of the major developments in Spanish literature from the 1830s to the 1970s;
  -demonstrate broad knowledge of the major political and social developments of this period;
  -demonstrate detailed knowledge of the primary texts;
  -analyse literary fiction in terms of socio-political context;
  -effectively summarize and critically evaluate theoretical and abstract arguments while demonstrating an awareness of the context in which they were produced;
  -identify a work of literary fiction that meets specific criteria and compile a bibliography of academic studies on that text

  Skills

  On successful completion of this module, students should have demonstrated:
  -information processing skills, through surveying, evaluating, comparing and synthesizing information from a broad range of sources relating to Spanish literary, political and social history, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries;
  -the ability to present clear and convincing arguments with appropriate and cogent use of evidence from primary and secondary sources, through oral discussions in the classroom and written work submitted for formal assessment;
  -independent study and research skills, by carrying out independent bibliographical searches and presenting findings in a scholarly fashion

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SPA3054

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Spanish Enlightenment (20 credits)

  ×

  The Spanish Enlightenment

  Overview

  The module looks at the literature and history of Spain between 1700 and 1814, when the war of independence finished. It concentrates especially on the reign of Carlos III, which opened the doors of the nations to modernity.

  Learning Outcomes

  To familarise students with the principal ideas of the enlightenment and to assess their impact on the development of Spanish history; to enable students to trace XIX and XX century cultural and political conflicts back to their XVIII century roots.

  Skills

  To situate literature in its historical and political context;critical reading of texts leading to a deeper understanding of literary strategy; analysis of the interplay between the history of ideas and politics.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SPA3022

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Irish Revolution, 1917-1921 (20 credits)

  ×

  The Irish Revolution, 1917-1921

  Overview

  The module will explore revolutionary politics in Ireland between 1916 and 1921. Key themes will include the rise of Sinn Fein following the Easter Rising, the establishment of Dail Eireann, the Irish Volunteers' military campaign and the British government's response to these political and military challenges. The course will make use of a wide range of local and thematic studies to investigate controversial questions relating to the Irish revolution: what factors motivated republicans, how important was sectarianism in revolutionary violence, why did some areas of the country see little fighting and how important a factor was the north?

  Learning Outcomes

  An ability to identify the key issues and themes of this period. An understanding of the importance of the economic, social and cultural forces which contributed to the political events of this period. An ability to assess and evaluate a range of approaches to the key controversies relating to the Irish revolution. An understanding of the historiography of the Irish Revolution.

  Skills

  The ability to demonstrate an argument based on study of documents and secondary readings in a written essay and examination paper. Oral participation in tutorials through debate and presentations. Assessing and evaluating conflicting arguments in the secondary literature.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3073

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Soviet Union 1921-1991 (20 credits)

  ×

  The Soviet Union 1921-1991

  Overview

  The political, social, economic and international conditions leading to Bolshevik success after 1917; the nature of the Soviet state as evolving under Lenin ; the evolution of Stalin's personal rule and the Stalinist system; the nature and limits of de-stalinization under Kruschchev.

  Learning Outcomes

  To understand the Bolshevik takeover of Russia, the adaption of Marxism to Russian conditions and the adjustment of the peoples of Russia to such circumstances.

  Skills

  To discover, assess and select evidence mainly from secondary sources, to interpret and evaluate this material, to envisage the ways of thinking in a very different environment.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3039

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Origins of Protestantism (20 credits)

  ×

  The Origins of Protestantism

  Overview

  The module will examine the rise of Protestantism in the early modern period (1517-1740), from the onset of the Reformation in Germany and Switzerland to the spread of the movement throughout Europe and America to the eve of the mainstream Enlightenment.

  Learning Outcomes

  To introduce students to history of confessional development in Europe; to encourage critical thought.

  Skills

  Analysis of textual evidence (primary and secondary) and the ability to formulate arguments in written and oral form.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3022

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Rewriting Love in the Renaissance (20 credits)

  ×

  Rewriting Love in the Renaissance

  Overview

  This course will explore the development of the amorous lyric in Golden Age Spain through the study both of major and minor writers of that period. Close readings of these poets will raise questions about poetic canons, intertextuality and the practice of imitation in the Renaissance, relations between poetry and nationality. Emphasis will be placed upon the function of classical mythology both as allusive reference highlighting individual poetic concerns and as social indicator reflecting Spain's changing perception of its place in the World.

  Learning Outcomes

  To familiarise students with a crucial period of Spain's cultural history, adetailed critical understanding of the work of representative poets.

  Skills

  Enhanced appreciation of an important literary genre of Golden Age Spain, close reading skills; the ability to relate poetic texts to a cultural context and developing tradition.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  SPA3021

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Popular Culture in England 1500-1700 (20 credits)

  ×

  Popular Culture in England 1500-1700

  Overview

  Exploration of the cultural world of ordinary people in early modern Europe; the forms of popular culture; the relationship between elite and popular culture; the methodology historians have developed in order to study popular culture.

  Learning Outcomes

  To generate interest in early modern popular culture in Europe; to encourage critical thought.

  Skills

  Absorbing and evaluating various forms of evidence; constructing arguments in written form.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3018

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Dissertation (40 credits)

  ×

  Dissertation

  Overview

  Students will research and write a dissertation of 10,000-12,000 words on an appropriate subject negotiated with a member of staff.

  Learning Outcomes

  Students will have gained a detailed knowledge of the secondary literature and primary sources relating to a specific historical problem, and will have acquired first hand experience of the processes involved in producing a piece of historical writing based on primary sources.

  Skills

  Students will acquire skills in identifying, locating, and gathering information from a variety of sources, in analysing evidence and formulating reasoned conclusions, and in presenting the results of research and analysis in an appropriate format.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  40

  Module Code

  HIS3077

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The Rise of Christianity 2: The Conversion of the Roman Empire (20 credits)

  ×

  The Rise of Christianity 2: The Conversion of the Roman Empire

  Overview

  A study of the growth of the Christian community within the Roman world from the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (AD 70) to the death of Constantine the Great (AD 337). Students will assess the variety and character of early Christian teaching; the appearance and definition of heresies; the literary interaction between the upholders of Roman religio and Christians; the nature and extent of persecution within the Roman empire; the conversion of Constantine the Great (c. AD 312) and its significance for the Roman empire.

  Learning Outcomes

  To understand the methods used for the resconstruction of an historical topic and acquire advanced perspectives of early Christianity in its Roman context.

  Skills

  Advanced development of skills of analysis and evaluation, in particular the organization and interpretation of widely scattered and frequently fragmentary source material.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3071

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Religion and Empire: Christian Missions ro Africa, Asia and Middle East (20 credits)

  ×

  Religion and Empire: Christian Missions ro Africa, Asia and Middle East

  Overview

  Christian missions are often seen as old fashioned, but for long they were at the forefront of modernity. They carried modernity overseas and brought back fresh ideas which helped shape new societies. This course investigates when and how Christian overseas expansion happened; how missionaries related to empire and indigenous peoples; why and how Africans or Asians chose to convert; what they did with the Christianitywith which they were confronted; and how missionary activities contributed to the elaboration of new ideas of race, class and scientific knowledge at home.

  Learning Outcomes

  Students who successfully complete the module should
  • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the history of Christian expansion in the 19th and 20th centuries;
  • Be able to develop critical arguments about religion and modernity in the West and in the rest of the world;
  • Be able to engage successfully with archival material;
  • Be able to demonstrate an understanding of the requirements of essay writing, bibliographic work, and oral presentation.

  Skills

  Critical writing; archival research; oral presentation.
  Archival research will be kept to a minimum, in an archive in Belfast or online. The oral presentation will be a presentation of archival material to be used for the second (major) essay.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3099

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Kings, courts and culture in Carolingian Europe (20 credits)

  ×

  Kings, courts and culture in Carolingian Europe

  Overview

  This module focuses on the pivotal role played by the Carolingians in the intellectual and cultural formation of Europe. To this period, historians traditionally ascribe the following developments: the growth in the production of manuscripts, proliferation of scriptoria and preservation of classical writings. Key topics will be the royal patronage of artistic and literary activity; the vigorous use of Roman and Christian ideology, ritual and imagery; the growing interest in logic in the Carolingian schools; and the appearance of important scholars, philosophers and poets, most famously John Scottus Eriugena.

  Learning Outcomes

  On completion of this module, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the following areas: Carolingian intellectual history, critical evaluation of historical issues and problems in this field, the historiographical debates relating to the Carolingian period, both primary and secondary literature in the field, how to gather and synthesise material relating to ninth-century Carolingian history

  Skills

  This module should help students develop their skills in the following areas: 1) Critical thinking and logical reasoning 2) Evaluation of evidence 3) Analysis of arguments 4)Construction of an argument 5)Oral communication 6)Written communication 7)Use of primary sources

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3079

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Evangelical Protestantism in Ulster: From the United Irishmen to Ian Paisley (20 credits)

  ×

  Evangelical Protestantism in Ulster: From the United Irishmen to Ian Paisley

  Overview

  This course considers the religion and politics of protestants in Ulster from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. It examines the interplay of religious, social, and political developments by considering a number of themes. These include, the formation of the United Irishmen and the 1798 rebellion, the rise and significance of evangelicalism, the response of churches to urban growth and industrialisation, religious revivalism and missionary activity, the development of unionist politics, and church-state relations in Northern Ireland. Students will be encouraged to place Irish developments in a broader context. They will encounter a range of primary source material including pamphlets, newspapers, sermons, and official reports.

  Learning Outcomes

  An understanding of the relationships between the religion and politics of protestants in the north of Ireland.
  
  An ability to engage with the most important historiographical debates relating to the subject-matter of the module.
  
  An ability to evaluate critically, and place in their particular historical context, primary documentary sources relating to the subject-matter of the module.
  
  An ability to write an informed analysis of the historical problems discussed in the module.

  Skills

  Enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically, and work independently.
  
  Further develop communication skills, both written and oral.
  
  Critical appraisal of, engagement with, and effective use of a variety of historical sources.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3046

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  The American Civil War and Reconstruction, 1860-1877 (20 credits)

  ×

  The American Civil War and Reconstruction, 1860-1877

  Overview

  Against the backdrop of increasing tensions over slavery, Abraham Lincoln posed the question in 1855 of whether the United States could “as a nation, continue together permanently—forever—half slave and half free.” The answer came in 1861, when war broke out between the federal government at Washington and the newly seceded Confederacy. The American Civil War and the period of Reconstruction that followed are sometimes referred to by historians as a “Second American Revolution”: together they constitute one of the most dramatic social upheavals of the nineteenth century world, and their outcome established the foundations upon which—for better or worse—the modern United States would be built.
  Making use of a range of primary sources and some of the best recent scholarship in the vibrant field of Civil War & Reconstruction historiography, we will approach the events through close examination of key historical problems: sectionalism and the causes of war; Lincoln, war and emancipation; slavery and grand strategy, North and South; and Reconstruction & the limits of black freedom.

  Learning Outcomes

  To explore and understand this critical period in the history of the United States.

  Skills

  The ability to analyse and explain both orally and on paper, the complex issues relating to this topic.

  Coursework

  90%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  10%

  Stage/Level

  4

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  HIS3035

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional