HST112: Paths from Antiquity to Modernity
20 credits (semester 1)
Module Leader: Dr. Julie Gottlieb
| Module Summary |
The aim of this module is to introduce you to the broad structures of Western history from the end of the Roman Empire to the present day. It provides students intending to take History Single or Dual Honours degree modules with a common framework for the more detailed modules that you will be studying at Levels Two and Three. At the same time, it provides non-historians with a fundamental appraisal of the shape of the past, to which courses in other departments will readily relate. Our aim is to equip you with an understanding of the periodisation of western history and of the major transitions in the process of modernisation. In the process, you will become more critically aware of the essential conceptual tools that modern historians readily use to analyse the past. The module aims to provide the essential training in the skills and methods needed for University level historical study.
| Teaching |
There are three lectures per week and a supporting series of compulsory tutorial groups. Each tutorial draws upon one of the lectures, and through individual readings investigates more thoroughly one specific aspect or case study relating to the wider themes. The course is assessed by means of preparation and participation in seminars, two pieces of written work, and a final examination in the January examining period.
| Assessment |
You will be assessed on your preparation for and participation in seminars, and will complete two pieces of written work: one book review (1500 words) and one essay of 2000 words. Guidance is provided in the module outline, which will be viewed in MOLE. The marks for this coursework constitute 30% of the overall mark. A further 20% of your mark will be determined by your oral performance in seminars. The remaining 50% will be derived from a one-and-a-half hour 'seen' examination (the questions will be given ahead of time, in the final lecture of week 12) taken during the examining period 16 January – 4 February 2012. You should note that you must pass both the coursework and examination components in order to pass overall. All assessment is subject to moderation by internal examiners.
| Selected Reading |
There is no single course textbook for this module, but the following list provides examples of books that will provide you with the basic chronological outline of the period covered by the course, and form the basis of useful background knowledge.
- Norman Davies, Europe. A History (Oxford, OUP, 1996) further edition in paperback (London, Pimlico, 1997)
- William H. McNeill, The rise of the West : a history of the human community (Chicago and London, University of Chicago Press, 1970 and reprints)
- Robert Bartlett, The Making of Europe: conquest, civilization and cultural change 950-1350 (Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1994)
- Peter Brown, The World of Late Antiquity (London, Thames and Hudson, 1971 and reprints)
- W.H. McNeill, The Pursuit of Power. Technology, Armed Force and Society (Oxford, Blackwell, 1983)
- Paul Kennedy, The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers: economic change and military conflict (London, Unwin Hyman, 1988; reprinted Fontana, 1989 and reprints)
- E.J. Hobsbawm, The age of revolution: Europe, 1789-1848 (London, Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1962; and revised editions and reprints)
- E. J. Hobsbawm, The age of Capital, 1848-1875 (London, Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1975; and revised editions and reprints)
- E. J. Hobsbawm, The age of Empire, 1875-1914 (London, Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1987; and revised editions and reprints)
- E. J. Hobsbawm, Age of Extremes: The short twentieth century, 1914-1991 (London, Abacus, 1995)
- V.J. Kiernan, The Lords of Human Kind: European attitudes towards the outside world (Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1972 and reprints)
A good historical atlas will be of benefit to you not only for this course, but for other courses as well. There are a few of these available at reasonable prices and you should consider purchasing one which you could use throughout your degree programme in history. One good example which can be found in paperback is:
- Hermann Kinder and Werner Hilgemann, eds., The Penguin Atlas of World History. Volume 1: From Prehistory to the eve of the French Revolution (London: Penguin Books, 1978) (recommended)
- Hermann Kinder and Werner Hilgemann, eds., The Penguin Atlas of World History. Volume 2: From the French Revolution to the Present 2nd ed. (London: Penguin Books, 1995) (recommended)
| Intended Learning Outcomes |
Students completing this module will have developed:
- a fundamental understanding of the broad periodisation of European history from the end of Antiquity to the present and the rationale that it seeks to encapsulate;
- a critical familiarity with key conceptual tools used by historians in analysing the past and to apply them in an appropriate historical context;
- their ability to evaluate fundamental explanations commonly utilised by historians to explain the larger dimensions of change in European history;
- a capacity to study the past outside a narrowly delimited period;
- their ability to think constructively and critically about the interaction of social, political and cultural factors in patterns of historical change;
- their ability to use on-line learning environments and to make best use of the facilities they afford for private study, course preparation and reinforcement;
- their ability to use the library effectively to support their learning;
- their ability to participate in informed debate with their peers on the basis of detailed analysis of a variety of materials;
- their ability to write cogently and succinctly on defined topics;
- their ability to write informed and cogent essays under pressure of time.