History & Social and Economic History Degrees at Aberystwyth University
History & Social and Economic History Degree - 3 year Degree (V390)
History & Social and Economic History Degree
In recent years, historians have become increasingly interested in a wider, more comprehensive and inclusive understanding of historical developments. Many are no longer satisfied with the traditional narrow focus on great men, battles and high politics.
Instead, it has been recognized that a rich history exists that encompasses changes in society and economy which affected the great and the humble alike; a history that is equally important in understanding the complexities of the world around us. The History & Social and Economic History Degree scheme takes advantage of the expertise of the Department to focus on the social and economic aspects of the past.
History & Social and Economic History Degree Year 1
As a student on the History & Social and Economic History degree scheme you will divide your time equally between general historical topics and social and economic history.
As with all history students, you will be expected to take the core Introduction to History module that seeks to ease the transition to undergraduate studies by providing an introduction to key historical skills and approaches. Otherwise, you will choose modules from the range of the Department’s modules on Social and Economic History, including:
- The Global Economy since 1850
- The Making of Modern France, 1730-1914
- Post-War Britain: From Baby Boomers to Blair
The remaining modules will be taken from the full range of history modules, including:
- The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union
- Cradle to Grave? Welfare and Society in Modern Britain
- Soldiers, Saints and Serfs: England, 1042-1154
- The Making of the American Nation, 1783-2000
History & Social and Economic History Degree Years 2 and 3
The Department offers you different types of modules in the second and third years to build on the principles outlined in the first year.
History & Social and Economic History students will choose from a range of relevant history modules, including:
- Manners and Misdemeanours: Polite Society in Eighteenth Century England
- History in Cartoons: Studying Georgian Satirical Prints
- Sport, Leisure and Popular Culture in Britain since 1850
- Immigration, Race and Britishness in Modern Britain
- Paris in Turmoil, 1830-1914
There is also a core module, Historians and the Writing of History, which covers the way in which the meaning, methods and writing of history have changed over time.
History & Social and Economic History Degree Dissertation
The History & Social and Economic History degree programme culminates in a dissertation, which provides an opportunity to research an area of your choice in the field of Social and Economic History or across history in general. Recent Social and Economic History dissertations include:
- Female Education in Tudor and Stuart England
- May the Nation never be Purchased or Bribed by its own Money: The Economy of Ireland 1707-1801
- Jonathan Swift and Consumer Culture
- What impact did the coming of the railway to Aberystwyth have upon it as a seaside town and tourist resort?
- Far behind the Picket Lines: How did the 1984-85 miners’ strike affect the lives of Yorkshire miners and their families?
History & Social and Economic History Degree sample module - Module Example
Post-War Britain: From Baby Boomers to Blair
At the start of the twenty-first century, we are able to reflect on the key social and economic developments of the preceding century and to question their impact on the lives of British people. What has been the impact of rising affluence and changing attitudes on class, race, age and gender? Has the provision of welfare improved? Were educational opportunities and job prospects better by the end of the century? Students will examine these questions and explore whether the British public has become more tolerant in its attitude towards immigrants and ethnic minorities, homosexuality and women. The module will also examine, though, the extent to which continuity has been equally as important as change in post-war British society.