Module Information

Module Identifier
WH11820
Module Title
Society, People and Politcs: Wales, 1800-1999
Academic Year
2018/2019
Co-ordinator
Dr Steve Thompson
Semester
Semester 2
Other Staff
 

Course Delivery

Delivery Type Delivery length / details
Lecture 20 x 1 Hour Lectures
Seminar 6 x 1 Hour Seminars
 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment 1 x 2,000 word essay  50%
Semester Exam 1.5 Hours   (1 x 1.5 hour exam)  50%
Supplementary Assessment 1 x 2,000 word supplementary (resit) essay  50%
Supplementary Exam 1.5 Hours   1 x 1.5 hour supplementary (resit) examination  50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the significant developments in Welsh history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
2. Evaluate a range of primary sources relating to modern Wales.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the historiography and debates surrounding important themes in the social, political, religious and economic history of modern Wales.
4. Identify and analyse historical evidence and present written arguments when discussing the period.

Aims

This module introduces students to key developments in the social, cultural and political history of Wales in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Together with another first-year module that covers the history of Wales from the medieval period to the eighteenth century, it provides students with a foundational grounding that allows them to pursue their interests in Welsh history in a more detailed fashion in Part Two.

Brief description

This module introduces students to key developments in the social, cultural and political history of Wales in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. An introductory lecture establishes the framework for the module and subsequent lectures explores themes such as the impact of the Industrial Revolution and the growth of towns, gender and the changing relationships between men and women, politics and national identity, the Welsh outside Wales, and social protest.

Content

Part 1: The Long Nineteenth Century, 1800-1914
1. Introduction: Modern Wales
2. Making a New World: the Industrial Revolution, 1800-1914
3. Contrasting Worlds: Town and Country, 1800-1914
4. Making Men and Women: Gender in the Nineteenth Century
5. Politics and People, 1800-1914
6. Imagining a Nation: National Identity and the Media, 1800-1914
7. The Welsh outside Wales
8. Sport, Leisure and Society
Part 1: The Long Nineteenth Century, 1800-1914
1. Introduction: Modern Wales
2. Making a New World: the Industrial Revolution, 1800-1914
3. Contrasting Worlds: Town and Country, 1800-1914
4. Making Men and Women: Gender in the Nineteenth Century
5. Politics and People, 1800-1914
6. Imagining a Nation: National Identity and the Media, 1800-1914
7. The Welsh outside Wales
8. Sport, Leisure and Society
9. Language and Religion

Part 2: The Short Twentieth Century, 1914-1999
10. Depression and Deindustrialization in the Twentieth Century
11. War and Society in the Twentieth Century
12. Urban Life and the Countryside in the Twentieth Century
13. Continuity and Change: Women and Men in the Twentieth Century
14. Politics, Ideology and the World
15. ‘Labour Wales’ and Devolution
16. Protest and Social Movements
17. Living and Dying in Modern Wales
18. Conclusion

Seminars
1. Introductory session: Making of Modern Wales
2. Protest and Politics
3. War and memory
4. Wales and Europe
5. Language and Identity

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Application of Number Students will be expected to employ statistical material in a sensible and competent manner in written work on the economy, vital statistics and other matters that arise.
Communication Written communication skills will be developed through the coursework and written examination; skills in oral presentation will be developed in seminars but are not formally assessed.
Improving own Learning and Performance Students will be advised on how to improve research and communication skills through the individual tutorial providing feedback on submitted coursework.
Information Technology Students will be encouraged to locate suitable material on the web and to apply it appropriately to their own work. Students will also be expected to word-process their work and make use of Blackboard. These skills will not be formally assessed.
Personal Development and Career planning Students will develop a range of transferable skills, including time management and communication skills, which may help them identify their personal strengths as they consider potential career paths.
Problem solving Students are expected to note and respond to historical problems which arise as part of the study of this subject area and to undertake suitable research for seminars and essays.
Research skills Students will develop their research skills by reading a range of texts and evaluating their usefulness in preparation for the coursework and the written examination.
Subject Specific Skills Students will develop the ability to analyse relevant sources and critically discuss the secondary material.
Team work Students will be expected to play an active part in group activities (e.g. short group presentations in seminars) and to learn to evaluate their own contribution to such activities.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4