Module Information
Module Identifier
WHM1920
Module Title
The Making of Wales
Academic Year
2026/2027
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 1
Reading List
Other Staff
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Essay 1 3000 Words | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Essay 2 3000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 1 3000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 2 3000 Words | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Identify the frameworks used by historians for researching and understanding the history of Wales in the period from 1700 to the present day.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant historiography, its evolution and the key problems currently addressed by historians in this field.
3. Discuss the interpretative problems and prospects associated with this field.
4. Illustrate, analyse and evaluate the historiography in an extended written discussion.
Brief description
Brief Description:
The core module takes a thematic approach. It introduces students to some of the key concepts and themes in the history of Wales by exploring how historical writing has focused on particular areas of enquiry. The first seminar is designed to explore how debates about slavery, empire and race have changed the way we look at the Welsh past, providing an opportunity to study controversies about statues and their meaning and commemoration. The second seminar is largely historiographical, providing students with an introduction to the development of writing about the Welsh past. The subsequent seminars are not intended to be chronological surveys of the topic, but are aimed at providing students with the necessary framework for understanding more detailed study in the option modules and dissertation that make up the rest of this MA. The themes have been chosen because they reveal important facets of historical writing about this period and have generated debate among historians.
The core module takes a thematic approach. It introduces students to some of the key concepts and themes in the history of Wales by exploring how historical writing has focused on particular areas of enquiry. The first seminar is designed to explore how debates about slavery, empire and race have changed the way we look at the Welsh past, providing an opportunity to study controversies about statues and their meaning and commemoration. The second seminar is largely historiographical, providing students with an introduction to the development of writing about the Welsh past. The subsequent seminars are not intended to be chronological surveys of the topic, but are aimed at providing students with the necessary framework for understanding more detailed study in the option modules and dissertation that make up the rest of this MA. The themes have been chosen because they reveal important facets of historical writing about this period and have generated debate among historians.
Aims
Academic rationale of the proposal:
This module equips students to navigate the key historiographical trends and undertake an appraisal of a number of influential historical interpretations of the history of Wales from the medieval period to the modern day.
Brief Description:
The core module takes a thematic approach. It introduces students to some of the key concepts and themes in the history of Wales by exploring how historical writing has focused on particular areas of enquiry. The first seminar is designed to explore how debates about slavery, empire and race have changed the way we look at the Welsh past, providing an opportunity to study controversies about statues and their meaning and commemoration. The second seminar is largely historiographical, providing students with an introduction to the development of writing about the Welsh past. The subsequent seminars are not intended to be chronological surveys of the topic, but are aimed at providing students with the necessary framework for understanding more detailed study in the option modules and dissertation that make up the rest of this MA. The themes have been chosen because they reveal important facets of historical writing about this period and have generated debate among historians.
Content:
1. Introduction: Slavery, Empire and Commemoration
2. Writing the History of Wales
3. Wales and Welsh Identity in the Middle Ages
4. Popular Protest and Welsh Historical Writing
5. Religion and the History of Wales
6. Gender and the History of Wales
7. Labour History and the Welsh Past
8. Wales and War in the Twentieth Century
9. Concluding Seminar
This module equips students to navigate the key historiographical trends and undertake an appraisal of a number of influential historical interpretations of the history of Wales from the medieval period to the modern day.
Brief Description:
The core module takes a thematic approach. It introduces students to some of the key concepts and themes in the history of Wales by exploring how historical writing has focused on particular areas of enquiry. The first seminar is designed to explore how debates about slavery, empire and race have changed the way we look at the Welsh past, providing an opportunity to study controversies about statues and their meaning and commemoration. The second seminar is largely historiographical, providing students with an introduction to the development of writing about the Welsh past. The subsequent seminars are not intended to be chronological surveys of the topic, but are aimed at providing students with the necessary framework for understanding more detailed study in the option modules and dissertation that make up the rest of this MA. The themes have been chosen because they reveal important facets of historical writing about this period and have generated debate among historians.
Content:
1. Introduction: Slavery, Empire and Commemoration
2. Writing the History of Wales
3. Wales and Welsh Identity in the Middle Ages
4. Popular Protest and Welsh Historical Writing
5. Religion and the History of Wales
6. Gender and the History of Wales
7. Labour History and the Welsh Past
8. Wales and War in the Twentieth Century
9. Concluding Seminar
Content
Content:
1. Introduction: Slavery, Empire and Commemoration
2. Writing the History of Wales
After the first two seminars, further sessions on relevant themes are likely to include:
Wales and Welsh Identity in the Middle Ages
Popular Protest and Welsh Historical Writing
Religion and the History of Wales
Gender and the History of Wales
Labour History and the Welsh Past
Wales and War in the Twentieth Century
1. Introduction: Slavery, Empire and Commemoration
2. Writing the History of Wales
After the first two seminars, further sessions on relevant themes are likely to include:
Wales and Welsh Identity in the Middle Ages
Popular Protest and Welsh Historical Writing
Religion and the History of Wales
Gender and the History of Wales
Labour History and the Welsh Past
Wales and War in the Twentieth Century
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | None |
| Communication | Seminar discussion and essay writing. The latter is formally assessed. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Seminar and tutorial discussion; tutors’ feedback. |
| Information Technology | Locating some journal articles electronically. Surveying the historiography of the subject using various search tools. Essay-writing and presentation. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Studying the module puts students in direct contact with librarians at the National Library and elsewhere in the course of researching essays and the development of the historiography. |
| Problem solving | Demonstrating an understanding of key themes in social and economic history, and how these approaches can be applied to the history of Wales since 1700. Assessed through the essays. |
| Research skills | Mainly concerns the location of secondary material. Assessed through the essays. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Studying the module puts students in direct contact with librarians at the National Library and elsewhere in the course of researching essays and the development of the historiography. |
| Team work | Seminar work |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7