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2023/24 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

HIST2135 Britain and the Industrial Revolution

20 creditsClass Size: 28

Module manager: Dr Pete Maw
Email: p.maw@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2023/24

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

Why are some countries rich and some countries poor? This is one of the most important questions facing contemporary societies. To answer this question, it is necessary to look back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and to the history of a small island located off the western coast of mainland Europe. It was here, in Britain, that we can begin to find an answer to this question; it was here that the world’s first industrial revolution took place. This module provides a specialist, research informed coverage of the history of the British industrial revolution, drawing on new perspectives and methodologies from the fields of economic and global history. The module is framed around the two key historiographical debates on the causes and character on the British industrial revolution and these two debates are explored through a variety of themes, including foreign trade, consumerist and enlightened culture, population growth, and child labour. The module also offers students the opportunity to consider the social impact of the industrial revolution and provides coverage of the diverse ways that people experienced the industrial revolution, drawing contrasts between rich and poor, young and old, rural and urban, male and female, and nation and region.Content note: to discuss these themes effectively the module engages with some sensitive issues, including sexist, ableist, and xenophobic language; death including infant mortality; and child labour and violence against children. The module tutor can provide more information on this if required.

Objectives

1. To examine the key historical developments and concepts relating to the British industrial revolution from 1750-1850.
2. To assess major themes arising from recent work on the industrial revolution, with a particular emphasis on the character and causes of economic and social change.
3. To study contemporary reflections on the industrial revolution and the ways that contemporary views have shaped historians' accounts.
4. To locate the British industrial revolution in a global perspective.

Syllabus

Topics may include: technological change and factory production; population growth and urbanisation; child labour and working-class living standards; consumerism; and foreign trade and transport.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	9	1.00	9.00
Private study hours			180.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Students will prepare for each seminar by reading texts and primary sources specified by the Module Leader. They will also be expected to undertake further, self-directed reading for each class. Students will also research and prepare a 3,000-word essay (60% of module mark) and three primary source commentaries (worth 40% of module mark).

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Contributions to class discussions; formative feedback on three ‘practice’ source commentaries (which could then be submitted as part of the summative assessment in week 11); essay preparation and feedback tutorials with the module leader.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	3,000-word essay due exam week 2	60.00
Presentation	3 x 500-word primary source commentaries due in week 11	40.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 02/06/2023

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