2023/24 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

HIST5850M Concepts and Debates in Social and Cultural History

30 creditsClass Size: 10

Module manager: Dr Alexia Moncrieff
Email: A.Moncrieff@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2023/24

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

'Concepts and Debates' is a core module for the MA programme in Social and Cultural History. Students on this module will be introduced to key concepts and debates associated with social and cultural history, and will be encouraged to explore how these methods shape historical approaches to primary sources. Theoretical concepts will be discussed by relating the work of key thinkers to influential works of social and cultural history, thereby providing concrete examples of the application of abstract ideas. Topics include gender, belonging, communication and memory, with the opportunity to specialize in the social history of health and medicine.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- demonstrate a critical understanding of the development of social history and cultural history as related historical disciplines, across a broad chronological and thematic range;
- debate and interrogate key theorists, approaches and schools of thought that have shaped the methodology and practice of social and cultural history, showing the ability to analyse individual theorists/practitioners and set up a debate between competing approaches and schools within a core historiography;
- discuss how relevant concepts and methods shape historical approaches to documents, images and material culture.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students should have:
- acquired an integrated knowledge of a variety of concepts, perspectives and methodologies related to social and cultural history;
- acquired a knowledge of historical approaches associated with the Annales School, subaltern studies and postmodernism.

Syllabus

Topics on this module may include some or all of the following:
- Historical concepts of society and culture
- Primary sources and their uses
- Class
- Race and ethnicity
- Gender
- Mentalities and microhistories
- Language and discourse
- Power and power relations
- The body
- Health, medicine and society
- Belonging

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Seminar	11	2.00	22.00
Private study hours			278.00
Total Contact hours			22.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			300.00

Private study

- Researching, preparing and writing assignments
- undertaking set reading
- and reading around the topic.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Contributions to class discussions, assessed and/or non-assessed oral and written exercises.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Assignment	1 x 2,000 word case study to be submitted by 12.00pm on Monday of teaching week 10	40.00
Essay	1 x 4,000 word assessed essay to be submitted by 12.00pm on Monday of examination week 2	60.00
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: 06/10/2023

Disclaimer

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