| Unit name | War and Society |
|---|---|
| Unit code | HIST20035 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Grace Huxford |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
NONE |
| Co-requisites |
NONE |
| School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The unit will explore how Western societies have responded to warfare in the twentieth century. It will analyse the effects of warfare on society, politics and culture, using a range of case studies in order to gauge the various effects of war on different groups: from those who waged it and fought in it, to those coming to terms with its aftermath. The unit will also provide an introduction to new perspectives on the study of war and society, enabling students to critique perspectives within the relevant secondary literature and to develop skills in primary source location and analysis.
On successful completion of this unit students will have developed 1. a wider historical knowledge of the interaction between war and social, political and cultural development; 2. a deeper awareness of how to approach a long term historical analysis; 3. the ability to set individual issues within their longer term historical context; 4. the ability to analyse and generalise about issues of continuity and change; 5. the ability to select pertinent evidence/data in order to illustrate/demonstrate more general historical points; 6. the ability to derive benefit from and contribute effectively to large group discussion; 7. the ability to identify a particular academic interpretation, evaluate it critically and form an individual viewpoint; 8. the acquisition of key writing, research, and presentation skills.
1 x 2-hour interactive lecture per week.
One summative coursework essay of 3000 words (50%) and one unseen examination of two hours (50%).
Brandon, L. (2012) Art and War. London: I.B. Tauris Hennessy, Peter (2002) The Secret State. London: Harper Collins. Reeves, Nicholas (1999) The Power of Film Propaganda. London: Cassell. Susan R. Grayzel, At Home and Under Fire Air Raids and Culture in Britain from the Great War to the Blitz (Cambridge, 2012); Matthew Hughes and William J. Philpott (eds.) Palgrave Advances in Modern Military History (Basingstoke, 2006); Dan Todman, The Great War: Myth and Memory (London, 2005).
