Key facts
Details for course being taught in current academic year
Level 3 - 36 credits - spring and summer terms
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Course description
Course outline
Domesticity and its Discontents explores the history of women in Britain from the end of World War Two to the rise of Second Wave Feminism, with a particular focus on the 1950s. The fifties have been associated with the ‘new look’ in fashion, a movement back into the home and the efflorescence of women’s and girls’ magazines. Recent historiography, however, points to more complex social and economic experiences. Historians are beginning to ask new questions about femininity, desire and representation in the period and there is a wealth of comparatively unexplored source material available allowing ample opportunities for original essay and dissertation research.
This course will cover a number of topics including girlhood, motherhood, paid employment, domesticity and pleasure, locating these within the wider context of post-war British history. Students will be introduced to a range of source material including social surveys, parliamentary papers, magazines, oral history and autobiographies and will be instructed in the use of these sources. The course aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to a historical understanding of the complex social position of women in the period and the nature of historical representation and change. Our key focus is upon the ways in which historians set about interpreting and understanding the past. What kinds of ‘evidence’ do they use, and what are the problems involved in using these various kinds of evidence?
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, a successful student should be able to:
1) Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of a closely defined topic;
2) Situate, evaluate and analyse primary historical sources;
3) Relate the interpretation of primary sources to secondary interpretations;
4) Construct sophisticated written arguments that demonstrate intellectual maturity and integrity;
5) Provide a coherent oral expression of their views.
Assessments
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Unseen Examination | Summer Term (3 hours 30 minutes) | 100.00% |
Resit mode of assessment
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Unseen Examination | Summer Vacation (3 hours 30 minutes) | 100.00% |
Timing
Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.
Weighting
Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.
Teaching methods
| Term | Method | Duration | Week pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring+Summer Terms | SEMINAR | 3 hours | 1111111111 |
How to read the week pattern
The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.
Contact details
Dr Christopher Warne
Assess convenor
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/history/profile112524.html
Dr Claire Langhamer
Convenor
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/history/profile102970.html