History

The Making of the Modern World

Module code: V1228
Level 4
30 credits in spring semester
Teaching method: Workshop, Lecture, Seminar
Assessment modes: Essay

This module introduces you to a period of momentous social, political and cultural change in world history, focusing on some of the key debates that have preoccupied historians.

We will look closely at important historical controversies, from the birth of the notion of human rights to the Industrial Revolution, the expansion of European empires, the origins of modern nations, and the growing importance of science.

Historians have often taken developments in Europe as defining what it means to be modern – this module questions whether a wider perspective forces us to ask: what (if anything) is “modernity”? Is the concept still a useful one, or does it need to be abandoned?

Module learning outcomes

• Demonstrate knowledge of key themes and controversies in history, 1750 – 1900.
• Demonstrate critical familiarity with key historians’ contributions and key debates, and contrast and evaluate varied historiographical approaches to these topics.
• Construct arguments based on the critical comparison of secondary sources.
• Research a range of topics using printed and digital resources.
• Communicate ideas effectively in writing.