HR100-4-FY-CO:
The Making of the Modern World since 1750

The details
2020/21
History
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 4
Current
Thursday 08 October 2020
Friday 02 July 2021
30
10 June 2020

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

BA VV31 Art History and History,
BA VV32 Art History and History (Including Placement Year),
BA VV38 Art History and History (Including Foundation Year),
BA VV3B Art History and History (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA VV3C Art History and History (Including Year Abroad),
BA R000 European Studies (Including Year Abroad),
BA R001 European Studies,
BA R002 European Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA R008 European Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA R9T8 European Studies and Modern Languages (Including Foundation Year),
BA R9T9 European Studies and Modern Languages,
BA R9R1 European Studies with French,
BA R9R8 European Studies with French (Including Foundation Year),
BA R9R2 European Studies with German,
BA R9R6 European Studies with German (Including Foundation Year),
BA R9R3 European Studies with Italian,
BA R9R7 European Studies with Italian (Including Foundation Year),
BA R9R4 European Studies with Spanish,
BA R9R9 European Studies with Spanish (Including Foundation Year),
BA MV91 History and Criminology,
BA MV92 History and Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA MV98 History and Criminology (Including Foundation Year),
BA MV9C History and Criminology (Including Year Abroad),
BA LV11 History and Economics,
BA LV18 History and Economics (Including Foundation Year),
BA V1L1 History and Economics (Including Placement Year),
BA VL11 History and Economics (Including Year Abroad),
BA QV21 History and Literature,
BA QV22 History and Literature (Including Placement Year),
BA QV2C History and Literature (Including Foundation Year),
BA VQ12 History and Literature (Including Year Abroad),
BA LV31 History and Sociology,
BA LV32 History and Sociology (Including Placement Year),
BA LV38 History and Sociology (Including Foundation Year),
BA LV3C History and Sociology (Including Year Abroad),
BA V1W6 History with Film Studies,
BA V1W7 History with Film Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA V1W8 History with Film Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA V1WP History with Film Studies (Including Year Abroad),
BA V1L2 History with Human Rights,
BA V1L8 History with Human Rights (Including Foundation Year),
BA V1LF History with Human Rights (Including Year Abroad),
BA V1LG History with Human Rights (Including Placement Year),
BA V140 Modern History,
BA V144 Modern History (Including Foundation Year),
BA V148 Modern History (Including Placement Year),
BA V149 Modern History (Including Year Abroad),
BA VL12 Modern History and International Relations,
BA VL14 Modern History and International Relations (Including Placement Year),
BA VL18 Modern History and International Relations (Including Foundation Year),
BA VL1F Modern History and International Relations (Including Year Abroad),
BA LV21 Modern History and Politics,
BA LV22 Modern History and Politics (Including Placement Year),
BA LV28 Modern History and Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA LV2C Modern History and Politics (Including Year Abroad),
BA VV15 Philosophy and History,
BA VV16 Philosophy and History (Including Placement Year),
BA VV51 Philosophy and History (Including Foundation Year),
BA VV5C Philosophy and History (Including Year Abroad),
BA VV5X Philosophy and History (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA L903 Global Studies,
BA L904 Global Studies (including year abroad),
BA L905 Global Studies (Including Placement Year),
BA L908 Global Studies (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
BA LR04 Global Studies and Modern Languages (Including Year Abroad),
BA R104 Global Studies and Language Studies,
BA R105 Global Studies and Language Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L994 Global Studies with Latin American Studies,
BA L995 Global Studies with Latin American Studies (Including Foundation Year),
BA L996 Global Studies with Latin American Studies (including Placement Year),
BA L997 Global Studies with Latin American Studies (including Year Abroad),
BA V309 Curating with History,
BA V310 Curating with History (Including Foundation Year),
BA V311 Curating with History (including Placement Year),
BA V312 Curating with History (including Year Abroad)

Module description

This team-taught, full-year module familiarises the students with the main factors and processes that made the modern globalized world we are living in today.
It begins by identifying the roots of 'Modernity' and the rise of Europe up to the 18th Century. Subsequent weeks are taught in themed 'blocks'.

In the autumn term we focus on the major historical forces shaping the late 18th and 19th century world: firstly the revolutions in thought, economy and politics of this period, and secondly the growth and impact of nationalism and imperialism.

The spring term considers the concept of modernity in the twentieth century, with blocks examining the impact and legacies of the First World War, and identifies key global shifts after 1945. The module structure and content of the lectures thus reflect the political, social, and cultural dimensions of the Making of the Modern World, and also its global character.

Module aims

The module aims to introduce students to conceptual thinking by giving them an understanding of ideas such as 'Modernity', 'Modernization', and 'Globalisation', among others. This is done through the discussion and understanding of different histories, different methodological approaches and different ways of interpreting the past.

Module learning outcomes

The module helps students with their academic skills, especially in making the transition to more independent study in the second and third year. Students are taught how to interpret primary sources, how to find and read relevant secondary literature, how to write essays, and how to organise their studies effectively.

Module information

For introductory reading, see:

John Merriman, A History of Modern Europe From the French Revolution to the Present, (Vol.2) (New York and London, 1996).

Eric Hobsbawm, The Age of Revolutions, 1789-1848 (London, 1962).

Ida Blom, Catherine Hall and Karen Hageman (eds.) Gender Nations. Nationalism and Gender Order in the Long Nineteenth Century (Oxford, 2000).

David Armitage and Sanjay Subrahmanyam, The Age of Revolutions in Global Context (Basingstoke, 2010).

Eric Wolf, Europe and the People Without History, (New York, 1982).

Philip D. Curtin, The Rise and Fall of the Plantation Complex: Essays in Atlantic History (Cambridge, 1990).

Learning and teaching methods

Lectures and seminars.

Bibliography

This module does not appear to have any essential texts. To see non-essential items, please refer to the module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Draft critical review of a secondary source (500 words) (formative)    0% 
Coursework   Critical review of a secondary source (500 words)     20% 
Coursework   Analysis of a primary source (1000 words)    20% 
Coursework   Essay (2000 words)    50% 
Practical   Seminar participation    10% 
Exam  Main exam: 180 minutes during Summer (Main Period) 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
50% 50%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
50% 50%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Matthew Grant, email: m.grant@essex.ac.uk.
Belinda Waterman, Department of History, 01206 872313

 

Availability
Yes
Yes
No

External examiner

Dr Rachel Rich
Leeds Beckett University
Senior Lecturer
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 4577 hours, 36 (0.8%) hours available to students:
4541 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

 

Further information
History

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