Module overview
In this module we will examine the principal themes of the political and social history of Britain during the Victorian era (c.1830-1900). We will investigate the development of new forms of political participation and examine the ways that men and women across the nation helped to shape Victorian society. While the main focus of the module will be placed on the metropolitan Britain, we will explore how ‘Britian’ and ‘empire’ were not separate or distinct entities but rather were mutually constitutive and completely interconnected. Taken as a whole, the module will interrogate how metropolitan Britain was reconfigured and reimagined in the Victorian period, always in ways that were shaped by gender, race and class.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Key political developments in Victorian Britain.
- Roots of modern democracy
- Opportunities for political participation in Victorian Britain.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Crtique and contextualise primary source material in a form appropriate for the ‘gobbet’ assignment.
- Reflect critically on the historiography of Victorian Britain and 19th century politics.
- Discuss and present ideas about both primary evidence and historical interpretations clearly and persuasively in written work.
- Analyse critically primary source materials from the period.
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Assess the different categories of evidence and the different approaches of historians and other scholars.
- Understand the context of how documentation was produced and how it might be located.
- Undertake research using archival material for essays and gobbets.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Work effectively to locate sources and literature.
- Develop time management skills.
Syllabus
A range of indicative themes may include: Chartism, Women and Political Representation, , The Great Reform Act, Slavery and Abolition, Empire at Home
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
This module will be delivered through small group seminars and individual tutorials. The Special Subject is deeply rooted in rich archival resources and we will be making extensive use of the extensive holdings of nineteenth century political papers in the Archives and Special Collections of the Hartley Library.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Seminar | 48 |
| Guided independent study | 252 |
| Total study time | 300 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
H. Pelling (1979). Popular Politics and Society in Victorian Britain.
T. Hoppen (1998). The Mid-Victorian Generation 1846-1886. Oxford.
W. D. Rubinstein (1998). Britain's Century. Arnold.
C. Hall, et al., (2000). Defining the Victorian Nation. Cambridge University Press.
G. Marsden (1998). Victorian Values. Pearson.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 50% |
| Timed Assignment | 50% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Assessment tasks | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Timed Assignment | 50% |
| Essay | 50% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External