- Department: History
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: H
- Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
The experiences, living conditions, welfare and rights of children changed rapidly and significantly during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Ideas about the nature of childhood were revolutionised by new scientific, medical and psychological perspectives, while cultural understandings of children were shaped by social, economic and political upheavals. How children should behave and how they should be treated was widely debated in the media and in parliament, from the ideal family to the ethics of child labour; from the right to education to the necessity of child protection. In the context of Empire white British children were perceived anew, as little imperialists, while those living in colonised societies were impacted by racist beliefs and policies. By the late 20th century, after the upheaval of two World Wars, childhood had arguably changed beyond all recognition with the emergence of new identities and a movement for international children's rights. At the same time, in the wake of decolonisation and the global diaspora, children of colour faced new challenges in a post-colonial world.
During this module we will explore a growing historiography which seeks to understand children as historical agents, whose lives and experiences have much to tell us about broader questions of family, health, welfare, and political and economic change. Throughout the module we will consider how diverse experiences of childhood and family in Britain and its Empire were shaped by social and cultural shifts, and affected by ideas about gender, class, race, ethnicity and religion. We will explore the thoughts and feelings of children themselves through diaries, testimonies and oral histories, and use a wide range of sources to access the perspectives of the adults, governments and institutions who shaped childrens’ lives.
Students taking this module must also take the second part in Semester 2.
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Semester 1 2024-25 |
The aims of this module are:
Students who complete this module successfully will:
Students will attend a 1-hour briefing in week 1 and a 3-hour seminar in weeks 2-4, 6-8 and 10-11 of semester 1. Weeks 5 & 9 are Reading and Writing Weeks (RAW). Students prepare for and participate in eight three-hour seminars in all.
Seminar topics are subject to variation, but are likely to include the following:
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Essay/coursework | 100 |
None
For formative work, students will produce a text commentary.
The summative assessment will consist of two parts, to be submitted together:
a) Two text commentaries of 500-750 words; and
b) One 1,500-word essay.
The commentaries comprise 50% and the essay 50% of the overall mark for this module. Summative assessments will be due in the assessment period.
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Essay/coursework | 100 |
Following their formative task, students will typically receive written feedback that will include comments and a mark within 10 working days of submission.
Work will be returned to students in their seminars and may be supplemented by the tutor giving some oral feedback to the whole group. All students are encouraged, if they wish, to discuss the feedback on their formative work during their tutor’s student hours. For more information, see the Statement on Feedback.
For summative assessment tasks, students will receive their provisional mark and written feedback within 25 working days of the submission deadline. The tutor will then be available during student hours for follow-up guidance if required. For more information, see the Statement of Assessment.
For semester time reading, please refer to the module VLE site. Before the course starts, we encourage you to look at the following items of preliminary reading: