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Historical Skills and Methods (833V1)

30 credits, Level 7 (Masters)

Autumn teaching

This module provides an introduction to critical issues in historical methodology and practice. We will focus on some of the methodologies of research and composition that have become influential in historical scholarship in the last four decades.

We will consider the impact of the ‘cultural turn’ on the study and writing of history, how postmodernist and poststructuralist theories have influenced the way historians categorise and deploy notions of identity (notably gender and race), and how such developments have been engaged with the political imperatives of both feminism and post-colonialism.

We will address the growing attention, not merely among scholars, but in the wider world, to issues of ‘memory’ and the risks and opportunities posed to academic historians by this trend. We will pay particular attention to how scholarly engagement with primary sources relates to the domains of affect and feeling, in regard to both the lives of people in the past and the emotional disposition of the historian her/himself.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 22 hours of contact time and about 278 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.