Module manager: To be confirmed
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Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Using a range of sources, including visual arts, fictions, material objects and propaganda, this module examines the ways in which modern warfare shaped experiences, cultural representations, and social structure in Britain and the wider world. Covering topics such as class, race, gender, emotions, bodily experience, myth and memory, students will apply the methodologies of the ‘cultural turn’ in history to explore how the South African War and the two world wars influenced 20th-century culture and society.
The module aims to:
- explore the history of the South African War (1899-1901) and the two world wars, and their aftermaths through the prism of cultural outputs and approaches;
- analyse approaches and methodologies of cultural history as applied to war studies;
- consider the history of British warfare in the first half of the twentieth century in a global cultural context;
- utilise a wide range of primary source material, including letters, diaries, newspapers, art, film and fiction.
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Analyse and interpret a range of relevant source material, including press reports, visual images, personal documents and material objects.
2. Analyse and critique relevant historiographic arguments.
3. Effectively and sensitively evaluate a diverse range of perspectives on war and its legacy.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module you will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
4. Identify, analyse and critique relevant primary source material, applying relevant and appropriate methods and theories.
5. Communicate effectively with different audiences in both written and oral form.
6. Apply technical skills in creating and formatting podcast content.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 2 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Lecture | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Practical | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Private study hours | 177.6 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 22.4 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
You will receive formative feedback on an annotated bibliography of 5-10 primary sources and secondary texts in advance of the essay. You will be required to get approval for the subject of your podcast review from the module leader. Seminars will allow monitoring of your progress, and you will be encouraged to attend individual meetings with the tutor.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Essay | 50 |
| Coursework | Podcast | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 29/04/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team