Module manager: Dr Sara Barker
Email: s.k.barker@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
HIST3688
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Gutenberg’s development of the printing press in the mid-fifteenth century is often seen to be one of the seismic changes in Western society. Over the early modern period, books went from being the preserve of the rich and elite institutions to items accessible to people at most levels of society. New genres emerged, and individual authors could achieve great fame – for some, it became possible to make a decent living by writing. Printed books and pamphlets became central for the exchange of ideas: print was crucial to the spread of the Reformation in the sixteenth century and to the emergence of new scientific ideas and practices in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. At the same time, literacy rates grew, attitudes to education changed and more people became aware of and engaged with changing cultural and political ideas – what has been termed the ‘transformation of the public sphere’. In this module, we will examine the impact of printing and book production on early modern Europe from a number of angles. We will look at the technology and business of printing, how books were produced and sold. We will examine the material culture of the book. We will look at the kinds of books and other printed matter that was produced, and the ways people received and used these items. We will think about the impact print had on early modern society and if there are useful parallels in contemporary society. Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
The objectives of this module are to assess the impact of the development of printing on early modern European life and explore contemporary reactions to the emergence of printing.
In the module, we will evaluate key historiographical and methodological developments in relation to the history of printing and the book and critically analyse a range of primary sources, both written and visual, relating to these issues.
The module aims to equip you with the skills needed to formulate sophisticated and nuanced arguments in relation to these issues, in written and verbal form and to develop generic transferrable and subject specific skills.
On completion of this module, you will be able to:
1. Demonstrate good awareness of how printing developed as a technology and as a business between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment
2. Demonstrate ability to think critically about the way books were produced, sold and used in early modern Europe
3. Demonstrate critical understanding of the impact this had on European society
4. Evaluate carefully and critically the approaches that historians and scholars working in other disciplines have taken when exploring this period
5. Show analytical and critical skills in oral presentations
6. Show analytical skills in written work, using citations and footnotes correctly
7. Show proficiency in the use of primary sources to study early modern print history
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Supervision | 2 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
| Seminar | 20 | 2 | 40 |
| Private study hours | 355.6 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 44.4 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 400 | ||
Essay: you will receive feedback on the annotated essay plan in semester 1 in a one-on-one meeting with your tutor.
Portfolio: in-class tasks will support the individual portfolio elements and you will be offered an individual meeting to discuss your approach to the assessment.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay or Dissertation | Essay | 50 |
| Portfolio | Portfolio | 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: 28/04/2025
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