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AM-120
Forging a Nation: US History and Politics
Want to understand how the United States became the nation it is today, shaping global events and wrestling with complex internal issue s? This module explores the intertwined story of US history, society, and politics, tracing its dramatic journey from British colonies fighting for independence and building a new government, through the epic transformations of the nineteenth century--including civil war and expansion--to its rise as a global superpower. You'll explore how core US ideals were formed and contested, examine the forces that created a multicultural society shaped by race, class, and immigration, and understand the transformative impact of movements like Civil Rights. By connecting past struggles and foundational ideas to today's major political challenges and debates--from current elections to ongoing quests for equality--this module offers an essential, interdisciplinary perspective on the forces that built and continue to define the modern US.
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AM-2016
America in a Nutshell: A History of Pennsylvania from William Penn to Donald Trump, 1631-2016
This module surveys the political, social, cultural and economic history of the State of Pennsylvania. It allows students to explore the rich history of America as it is researched and taught by American historians with the Unites States, that is, through the lens of `state¿ history. This module will allow students to explore the foundation of a key British colony in North America, to follow its trajectory of growth and interaction with other colonies before the American Revolution and its trajectory of growth and interaction with both other states and the United States Federal Government from 1776 to 2010. This module aims to help students capture the nature of `state identity¿ in America, so fundamental to American political and social history. Students will be encouraged to view America as most Americans see it, looking out from within a state context, with all of the historical and historiographical considerations that approach entails. Some core strands are political, social and cultural life against the backdrop of colonial life, revolution, civil war, industrialisation and deindustrialisation.
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HI-M01
Historical Methods and Approaches
This module introduces you to a diverse range of methodological approaches that underpin the discipline of history at an advanced level. You will explore how historians construct knowledge about the past, examining key debates around evidence, interpretation, narrative, and the politics of history-writing. You will engage critically with a variety of methods, including archival research, oral history, microhistory, cultural and social history, postcolonial and decolonial approaches, gender analysis, and digital history.
Through seminar discussions and a series of mini projects, you will develop a sophisticated understanding of the strengths, limitations, and ethical implications of different historical methodologies. The module also supports the development of research design skills in preparation for independent dissertation work.
Finally, the module will encourage you to think reflexively about your own role as researchers and to consider how methodological choices shape historical narratives and their relevance to contemporary global challenges.
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HIH3300
History Dissertation
The History dissertation is a free-standing, 40-credit module that runs across both semesters of Level Three. Candidates conduct research upon a subject of their choice, devised in consultation with a member of staff teaching for the degrees in History, and concerning a topic that falls within staff research and teaching interests.
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HIH396
From Machiavelli to Mussolini: Government and Society in Western Political Thought
This module offers a guide to the history of ideas on government and society which continue to influence political thought and action in the 21st century. The lectures will start by looking at the origins of democratic thinking in Athens, 5th Century BC, and will then give a brief account of medieval political thought and the impact of Christian-Muslim encounters. The main part of the course will deal with modern ideas on government as developed by Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, the political authors of the Enlightenment and American Revolution, and Marx and Lenin. The final part will focus on the Italian and German national socialists' assault on the liberal state and Western democratic tradition. Students will have the opportunity to read and discuss a representative selection from the 'classics' of Western political thought and reflect on their contemporary political relevance. As will be shown, some of today's best-known early modern texts on the nature of state power were misinterpreted by contemporaries and brought into disrepute by fascist ideologues who claimed them in defence of dictatorship.
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HIMM00
Reading Medieval Manuscripts
Medieval manuscript sources are crucial to our understanding of the Middle Ages. Research across the disciplines of medieval studies is grounded in the study and use of medieval books and documentary sources. This module aims to give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to engage with original manuscript sources of various types, from early Anglo-Saxon Gospel books to medieval chronicles, from illustrated books of hours to critical legal documents. Students will engage with these sources via digital and printed images and full-scale printed facsimiles, learning to recognise and transcribe medieval hands from all periods. Students will be given the chance to read original manuscripts during a visit to the West Glamorgan Archive Service (Swansea), and other repositories such as the National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth) and Hereford Cathedral Library may also be visited. This module assumes no prior knowledge of medieval manuscripts, nor any prior knowledge of the medieval languages featured in the manuscript samples, including Latin, Old English and Middle English.
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HIMM01
Introduction to Advanced Medieval Studies 1: Themes, Approaches and Sources
This module introduces you to current themes, approaches and sources in medieval studies, that is, the interdisciplinary study of medieval history and literature. It begins to develop the skills required to conduct MA-level study. Lectures outline general concepts, approaches and key sources with respect to essential themes in medieval studies, such as genre and gender.
Workshops are built around interacting collaboratively with students to develop the necessary skills to implement the approaches discussed within and beyond the module¿s focus themes. Special attention will be given to the discipline¿s increasing interest in historically underrepresented groups and the emergent concept of the `global Middle Ages¿.
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HIMM04
Introduction to Advanced Medieval Studies 2: Themes, Approaches and Sources
This module builds on HIMM01 (Introduction to Advanced Medieval Studies I) to deepen your understanding of key themes, sources, and research approaches in the interdisciplinary study of the Middle Ages, in order to develop the research skills required to conduct MA-level research. Lectures and seminars refine your general concepts, approaches and key sources with respect to essential themes in medieval studies, such as identity and spirituality. Following on from HIMM01, this module progressively shifts its thematic focus in a more strongly methodological direction, considering themes such as quantitative methods and archaeology in medieval studies. It also familiarises you with the medieval heritage of South Wales and the surrounding region.
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HIMM08
Enmity and Entanglement: Cultural Encounters in Medieval Europe
In this module, you will explore cultural encounters in medieval Europe during a period of expansion, examining how dominant groups interacted with subaltern communities through conquest, colonization, religious missions, and state-building. Using case studies such as the Norman invasions, English and Germanic colonization of Wales, Ireland, Prussia, and Livonia, and the experiences of England¿s Jewish community, you will investigate patterns of contact, conflict, entanglement, and identity formation.
The module will develop your skills in analysing primary and secondary sources, constructing evidence-based arguments, and applying interdisciplinary perspectives. Through independent study and guided research, you will strengthen your analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities, preparing you for further research or professional work in history, heritage, or cultural analysis.
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HIY104
Medieval Matters: Exploring the Middle Ages
Why does medieval matter? This exciting module introduces you to the history of Europe from around 500 to 1500, exploring how medieval people lived, believed, governed and built communities. You'll learn about kings and peasants, towns and trade, religion, education, warfare and even pandemics ¿ all through themes that connect the past to the present. From the rise of universities to crusades and colonial expansion, we'll uncover how medieval values still shape our world today. Whether you're curious about castles or the roots of modern Europe, this module offers fresh insight into the long-lasting legacy of the Middle Ages.
Pam mae¿r canol oesoedd yn dal i fod yn bwysig? Mae¿r modiwl cyffrous hwn yn eich cyflwyno i hanes Ewrop tua 500 i 1500, gan archwilio sut roedd pobl ganoloesol yn byw, yn credu, yn llywodraethu ac yn adeiladu cymunedau. Byddwch yn dysgu am freninoedd a phobl gyffredin, trefi a masnach, crefydd, addysg, rhyfeloedd a hyd yn oed pandemigau ¿ i gyd drwy themâu sy¿n cysylltu¿r gorffennol â¿r presennol. O sefydlu prifysgolion i ymgyrchoedd y Groes a gwladychiaeth, byddwch yn darganfod sut mae gwerthoedd canoloesol yn dal i ddylanwadu ar ein byd heddiw. P¿un a ydych â diddordeb mewn cestyll neu wreiddiau Ewrop fodern, mae¿r modiwl hwn yn cynnig golwg newydd ar etifeddiaeth barhaol yr Oesoedd Canol.
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WS-M95
Experiences of War and Conflict: War, Identity and Society
Throughout history, wars and conflicts have shaped personal and collective experiences and identities. Hot wars have laid waste to cities and entire national economies. Those fighting wars have suffered traumatic experiences, as did non-combatants, including children. Even where no armed conflict took place, preparedness for a potential war led to the militarization of civil societies, including the use of massive economic resources. Or, military planners and strategists gamed likely war scenarios to prepare for the worst case ¿ even the unthinkable that is nuclear war. Likewise, propaganda ¿ both by states and anti-war or peace movements ¿ emerged in response to conflicts (actual and imaginary), contributing to war and conflict becoming part of official government discourse and everyday language. But the legacies of wars have also entered national identity through their memorialization within specific historical and ideological contexts. Popular culture, too, addressed wars and conflicts through films and popular music, thereby disseminating particular interpretations and myths to mass audiences.
This module takes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the multifaceted experiences of war and conflict. We will examine how such experiences of violence shape and are in turn shaped by social, economic and cultural forces. In this, we will explore war and conflict as both a catalyst for societal change and a reflection of historical developments. Through critical analysis, the module encourages reflection on how war is represented and the lasting impact it has on personal and collective identities.
