HST6603 Modernity and Power: Individuals and the State in the Modern World 2023-24
30 credits, Semester one
Module leader 2023-24: Benjamin Ziemann
Listed on MA Modern History, MA Historical Research
Module summary
This core module introduces students to the challenges of studying modern history at an advanced level. It explores the distinctiveness of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as a period, the study of which raises particular questions about perspective and interpretation, about the relationship between academic history and public understandings of the recent past, and about the selection and treatment of sources across a wide range of media. Classes will focus on some of the key themes and developments in recent historiography, including an engagement with the use of interdisciplinary approaches, particularly in the study of contemporary history.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, you will be able to:
Understand the characteristics of ‘modernity’, interrogating the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as a distinct period of history, and identifying the forces and experiences that have shaped our understanding of it
Conceptualise an understanding of contemporary history, and so be able to evaluate critically scholarly writing on the very recent past
Demonstrate an awareness of the contribution made by other academic disciplines to our understanding of modern history
Explore the historiographical context for practice-based research, and identify and locate suitable sources for independent historical research on a chosen subject
Distinguish between and critically evaluate different schools of interpretation and historical debate on modern history, with an ability to demonstrate this both orally and in writing
Elaborate and defend an intellectual position to other members of the seminar group, précising complex arguments and methodological debates succinctly and accurately
Engage in group discussions of interpretative issues
Present their conclusions in a fluent written form, demonstrating a mastery of bibliographical materials (including electronic resources) referencing their sources appropriately
Learning and teaching methods
The module will be taught in ten, two-hour classes. You will also have individual tutorial contact with the module tutor in order to discuss your assessment for this module.
Assessment methods
Assessment type - % of final mark
Essay (4000 words) - 80%
Engagement and participation - 20%
You will complete a 4000 word essay on a topic related to one of the module's key themes. You will define your own essay topic in discussion with your tutor. You will also complete a formative assessment to provide you with feedback ahead of completing your final essay.
You will also complete an engagement and participation exercise based on the learning activities and environment for the module. This task will be set by the module leader but may include activities such as presentations, reflective seminar diaries, contributions to discussion forums or collaborative documents.
Additional learning and teaching information
Selected reading:
For your own preparation, and as an introduction into some of the themes of the module, you can read standard textbooks on Modern European and US history. We recommend the following:
Christopher A. Bayly, Remaking the Modern World 1900-2015. Global Connections and Comparisons, New York 2018 (ebook)
Robert Gildea, Barricades and Borders: Europe 1800-1914, Oxford 2003
Eric Hobsbawm, Age of Extremes. The Short Twentieth Century, 1914-1991, London 1994
Harold James, Europe Reborn. A History, 1914-2000, Harlow 2003 (ebook)
Konrad Jarausch, Out of Ashes. A New History of Europe in the Twentieth Century, Princeton 2015 (ebook) (selected chapters)
Hartmut Kaelble, A Social History of Europe 1945-2000. Recovery and Transformation after Two World Wars, New York 2013
Ian Kershaw, To Hell and Back. Europe 1914-1949, London 2015
Ian Kershaw, Roller-Coaster. Europe 1950-2017, London 2018
Mark Mazower, Dark Continent. Europe’s Twentieth Century, London 1998