HST3306 - A Comparative History of Revolutions
HST3306: A Comparative History of Revolutions
20 credits (semester 1)
Module Leader: TBC (2024-25)
Module Summary
History has seen a vast number of conflicts which have been labelled revolutions, often resulting in a significant transformation of the social, economic and political landscapes of entire societies, questioning the underlying assumptions regarding values and legitimacy, as well as creating new vocabularies which come to permeate political language. The module will cover both a selection of specific Revolutions (the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the Glorious Revolution, …) as well as comparatively examining themes which can apply across more than one revolution, such as violence, legitimacy, or class and social change. It will also explore questions such as why certain events are labelled revolutions and others civil wars, the extent to which revolutions are ‘conscious’ and ‘modern’, and the implications of the use of revolutionary vocabulary in specific contexts. The module will not be confined to specifically political and military revolutions, but will also look at other examples such as the industrial revolution and the green revolution. Students will have the opportunity to engage in comparison between case studies directly covered in the module, alongside of any others which they chose from among the vast range of possibilities in world history.
Teaching and Assessment
The module is taught through a combination of lectures and seminars. The lectures introduce the themes covered in the course and provide the necessary background and framework for exploring the subject. The 90-minute seminars provide opportunities for students to develop their ideas and discuss their reading for the module, and allow scope for students to gain experience in collaborative learning and in developing and articulating historical arguments.
Please see this page for further information about assessment.
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the unit, a candidate will be able to demonstrate the ability to:
Interpret and engage with key themes in the history and historiography relating to the subject
Formulate coherent and well-grounded historical arguments, both in oral discussion within the seminar and in on paper in written coursework
Write informed and cogent essays in clear, well-structured and grammatical prose
Think critically about the problems, challenges and opportunities of studying a topic across a significant period of time and within a comparative framework