2016-2017
Britain in the 20th Century
Category: History
Code: IS 189
Level: 4
Credits: 15
Teaching Pattern
Week 1
2 x 3hrs
Week 2
2 x 3hrs
Week 3
2 x 3hrs
1 x 8hrs
Seminar
Field trip
Tutorial
1 x 20mins

*you will be expected to do approximately 120 hours of independent study over the 4 weeks.
*Additional Field Trip fee of £45.00
Week 4
2 x 3hrs
Outline
The module primarily examines the social history of Britain in the 20th century, introducing some of the
important themes within a political, economic, and cultural context. By covering topics such as war, class,
poverty, the welfare state, empire, immigration and gender, you develop a greater understanding of the
issues that have shaped modern Britain in recent history.
Fundamentally, the module aims to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary for a historical
appreciation of Britain across the 20th century. You are introduced to a variety of sources available to the
historian today, and encouraged to share your research findings and views in class.
There are four main themes for the module:
1) The political and social impact of war.
2) Class, poverty, and the welfare state.
3) Empire and national identities.
4) Gender and social change.
Week 1
Seminar 1: Introductions, familiarity with the module and the teaching of History in a UK university,
followed by a discussion of British history in the 20th Century.
Tutorial:
See how students are settling in.
Seminar 2: The political and social implications of World War I on Britain.
Week 2
Seminar 1: The political and social implications of World War II on Britain.
Tutorial:
Advice and directions for first essay.
Seminar 2: Class, poverty, and the welfare state.
1
SUMMER Session 2
Week 3
Seminar 1:
Tutorial:
Seminar 2:
Empire and national identities. First Essay to be submitted.
Student feedback & essays returned.
Excursion to London Museum.
Week 4
Seminar 1:
Tutorial:
Seminar 2:
Gender and social change.
Advice and direction on second essay.
Appraisal of the module and 20th Century British history. Second Essay submitted.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students will be able to:

Relate a topic of broad historical significance to the national history of a particular country,
while appreciating its historiographical debates.

Develop a more detailed and complex understanding of historical processes and ideas.

Demonstrate an ability to locate, analyse and make use of secondary material to comprehend
and critically evaluate sources and events.
Contacts
Dr Andy Mansfield
2
SUMMER Session 2
[email protected]
Phone :
Indicative Reading List
Core Reading List
Articles specifically pertaining to the seminars will be provided on arrival, however, a general reading list
for the module would be:
Clarke, P., Hope and Glory: Britain, 1900-2000 (2004 edn).
Morgan, K. O., Twentieth-Century Britain: A Very Short Introduction (2000).
Carnevali, F. and J-M. Strange (eds.), Twentieth Century Britain: Economic, Cultural and Social Change
(second edition, 2007).
Ramsden, J. The Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century British Politics (2005).
Rubinstein, D., Twentieth Century Britain: A Political History (2003).
Wrigley, C (ed.) A Companion to Early Twentieth-Century Britain (2003).
Zweiniger-Bargielowska, I., (ed.) Women in Twentieth Century Britain (2001).
University Library
The Library,
University of Sussex,
Brighton
BN1 9QL
Phone: 01273 678163
[email protected]
3
SUMMER Session 2