HY 111 PRACTISING HISTORY, PART 1
SEMESTER 1 (2015–16)
LEVEL 1 (5 credits)
Session: Monday @ 1-2pm
Venue: Theatre One Arts Building
Teaching Team: Dr David Murphy (Module co-ordinator), Dr Alison FitzGerald,
Prof Raymond Gillespie, Dr John Paul Newman, Dr Ian Speller (Department of
History); Ms Pauline Murray (Maynooth University Library – History librarian)
1.
MODULE DESCRIPTION
This module is designed to introduce you as a university student to researching and
writing history and to enable you to develop a range of valuable transferable skills,
specifically in research, writing, interpretation, presentation and critical analysis.
In order to provide you with a sense of the richness and diversity of approaches to
studying the past, and to introduce you to a number of historians working in different
fields within the department at Maynooth University, the module is taught by a small
team of academics. Each historian devotes two sessions to introducing his/her particular
field of history (military history; nationalism; art and material culture; ideas and
culture). Speaking on the basis of his/her own professional experience as a practising
historian, each lecturer offers you insights into the main concepts, methodologies and
skills that s/he uses in the course of her/his own work.
This is primarily a methodological module, concerned with enabling you to develop your
research, interpretative, writing, critical analytical and presentation skills.
In order to provide a common historical context for explaining and illustrating the
application of their various approaches, each specialist presents her/his comments with
reference to the period c.1750–c.1875. By completing a series of assignments and an
extended essay in which you will be asked to relate conceptual and methodological
issues, explored by these specialists, to the study of historical change over the period
c.1750–c.1875, it is hoped that you will become skilled in applying research, analytical,
interpretative, writing and presentation skills. You will also receive guidance on
effective use of library resources for historical research.
2.
AIM
The aim of this module is to familiarise you with the key concepts, methodological
approaches and skills employed by practising historians, working in a variety of
specialist fields, and to enable you to adopt and develop these in your own research,
interpretation and writing of history.
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3.
LECTURE AND TUTORIAL SCHEDULE
Week
Lecture sessions
1
Introduction to year,
programme, module & team
21-25
Sept.
2
28 Sept.2 Oct.
Tutorial activities

Signing up: no tutorial meetings in first week
Approaches to the study of
history & historical
evidence: an introductory
overview



Dr David Murphy



First meeting of tutorial groups
Introductions
Tutor gives his/her Maynooth University email address to
students & requests that each student sends an email to
him/her
Undergraduate Handbook review
Lecture review (21 & 28. 09.15)
Preliminary discussion of HY111 Practising History
extended essay topic (Pt 1) – the nature of historical
change
Briefing on Assignment #1: Bibliography & footnotes
Dr David Murphy

3
Submissions to tutor
The study of the history of
nationalism, c.1750–c.1875:
an introduction (Pt 1)


Lecture review (5.10.15)
Preliminary preparation for Assignment #2: Analysis of
primary sources on nationalism
Submission of Assignment
#1: Bibliography &
footnotes to tutor in
tutorial session



Lecture review (12.10.15)
Feedback on Assignment #1: Bibliography & footnotes
Detailed preparation for Assignment #2: Analysis of
primary sources on nationalism
Return of Assignment #1:
Bibliography & footnotes
by tutor to students in
tutorial session
5-9 Oct.
Dr John Paul Newman
4
12–16
Oct.
The study of the history of
nationalism, c.1750–c.1875:
an introduction (Pt 2)
Dr John Paul Newman
2
5
The study of material
culture, c.1750–c.1875: an
introduction (Pt 1)
19–23
Oct.
Dr Alison FitzGerald




Lecture review (19.10.15)
Preliminary preparation for Assignment #3: ‘Reading’
Art & artefacts
Introduce students to the book for review in Assignment
#5; show students some examples of book reviews and
discuss how to approach reviewing
Give students guidance on approaching HY118 World of
the Vikings essay (submission deadline = week
commencing 16 November)
Submission of
Assignment #2: Analysis of
primary sources on
nationalism to tutor in
tutorial session
NO TUTORIAL
[Students should read T.C.W. Blanning’s Romantic
Revolution during Study Week in preparation for
Assignment #5 and read around HY118 World of the
Vikings essay topic]
NO SUBMISSIONS
Lecture review (2.11.15)
Feedback on Assignment # 2: Analysis of primary
sources on nationalism to tutor in tutorial session
Detailed preparation for Assignment #3: ‘Reading’ Art &
artefacts
Discussion of HY111 Practising History extended essay
topic (Pt 2) – How do these approaches contribute to our
understanding of historical change?
Return of Assignment #2:
Analysis of primary
sources on nationalism by
tutor to students in tutorial
session
Lecture review (9.11.15)
Preliminary preparation for Assignment #4: Military
history website(s)
Submission of Assignment
#3: ‘Reading’ Art &
artefacts to tutor in tutorial
session
6
26 –30 Oct.
STUDY WEEK
7
The study of material
culture, c.1750–c.1875: an
introduction (Pt 2)
2–6 Nov.
Dr Alison FitzGerald




8
9-13 Nov.
The study of military
history, c.1750–c.1875: an
introduction (Pt 1)
Dr Ian Speller


3
9
16–20
Nov.
10
23–27
Nov.
11
The study of military
history, c.1750–c.1875: an
introduction (Pt 2)



Dr Ian Speller
Lecture review (16.11.15)
Feedback on Assignment #3: ‘Reading’ Art & artefacts
Detailed preparation for Assignment #4: Military history
website(s)
Return of Assignment #3:
‘Reading’ Art & artefacts
by tutor to students in
tutorial session
Submission of HY118
World of the Vikings essay
to tutor in tutorial session
The study of history of
culture & ideas, c.1750–
c.1875: an introduction
(Pt 1)




Prof Raymond Gillespie
The study of history of
culture & ideas, c.1750–
c.1875: an introduction
(Pt 2)
30 Nov–4
Dec.
Prof Raymond Gillespie
12
Historians using library
resources
7–11 Dec.
Pauline Murray






Lecture review (23.11.15)
Feedback on HY118 World of the Vikings essay
Preliminary preparation for Assignment #5: Review of
T.C.W. Blanning’s Romantic Revolution
Detailed discussion of HY111 Practising History
extended essay topic (Pt 3) – Assessing the relative
importance of the various forces for change in
precipitating historical change
Submission of Assignment
#4: Military history
website(s) to tutor in
tutorial session
Lecture review (30.11.15)
Detailed preparation for Assignment #5: Review of
T.C.W. Blanning’s Romantic Revolution
Detailed discussion of HY111 Practising History
extended essay topic (Pt 4) – planning and structuring
essay content
Return of Assignment #4:
Military history website(s)
by tutor to students in
tutorial session
Lecture review (7.12.15)
Feedback on Assignment #4: Military history website(s)
Submission of Assignment #5: Review of T.C.W.
Blanning’s Romantic Revolution
Submission of Assignment
#5: Review of T.C.W.
Blanning’s Romantic
Revolution to tutor in
tutorial session
4
Return of HY118 World of
the Vikings essay by tutor
in tutorial session
13
14–18
Dec.
Dr David Murphy

Conclusions and review of
course


Feedback on Assignment #5: review of T.C.W.
Blanning’s Romantic Revolution
Final guidance on preparing HY111 Practising History
extended essay: deadline = date of HY118 World of the
Vikings examination (January 2016)
Guidance for examination preparation
Return of Assignment #5:
T.C.W. Blanning’s
Romantic Revolution by
tutor in tutorial session
Submission of HY111
Practising History
extended essay in two
formats (a) electronically
as email attachment in
WORD format to tutor and
(b) in hard copy via the
History Essay Box, Ground
Floor, Rhetoric House
(Deadline for submission in
both formats = date of
HY118 World of the
Vikings examination in
January 2016)
Feedback on HY111
Practising History
extended essay will be
provided electronically by
the tutor to each student.
*** N.B. Please consult HY111 Moodle site at least once a week for possible updates/changes ***
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4.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
On completing this module, it is expected that you will have developed:
(1) a basic insight into defining features of selected specialist fields of historical
research
(2) an understanding of key concepts and vocabulary relating to these specialist
fields
(3) advanced skills for identification and critical analysis of documentary source
material
(4) basic skills for analysis of painting, sculpture and decorative arts objects
(5) a discerning approach to accessing and using online resources
(6) historical writing skills (including practising presentation of bibliography and
footnotes)
(7) responsibility for group transfer of knowledge by contributing to small group
tutorial sessions
5.
MOODLE
Moodle is the main medium through which announcements and reminders
concerning HY111 Practising History Part 1 will be posted by the lecturers for the
attention of all students. It is, therefore, essential that you visit the site at least twice
weekly. A selection (but not all) of the module documentation (module outline,
details of assessment and reading material, certain lecture slides, links to
recommended websites etc.) will be available throughout the semester. The site for
HY111 may be accessed via the Maynooth University home page
(www.maynoothuniversity.ie) or at www.2015.moodle.maynoothuniversity.ie If you
experience problems with your password, or any other aspects of using Moodle, you
should email [email protected]
6.
READING MATERIAL
Specific readings are recommended for the module assignments (see below and
Moodle site)
A very useful textbook is Eric J. Hobsbawm, The age of Revolution: Europe, 1789–
1848 (London, various editions, 1962, 1977 & 1995) 940.27HOB
For the later part of the module see Eric J. Hobsbawm, The age of capital, 1848–
1875 (London, various editions, 1975, 1995 & 2000) 940.28HOB & 909.81HOB
For a useful, if largely narrative, account of eighteenth and nineteenth–century
European history see John Merriman’s A history of modern Europe (2 vols, London,
1990; 2nd edn., 2004) 940.2 MER This provides an accessible introduction to the
principal historical figures and events from the period covered in this module.
T.C.W. Blanning, The Romantic Revolution (New York, 2011) is also highly
recommended. This is the text used in Assignment # 5: Book review. It provides a
broad ranging overview of Europe in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
As such, it is also very useful for researching the extended essay topic.
Multiple copies of these books are available in Maynooth University library.
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7.
ASSESSMENT
This module is assessed by a combination of 5 assignments and 1 extended essay:
Assignments
Wordcount
Percentage mark
–
6%
2. Analysis of sources re: nationalism
600–800 words
12%
3. ‘Reading’ Art & artefacts
600–800 words
12%
4. Military history website(s) exercise
600–800 words
12%
5. Review of T.C.W. Blanning book
900–1,100 words
18%
Extended essay
2,000–2,200 words
40% **
1. Bibliography & footnotes
** N.B. Note proportion of marks allocated to extended essay
Extended essay title:
“The period 1750-c.1875 saw considerable change across Europe in terms
of political, military and social developments and also in terms of material
culture”.
Discuss this statement, making reference to the development you
consider to be the most significant.
See HY111 Moodle page for details of individual assignments and extended essay.
8.
TEACHING TEAM: CONTACT DETAILS
The History Department is located on the first floor in Rhetoric House on the south
campus. The following are contact details for the members of the team teaching
HY111:
Dr David Murphy – Junior Infirmary (South Campus)
Dr John Paul Newman – 39 Rhetoric House
Dr Alison FitzGerald – 42 Rhetoric House
Dr Ian Speller – 49 Rhetoric House
Prof Raymond Gillespie – 50 Rhetoric House
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
For staff research profiles and consultation hours see the departmental website
(www.maynoothuniversity.ie/history)
If you have any questions concerning HY111, please do not hesitate to contact your
lecturers or tutor.
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Dr David Murphy (Module Co-ordinator)
September 2015
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