This module (and its co-requisite Dossers: Homelessness in Modern Britain, 1900 to Present (Masters): A) will allow students to study a historical theme or area in great depth, under the guidance of an individual member of staff. The module will allow students to study an aspect of history in detail and gain a fuller understanding of how different types of source material inform the historical process. Like Part A, Part B will involve a detailed examination of primary as well as secondary sources, (documents, newspapers etc) both published and unpublished, and students will be tested on their ability to compare different source materials from the period under scrutiny. This special subject aims to provide a historical understanding of homelessness during the twentieth century in Britain and to explain how the modern responses to this issue have been shaped by cultural experience and societal and economic pressures. The object is to provide an explanation for the changing perception of the issue amongst the public, policy-makers and the media, to collate these perceptions against the realities of the homelessness experience, and to understand how and why individuals and groups have sought to provide rescue and to understand how this has impacted upon the policy responses of the state.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
analyse and critically appraise key events and historical processes relevant to the subject under scrutiny;
analyse and critically evaluate a wide range of relevant primary source material offering where appropriate, an explicitly comparative perspective;
critically evaluate the historiographical context and trends of the subject under exploration;
Summarise, synthesise and evaluate the subject material in a sophisticated written form showing an awareness of further research potential.
