This module goes beyond thinking about Britain in terms of major historiographical interventions, introducing you to some of the rich and diverse sources through which historians can understand the contours of everyday life in the past. Our aim is to explore the raw materials through which historians might capture the pluralistic and inchoate messiness of ordinary life and historical change: a seaside postcard or a work of art; a literary novel or a scribbled diary entry. Sites and Sources in Modern British History will give you grounding in the interpretation of different sources and the problems and possibilities these present in studying the past. Many of the sources you'll handle are ones that have not yet been used in published history writing, and the emphasis is therefore on seeing what you can do with them: your task each week is to imagine the rich histories that could be told from the sources in front of you.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Critically reflect on the sources and theoretical approaches that are applied to study of modern British history.
Be able to critically evaluate different types of source material and present on key areas of methodological debate within the field of Modern British History
Be able to articulate their ideas and understanding of Modern British History in written form.
