This module explores how the historical past is packaged and communicated to twenty-first century public audiences. It starts by considering the public-facing role of the historian, and the relationship between history, heritage and collective memory. Thereafter, it considers the diverse forms that public history can take (exhibitions, digital platforms, community projects etc.) and the planning required to deliver an engaging output. There is a strong practical element as you experiment with different genres of public history before designing and pitching your own ‘output’ (e.g. exhibition panel, podcast script, social media campaign, heritage trail, educational resource etc.) for your assessment. The module emphasises history beyond the classroom and, as such, includes site visits to museums and heritage organisations, plus a networking event that empowers you to speak directly to external practitioners from across the sector. This will include Roehampton History alumni. The module promotes professional behaviours alongside creative, digital and enhanced communication skills and thus constitutes a bridge towards the L6 capstone module, ‘History in Action’, with the latter’s opportunity to follow the Placement track within history-related industries.

The public history theme also provides a clear pathway to the more specialised L6 module, ‘After Auschwitz’ which encompasses representations of the Holocaust in museum, heritage and other cultural settings.

In this module students will examine how modern Latin America was forged through European invasion and colonization, indigenous resistance and African slavery, and the famous Wars of Liberation. Progressing through the 19^th and 20^th centuries they will examine how power has been challenged and changed hands up to the present day through popular uprisings, military coups, and political transformations.

The module begins with the experiences and voices of the indigenous people, followed by a longue durée analysis of the impact of the horrors of slavery. This leads into a wider examination of the context of Iberian, British and American colonialism, and how indigenous experiences of contact with European peoples changed across time and space. Through this module students will gain expertise in how European colonialism and institutions such as the Roman Catholic Church and European monarchies have shaped South America and the wider Global South. The module also considers how indigenous, indentured, and slave communities continued sustain violent and non-violent strategies of resistance, firstly, against different forms of authoritarianism,  and, secondly, against extractive processes, linked to global capitalism (and liberalism), which have fundamentally altered ecologies and landscapes. The module also engages with the impact and reframing of global political movements within the continent. These range from the incubation and adaption of various strands of fascism, to Latin America’s critical role in sustaining various international communist movements.

The module has contemporary relevance.  Students will familiarize themselves with thinkers, writers, and political figures whose ideas shaped the globe, from Castro and Che Guevera to Garcia Marquez and Borges, and will thus engage with ideas which shape the world of today. Students consider the long-lasting impact of a violent history of revolutions, coups, and warfare across the continent, and the influence of USA upon Latin American politics, extending to the rise of Jair Bolsonaro and Javier Milei in Brazil and Argentina respectively. Through this module students will gain an understanding of the complex history of Latin America, and the role the continent continues to play in world affairs today. 

At level 4 students will in ‘Political Concepts. Ideas in Context’ power, democracy and freedom and hence will be able to apply these models to a Latin American context. The module also had cross-overs with its companion level 5 module, the Politics of Partition. Britain, Ireland and the Middle East’, and to the level 6 module on ‘Boling Points. Crisis and Conflict in the Cold War’.

The module traces the historical roots of inequality and its connections to divisions of poverty and opportunity in UK cities and towns today. The pressing nature of this is illustrated by Keir Starmer’s comment: “inequality is not only morally bankrupt, it’s economic stupidity” (New Chapter for Britain, 2021).

The module begins in the aftermath of the Napoleonic wars, when the upheavals of industrialisation and urban expansion led to greater levels of inequality in urban spaces. This period was also marked by the transition from socially integrated to socially segregated cities. This module follows how patterns of discrimination and exclusion gathered momentum during the Victorian era, alongside growth and prosperity. The module will look at inequality along lines of class & status, gender & sexuality, and race & ethnicity. The module then considers how town-planning movements of the 20^th century were adopted to bring about social change, such as the Le Corbusier inspired Alton East and Alton West estates in Roehampton. You then look at the 1980s as a key turning point in the growing concentration of wealth among the top 1% and the accentuation of this trend. The module closes with shocks to the contemporary city, notably Covid-19, and the efforts being taken to reinvest in neglected areas, such as the 2024 Alton Renewal Plan. You consider how discrimination along lines of class, gender and race have shaped access to health, housing, and recreational space.

The module follows on from the level 4 modules on ‘Political Concepts’ and ‘Britain from the Blitz to Brexit’; and in setting the nature of inequality provides part of the explanation for radical protest, explored in the level 6 module on ‘Radical Cities. Revolution and Resistance in London and Paris’.  

This module examines the origins of contentious the political and ethnic divides in Ireland and the Middle East which continue to shape world affairs. Comparing these regions through the lens of Britain’s changing role, you will also develop an understanding of how conflict overseas impacted British politics and culture domestically. 

Beginning with the Irish War of Independence, the Anglo-Irish Treaty, and the ensuing Irish Civil War, you will examine how partition of the island of Ireland into Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State reflected both historic divisions between Nationalist and Unionist communities and contemporary political manoeuvring in the corridors of power. You will have the opportunity to contrast the experiences of people in post-conflict Ireland in 1923 with the inhabitants of the newly established British Mandatory Palestine, and the issues faced by its communities over the subsequent decades. Exploring the impact of population transfers, religious and political extremism, the Second World War and the Arab-Israeli War and First Nakba, you will gain new insights into a relatively familiar period of the 20th century. Examining writings and other cultural production from sources as varied as IRA guerillas, Jewish migrants who undertook the Third Aliyah, the female organisers of Arab Women’s Congress, and British soldiers who served in both Ireland and Mandatory Palestine, you will engage with a range of perspectives. Reading music, poetry, and philosophy produced by those experiencing political changes will afford you a glimpse into how societies in transition coped with turbulent historical circumstances and the varied roles played by the British government and people in shaping them. As they consider historical attempts at resolving these conflicts, such as the Sunningdale Agreement and the Camp David Accords, you will reflect on the complexities of meditating between different communities, as well as on the continued relevance of such processes in pursuit of peace into the present day. 

This level 5 autumn module will enable you to deploy their understanding of themes such as citizenship, democracy and nationhood explored in the previous year’s level 4 smodule ‘Political Concepts’ in a relevant historical context.  Engagement with the history of civil rights, especially in the USA in the late 20^th century developed in level 4, is also built upon by examining the specific contexts of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights movement and the struggle for a two-state solution in Israel-Palestine. You will extend their understandings of debates over fundamental rights to new geographical and historical contexts. Specific and detailed engagement with the Troubles, and Irish history more broadly in the 20^th century, will expand on familiarity acquired during Week 9 of Level 4 module Britain from Blitz to Brexit addressing the Troubles up to the Good Friday Agreement, affording you earlier historical context and a more nuanced understanding of the global scope of the conflict. The module makes connections with international solidarity efforts between various self-identified ‘liberation struggles’ in the complimentary level 5 on ‘Revolutions and Authoritarianism in Modern Latin America’, and particularly the example provided by the Cuban Revolution to Irish and Palestinian revolutionaries. This will acquaint you with a key aspect of the level 5 module ‘Revolutions and Authoritarianism in Latin America’. The module also lays the groundwork for level 6 modules ‘Boiling Points. Crisis and Conflict in the Cold War” and ‘After Auschwitz: Representing the Holocaust’: in the former case by exploring a key Cold War ‘boiling points’ such as the Suez Crisis and the Arab-Israeli Wars, in the latter case by directly addressing the role of the Holocaust in the birth of the Israeli state and the subsequent historiography and legacy of the Shoah in Israel.

This capstone module marks the culmination of your History degree. You will pick one of two tracks, depending on their future career aims. Track One is the Research Skills route, designed for students wishing to pursue postgraduate courses such as an MA or a PGCE, and/or careers in professional research (e.g. in policy, marketing) and involves producing an extended piece of original research. Track Two is the Professional Skills route, designed for students looking to apply their historical knowledge to the workplace and involves a period of relevant work placement. The year-long format ensures sufficient time for the planning and completion of research/placement activity alongside work for other modules.

This module explores the history of the Cold War through an exploration of its most tense moments, as well as its legacies which still affect global relations today. Traditionally understood as an ideological conflict between two superpowers, the Cold War became an all-encompassing battle for the ‘hearts and minds’ of people around the world, permeating everyday life in the second-half of the twentieth century.  While each week of this module is organised around ‘watershed’ moments or themes that constitute our understanding of the Cold War, in-class source work highlights alternative readings of the history of this conflict. Through these activities, we ask ‘what constitutes a crisis or a conflict’ in the context of the Cold War. In doing so, you are encouraged to think about the social and cultural impact of these events – and their lingering after-effects.

This module situates the history of the Holocaust alongside a critical analysis of its representation in cultural memory. You engage with cutting-edge developments in Holocaust scholarship and very contemporary examples of cultural outputs. This includes current debates about the exclusion, sidelining or under-representation of non-Jewish victim groups e.g. Sinti and Roma within international remembrance frameworks such as the IHRA.  In the process, we explore how the Nazi genocide continues to affect contemporary society, provoking emotive debates regarding memorialisation, educational policies, the harnessing of AI technologies, and ‘dark tourism’ around former sites of atrocity. The module has an inherently transnational approach but also pays particular attention to traces of the Holocaust within the London landscape.

The module builds upon the public history content provided in the Level 5 module ‘Hands-On History’ and complements the year-long Level 6 ‘History in Action’ module by illustrating how historical research informs contemporary practices within education, policymaking, commemoration, museology and the arts.

This module considers London's and Paris’ experiences of rapid expansion during the 19th and 20th centuries, becoming the largest cities in the western world by World War II. The module investigates their transformation into imperial capitalist metropolises, shaped by revolutionary legacies, urban rebuilding, growing populations and migration.

The module situates the modern political history of both London and Paris, alongside a critical analysis of its representation in both their contemporary, national political contexts and contemporary social and political structures of both cities. It focuses on the transformative processes which witnessed agrarian societies transform into modern urban societies with new methods of technological advancements through the late 18^th to the 21^st centuries. You will also chart that greater economic pressures on urban social classes led to tensions between them and the political elites.

The module begins with the legacy of the 18th century French Revolution and the beginnings of the campaign for reforms and suffrage via the Chartists Movement and Revolutions of 1830 & 1848 in France, concentrating on the role the communities of London and Paris played in these movements and events. In turn, you will investigate the social situation experienced by the poor and working-class communities in contracts with the elites. In turn, these pressures are measured for causation for the new requirements in society, chiefly for political representation. You will engage with new developments in both London & Paris historiography. The module then investigates the inter-war tensions, leading to extremist politics in both cities, culminating with the Veteran’s Riot and the Battle of Cable Street. You will also analyse the impact of immigration and extremism on the societies of both cities in pre- and post-war times. You will then measure the impact of the two World Wars; how they influenced and impacted on the political awakening of the Working Classes of both cities and the struggle for suffrage and representation.

The module emphasizes the radical and revolutionary aspects of late 20^th Century protest, focusing on the Poll Tax Riot in London of 1990, and the contrast and comparison between that and the urban unrest in French Banlieues in the 1990s.

In addition, the module charts how urban political revolution and resistance continue to affect contemporary society, provoking and influencing debates regarding protest, political policies, and representation. You will also review how both cities have been portrayed in Film, TV and Literature, enabling cross-discipline study. The module has an inherently transnational approach but also pays particular attention to archival and physical traces, regarding political protest and representation within the London and Paris landscapes.

The module follows on from the level 4 modules on ‘Political Concepts. Ideas in Context’ (notably in the further historical discussion of the Chartists) and ‘Britan from the Blitz to Brexit’, It also follows through on some of the radical consequences of the themes explored in the level 5 module on ‘Inequality in the City’.

30 credits

You will develop your core academic and integrated English language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. You will become familiar with key academic skills and concepts, such as referencing methods and awareness of academic integrity and tone. You will apply these skills and knowledge to both broad topics and also your chosen subject pathway.

Teaching and learning

You will be required to actively engage in on-campus learning for up to 10 hours a week.

You will be taught through a full range of teaching and learning methods, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, discussion groups, group directed tasks and presentations. This will enable you to learn from your peers and tutors in both structured and information settings.

You will be encouraged to think creatively about your approach to learning and discussions with your peers. You will also have access to recordings, resources, links and signposting through Moodle to enrich your learning.

Assessment

You will be assessed through group and individual presentations, comparative and reflective essays, multiple choice exams, coursework and reports, oral exams, portfolios, case studies and blogs.

30 credits

You will develop your core academic and integrated English language skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. You will become familiar with key academic skills and concepts, such as referencing methods and awareness of academic integrity and tone. You will apply these skills and knowledge to both broad topics and also your chosen subject pathway.

Teaching and Learning

You will be required to actively engage in on-campus learning for up to 10 hours a week.

You will be taught through a full range of teaching and learning methods, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, discussion groups, group directed tasks and presentations. This will enable you to learn from your peers and tutors in both structured and information settings.

You will be encouraged to think creatively about your approach to learning and discussions with your peers. You will also have access to recordings, resources, links and signposting through Moodle to enrich your learning.

Assessment

You will be assessed through group and individual presentations, comparative and reflective essays, multiple choice exams, coursework and reports, oral exams, portfolios, case studies and blogs. 

30 credits

You will develop your research, numeracy and information technology skills. You will investigate the difference between primary and secondary research, conduct your own research project and demonstrate your findings through data analysis. You will also develop your awareness of equality, diversion and inclusion in the UK, through a real-world issue; discrimination in the workplace.

Teaching and learning

You will be required to actively engage in on-campus learning for up to 10 hours a week.

You will be taught through a full range of teaching and learning methods, which include lectures, seminars, workshops, discussion groups, group directed tasks and presentations. This will enable you to learn from your peers and tutors in both structured and information settings.

You will be encouraged to think creatively about your approach to learning and discussions with your peers. You will also have access to recordings, resources, links and signposting through Moodle to enrich your learning.

Assessment

You will be assessed through group and individual presentations, comparative and reflective essays, multiple choice exams, coursework and reports, oral exams, portfolios, case studies and blogs. 

30 credits

This module supports a broad exploration of crime and law and its integration within society across various sources, which includes diverse cultural, social, and political representations. By analysing a wide range of topics, you are encouraged to critically engage with how disability, gender and race are represented and viewed in relation to crime and law.

This course integrates sustainability by looking at the sustainability of social interactions and your results and consequences in relation to crime and law. Social responsibility, legal injustice across the globe and inequality are all featured. Social Responsibility is embedded through topics such as social identity, prejudice and exclusion. Social Cognitive Theory and Rational Choice Theory helps you understand challenges and question accountability for individuals and communities.

This course fosters global engagement by examining the inequalities experienced in other cultures, particularly in relation to race, gender and exclusion. Global challenges are addressed at every step equipping you with the skills to navigate a globalised world in a variety of ways. By analysing data and text concerning diverse cultures and contexts, you will develop an understanding of how individuals and cultures operate amongst injustices in a globalised world, preparing you to engage thoughtfully with diverse audiences.

Teaching and learning

Through lectures, workshops, group work, and structured academic writing, you will have the opportunity to practice the core academic skills needed for your future studies. Critical thinking will be developed through tasks such as text analysis, group discussions, and the ability to create well-structured academic assignments, including essays and presentations.

The teaching delivery for each module consists of one, one-three-hour lecture and one, two-hour workshop per week. You will get a diverse learning experience through case studies and active learning workshops and microteaches.

You will also have an additional 30 minutes of online support each week, consisting of activities to develop your presentation skills and to provide you with opportunities to explore wider policy implementation in diverse/comparative transnational examples.

Assessment

This module will be assessed using a video presentation and summative essay.

30% - video presentation, working in groups, you will produce a video on a topic taught on the curriculum and explain its impact on UK society, using a real-world example.

70% - summative essay, you will identify an issue, either historical or contemporary, that has had an impact on UK society and connect it to at least one of the key topics covered in the course.

30 credits

This module supports a broad exploration of social understanding across various sources, which includes diverse cultural, social, and political representations. By analysing a wide range of topics, you are encouraged to critically engage with how disability, gender and race are represented and viewed. This ensures that your projects and research can reflect a variation of perspectives, fostering a more inclusive and holistic learning environment.

This course integrates sustainability by looking at the sustainability of social interactions and your results and consequences. Social responsibility, globalisation and inequality are all featured. Social Responsibility is embedded through topics such as social identity, prejudice and exclusion. Social Cognitive Theory and Rational Choice Theory help you understand challenges and question accountability for individuals and communities.

This course fosters global engagement by examining the inequalities experienced in other cultures, particularly in relation to race, gender and class. Global challenges are addressed at every step, equipping you to navigate a globalised world in a variety of ways. By analysing data and text concerning diverse cultures and contexts, you develop an understanding of how individuals and cultures operate in a globalised world, preparing you to engage thoughtfully with diverse audiences.

Teaching and learning

The teaching delivery for each module consists of one, one-three-hour lecture and one, two-hour seminar per week. Lecturers will cover core indicative content, while seminars will consist of research workshops, as well as forming small groups and learning on relevant case studies.

You will also have an additional 30 minutes of online support each week, consisting of activities to develop your presentation skills and to provide you with opportunities to explore wider policy implementation in diverse/comparative transnational examples.

Assessment

This module will be assessed using an academic poster and a summative essay.

40% - academic poster, you will design a poster that provides key information and sociological analysis of your selected story or issue chosen from key weekly topics.

60% - summative essay, you will conduct a sociological analysis of a story or issue you have encountered in the media.