History and War Studies with Foundation Year

The module introduces you to the study and practice of history (and if you are studying for a degree in a cognate field, the practice of academic work). Different approaches to the subject, historiographical and methodological issues will be studied in order to familiarise you with the pathway learning outcomes, derived from the QAA History benchmarking statement, which will underpin your studies. A key focus of the module will be the development of subject and key skills that will enable you to cope with more advanced work in the subject.

This module introduces students to key issues and debates concerning the origins, nature, and conduct of war. The contributions of political philosophers such as Machiavelli, Hobbes and Kant are discussed, as is the concept of 'Just War', which is applied to recent conflicts. Other contemporary issues in how war is waged such as the growing use of private security companies and humanitarian intervention in conflict environments are also covered. This module provides an ideal opportunity to develop your thinking about the causes, conduct, and nature of war.

The module provides the foundation for the War Studies programme by examining key issues such as strategic thought, definitions of war, and trends and themes in global conflict in the modern era. Particular attention is given to the rise of western styles of warfare and its interaction with differing cultural approaches to war. The importance of analytical skills and the type and nature of source material is also strongly emphasised.

This module aims to take students with no prior knowledge of the target language to A1 standard in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.    

The module aims to explore some of the ways in which women in the past have challenged their subordination, both by demanding& nbsp;their inclusion in public, political and professional life and& nbsp;through involvement in movements for wider social and political reform. The module will include case study material from Britain and across the British Empire& nbsp;-& nbsp;including India and the Caribbean - to showcase historic campaigns& nbsp;including women& #39;s opposition to slavery, the struggle for women& #39;s higher education,& nbsp;the reform of sexual conduct& nbsp;and the fight for women& #39;s suffrage.

This module will provide an introduction to economics. Students will develop the capacity to understand and analyse the intellectual foundations, operation and problems of the contemporary capitalist economy. The syllabus will cover essential aspects of the discipline including the nature of economics, alternative economic systems, economic thought, microeconomics, macroeconomics, public sector economics, and international economics. No prior knowledge of economics is necessary. This module is not recommended for students who have previously studied economics at A level or equivalent.

This module provides an introduction to the social, cultural and economic foundation of early modern England, focusing upon the key issues, theories and methodologies underpinning the development of the Tudor and early Stuart State. Particular attention will be drawn to the main historical approaches regarding elite and popular culture, gender, religious practice, trade, poverty, social insurrection and war.

This module aims to facilitate students in rising one stage (A2) in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

This module surveys the history of Europe and the Americas between 1789 and 1914 by exploring major areas of intersection and interdependence in the historical development of both continents. It examines similarities in the use of forced labour, the complex web of economic relations between the continents, and illuminates the flow of population and ideas across the Atlantic. In addition the module also considers the consequences that nation-building and imperialism in Europe and the Americas had for ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples.

This module aims to enhance first year students’ academic engagement with learning by strengthening their academic performance; and to facilitate their transition into a higher education by introducing them to the merits of scholarship and the expectations of joining an academic research community.

The Holocaust stands as a watershed event for western civilization, calling into question the moral and ethical foundations of the West. This module sets the historical exploration of the events of the Holocaust within the wider context of political, religious and legal issues.

Volunteering in the Community is a community-based learning module which gives students the opportunity to combine practical experience with their academic studies. The module enables students to develop a range of vocational and interpersonal skills commesurate with graduate employment and critical citizenship. In addition, the module provides students with the opportunity to link their academic studies with volunteering activity and to 'learn by doing'.

This module examines the main political, cultural, social and economic changes in British society since 1945. It examines attempts by historians, politcal scientists, cultural commentators and sociologists to expalin these changes and evaluate their consequences.

This module aims to facilitate students in rising one stage (A2) in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

This module explores the social, economic and political upheaval of late modern Europe by focusing on some of the groups who were most profoundly affected: Itinerants, migrants and refugees. It takes as its two main themes the geographical mobility that came in the wake of nineteenth century industrialisation and the movement of populations that resulted from war, persecution and genocide in the twentieth century. Within these two broad themes, the course traces continuities and changes in social attitudes and government policy towards these minority groups . Documents relating to specific case studies will be made available to students, but students are also challenged to uncover source material themselves to reconstruct the perspective and agency of the men, women and children whose life experience is under consideration.

The United States is a nation of huge diversity, and is home to a vast array of different minority groups. These groups comprise of established and recent migrants from all corners of the globe, bringing with them a range of identities, as well as the original inhabitants of the continent, and those descended from enslaved peoples transported there against their will. This module will explore a range of different minority groups and trace their varying fortunes across the tumultuous twentieth century, helping build students’ understanding of change over time. In its coverage of different minority groups within the United States, consideration will be given to a variety of important and recurring themes, including, but not limited to: race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, and religion. Students will be required to show they have conducted independent research, using both primary and secondary materials - on more than one of the groups that is covered during the course - through the different forms of assessment.

This module examines a core, controversial element of modern British national identity: the Empire at its height in especially the Victorian era. It will examine the so-called 'Pax' from the Battle of Waterloo and Peace of Paris in 1815 to the peak of British interventionism under Palmerston, the subsequent period of 'Splendid Isolation', and the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Conflicts such as the Crimean War (1853-6) will be discussed in the context of the pursuit of a 'Balance of Power' and the breakdown of the 'Concert of Europe', as well as colonial struggles worldwide including the Indian 'Mutiny' of 1857-8, the 'Opium' Wars against China (1839-42 and 1856-60), the Ashanti Wars (1823-31, 1863-4 and 1873-4), the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, and the Boer Wars of 1880-1 and 1899-1902. Further study will also be made of the complicated nature of peace and 'gunboat diplomacy' in this period, from various Anglo-American crises including the American Civil War (1861-5), periodic 'invasion scares' of France, and the 'Great Game' with Imperial Russia over Central Asia and beyond.

The course wil offer students an opportunity to engage with a range of debates surrounding political violence in a variety of manifestations. The course themes include conventional and civil warfare, colonial violence and the violence of decolonisation, counterinsurgencies, torture and domestic repression, demonstrations and riots, and terrorism.

This module explores notions of cultural heritage through the physical and digital preservation and representation of historical sites, objects and collections, with a focus on issues of gender, ethnic and class identity.

This module seeks to explore the political and social history of Ireland from the period of the United Irishmen’s insurgency in the 1790s through to the achievement and consolidation of Irish independence in the years before the Second World War. The module introduces students to key debates in Irish historiography in areas such as Ireland’s relationship with Britain, the emergence of constitutional and revolutionary traditions in Irish nationalism, the relationship between nationalism and Unionism and the impact and legacy of the Irish War of Independence.

The module aims to examine the key themes of gender and sexuality in Britain in the long eighteenth century (c.1688-c.1820). The module focuses upon urban and public culture in London and the provinces using a variety of TSL and multimedia packages to examine both ‘normative’ and ‘transgressive’ behaviour within the ‘urban renaissance’ of British towns.

This seeks to introduce students to the origins, evolution and significance of terrorist violence. It will introduce students to case studies of domestic and international terrorism in order to develop a better understanding of the nature of terrorism, the variety of terrorist motivations and the means by which governments have attempted to deal with the problem. Past counter terrorism responses, and the policy options available to governments in more recent times, will be considered.

This module examines the planning and prosecution of the D-Day landings in Normandy, the subsequent battles, and the impact of the fighting on the soldiers and local population. A key element is a fieldtrip to the Normandy battlesites, which will include tours and visits to relevant museums.

This module examines the Great War from the variety of vantage points offered by the different sub-disciplines of historical research. It includes traditional military history, but also embraces social, gender and cultural historical approaches to explore its causes and prosecution, its social consequences, and the manner in which it has been commemorated. Students taking the module will develop an understanding of these central components to the history of the war, and of the experience of soldiers and civilians in these years, along with an awareness of the many histories of the war that can be written, and the different aims and methodologies that inform historical work in this field.

The module aims to provide students with an understanding of significant themes in the social history of Victorian Britain. The module explores crime, gender, sex, youth, the supernatural, punishment and social reform.

This module explores the impact of the Cold War on US foreign and domestic policy between 1945 and 1974. The module traces the course of US foreign policy from the end of Franklin D. Roosevelt& rsquo;s administration, through periods of crisis and d& eacute;tente, to the end of the Nixon administration in 1974. At the same time, the module explores the evolving ramifications of the Cold War upon domestic politics and society across these decades.

This module analyses the development of war gaming as an instructional, educational and leisure activity. It will examine how military institutions have developed gaming techniques as a method of instructing commanders in conflict situations, and how games have become an integral part of the modern culture of war, through board, figure and computer games. The factors behind the development and marketing of games, along with the particular socio-cultural issues underpinning their popularity, and the potential consequences for the understanding and consumption of War are key topics.

This module provides opportunities for community-based learning through voluntary community engagement. This activity enables students to understand the relevance of their studies within a community context, combining practical experience with academic studies. In addition, it is an opportunity to develop a critical understanding of the Third Sector, and the notion of citizenship. Both subject specific and transferable skills will be developed and utilised throughout this module, thus developing graduate employment attributes.

This module will provide an analysis of the Second World War in Europe between 1939 and 1945. Emphasis is placed on: causes of  war; military and strategic conduct; politics and diplomacy; impact of war on societies; and appraisal of the eventual outcome.  

This module will use the social, cultural and political history of charity to explore broad themes from the modern history of Britain and its place in the world. As well as these discussions, you'll also be doing a little bit of your own research in the Wolverhampton City Archive (or an agreed alternative) to see how this history played out locally.

This module allows students to analyse theories of conflict resolution in relation to specific case studies of conflicts within deeply divided societies. The module will examine both the ways in which conflicts are categorised and the different approaches to resolving conflict suggested in the literature. The characteristics of existing areas of conflict in the modern world will be explored and the implications for both resolving these conflicts, and the usefulness of the identified theories, will be evaluated.

The module aims to provide a comprehensive critique of pre-industrial and early-industrial material culture using a range of primary sources and artefacts to examine the extent to which a 'consumer revolution' in culture and society occurred during the period. It examines the acquisition of new items such as tea, coffee, chocolate, gin and household decencies and the agencies and spaces through which these were obtained and displayed. The module is concerned with the theoretical underpinnings to consumption stressing the importance of gender and contemporary attitudes to changing modes of acquisition and use. The focus is based primarily upon the lower and middling sorts of England and Wales, although comparisons with elite culture and Anglo-American and continental European modes of consumption are stressed.

The Module aims to: Examine the historical, political and social roots of the Northern Ireland conflict. A major focus of the module will be on the Provisional IRAs campaign of violence, the political consequences of this campaign and the strategies employed by the British government to contain it. The module will look at attempts at conflict resolution in Northern Ireland from the start of the ‘Troubles’ to the present and will consider the development and significance of the ‘peace process’.

The module aims to analyse the development of maritime power from the emergence of the all big gun battleship as a statement of national power through to the rise of the aircraft carrier and submarine as the principal weapons of seaborne power projection.  The module will focus on the influence of strategists and theorists such as Mahan, Corbett, Dönitz, Genda and Towers and will identify trends and developments in the field of maritime warfare during the period of the two world wars and beyond.  It will also place the role and nature of maritime power in the context of international rivalry and great power status.

This module aims to facilitate your in rising one stage (A2) in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

Drawing upon an extensive English-language scholarship, and through analysis of translated contemporary sources, students are invited to explore German society in what was a period of profound social change. We initially examine the economic growth that transformed the new state, focusing on the high levels of geographical mobility generated, on rapid urbanization and the attempts to manage the worst of its social side-effects. Attention then shifts to the particular experience of minorities within Reich borders, and to German emigrants and colonisers overseas. This focus on ethnicity as a central component of social identity is followed in subsequent weeks by discussion of the manner on which gender and social class also shaped the life course of German subjects. In tracing the emergence of the labour movement, we also consider the mass political participation characteristic of the peace-time Wilhelmine era (1890-1914), and this remains a prominent theme in the classes that follow on militarism, war-time society, and the revolution that accompanied defeat in 1918. The final class concerns the fractured society that emerged after the war and its transition through political and economic crisis to a period of relative stability. The module seeks - in the first instance - to comprehend German society in this period in its own terms; to further our understanding of its diversity and its different and competing political traditions, and of the processes which led to its modernization. This said, the catastrophe of National Socialist rule that was to follow, must mean that it also our duty to explore the continuities between our period and that of 1933-45, and to appreciate the long-term significance (and discontinuity) of the decade of turmoil (1914-1924) with which it closed.    

This module will examine and analyse some of the major themes in German history from the end of the First World War to the end& nbsp;of the Second World War. Special consideration will be given to& nbsp;the political, social and economic developments in& nbsp;Weimar Germany which led to the& nbsp;rise of the NSDAP, and to the& nbsp;combination of coercion and consent which helped it secure and& nbsp;retain control. The module will also consider& nbsp;the possibilities that existed for& nbsp;opposing the regime and its policies, as well as to& nbsp;its treatment of political opponents, and those groups persecuted& nbsp;as social outsiders& nbsp;and racial enemies. Further classes& nbsp;are devoted to the development of& nbsp;policy towards Germany and Europe& #39;s Jews,& nbsp;the ideology which drove this, and the& nbsp;process of cumulative radicalization that led to& nbsp;their mass murder.& nbsp;& nbsp;& nbsp;& nbsp;& nbsp;

The Independent Study in History enables the student to explore a relevant historical topic or theme in depth which has either generated particular academic and intellectual interest, or has not been covered extensively in the academic programme. Students will register two proposed topics, the most viable of which will form an agreed title. In consultation with the Independent Study co-ordinator, students are then allocated to an appropriate academic supervisor. The final assignment comprises an extended written piece of work based on independently-accessed primary and secondary source material.

This module aims to facilitate students in rising one stage (B1/B2/C1) in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

This module will be about the anarchy, cruelty and overwhelming confusion of modern warfare. In particular the module will analyse: what happens when morality vanishes from the battlefield; and why torture is endemic in modern warfare; how human rights, in times of war, lose its meaning as a set of principles; whether official propaganda and enemy demonization make barbaric behaviour easier; and how can we develop cultures opposed to torture that damage the legitimacy of our societies? Through a number of carefully selected case studies that vary in terms of their themes and approaches, the module aims to provide the ground for students to strengthen their skills in critical analysis, discussion and debate. This module will be about the anarchy, cruelty and overwhelming confusion of modern warfare. In particular the module will analyse: what happens when morality vanishes from the battlefield; and why torture is endemic in modern warfare; how human rights, in times of war, lose its meaning as a set of principles; whether official propaganda and enemy demonization make barbaric behaviour easier; and how can we develop cultures opposed to torture that damage the legitimacy of our societies? Through a number of carefully selected case studies that vary in terms of their themes and approaches, the module aims to provide the ground for students to strengthen their skills in critical analysis, discussion and debate. This module will be about the anarchy, cruelty and overwhelming confusion of modern warfare. In particular the module will analyse: what happens when morality vanishes from the battlefield; and why torture is endemic in modern warfare; how human rights, in times of war, lose its meaning as a set of principles; whether official propaganda and enemy demonization make barbaric behaviour easier; and how can we develop cultures opposed to torture that damage the legitimacy of our societies? Through a number of carefully selected case studies that vary in terms of their themes and approaches, the module aims to provide the ground for students to strengthen their skills in critical analysis, discussion and debate.

The Family in Britain, 1830-1939 Family life in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries evokes images that range from tyrannical, cold fathers terrorising their dependants, to sickly, sentimental ‘angels of the house’ overseeing the domestic hearth. This module will explore both the myths and the realities of family life in this period. It will consider the economic and social factors that shaped family structures, as well as the ideas, aspirations and moral panics that led to understandings of what good, proper family life should be like. The module will investigate the roles within the family of the various members, beginning with husbands and wives and then extending the analysis to other generations, both younger and older, and to further members of the household, including servants. The module will pay attention to the role of class, gender, ethnicity and age in influencing experiences of family life, as well as external factors such as government intervention and war, suggesting that family life was a good deal more complicated – and interesting – than the conventional image would suggest.

This module examines the history of the conflict between Israel and Palestine and considers the role of external actors and the ideology and social bases of the main protagonists

This module examines the causes, course and consequences of the American Civil War. It will explore the nature of the war& #39;s military aspects, its political and diplomatic ramifications, the war& #39;s wide-ranging impact upon American society and particularly the effects of war upon the position of African Americans. A key element of the module will be to consider not only the war itself but contemporaneous ideas of its significance and how perceptions have changed in the century and a half since the end of the war.& nbsp;

The Project allows the student to explore in depth a relevant topic, theme or debate in War Studies which has generated particular academic and intellectual interest, and which is not covered in appropriate detail in a conventional course of lectures and seminars.

This module aims to provide an opportunity for students to gain work experience in careers in which they can employ skills and knowledge drawn from history, politics or war studies.

This module examines youth culture and popular music in twentieth century Britain. Sessions explore the emergence of youth as a social problem and the relationship between youth, music, gender, race and social class. Case studies include Teddy Boys, Mods, Rockers, Punk and Northern Soul. Special consideration is given to the representation of youth in post-war British cinema.