Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | 1 x 2,000 word essay | 40% |
| Semester Assessment | 1 x 3,500 word essay | 60% |
| Supplementary Assessment | 1 x 2,000 word essay | 40% |
| Supplementary Assessment | 1 x 3,500 word essay | 60% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the defining characteristics of international history.
2. Discuss how generic issues of historical philosophy, theory and method manifest themselves within the sub-discipline.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of international history's traditional core preoccupations, especially war and diplomacy.
4. Analyse the roots, nature and significance of 'the cultural turn' in international history
5. Evaluate the historical impact of race, class, gender, religion and national identity on foreign policy making processes.
6. Evaluate the historical significance of imperialist and postcolonial processes in international relations.
7. Critically evaluate the historical significance of transnational and global processes in international relations.
8. Demonstrate an understanding of the main practical issues involved in researching and writing international history.
Brief description
Content
The module begins by considering the origins, nature and dynamics of the ‘cultural turn’ in international politics. It then proceeds to explore work on a number of cultural themes including: gender; race; national identity; religion; narratives; bodies; emotions; memory; the postcolonial; and the transnational.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | N/A |
| Communication | Students will learn how to present their ideas both verbally and in writing and how to present their arguments most effectively. They will understand the importance of information and clear communication and how to exploit these. They will know how to use the many sources of information available and how to use the most appropriate form of communication to best advantage. They will learn to be clear in their writing and speaking and to be direct about aims and objectives. They will learn to consider only that which is relevant to the topic, focus and objectives of their argument or discussion. Seminars may involve splitting students into groups where oral discussion will form the main medium of teaching and the emphasis throughout the module will be on student participation and communication. The presentation of work should reflect effective expression of ideas and good use of language skills in order to ensure clarity, coherence and effective communication. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | The module aims to promote self-management but within a context in which support and assistance is available from both the convener and fellow students alike. Students will be expected to improve their own learning and performance by undertaking their own research and to exercise their own initiative, including searching for sources, compiling reading lists, and deciding (under guidance) the direction of their essay and presentation topics. Seminars provide opportunities for students to reflect individually and collectively on their performance. The need to contribute to the seminars and to meet deadlines for written work will focus students’ attention on the need to manage their time and opportunity resources well. |
| Information Technology | Students will be expected to submit their work electronically. Also, students will be encouraged to search for sources of information, images and narratives on the web. Students will also be expected to make use of the resources that will be available on Blackboard and through Aspire. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | The discussions in particular will help to develop students’ verbal and presentation and team-working skills. Learning about the process of planning an essay, framing the parameters of the projects, honing and developing the projects and seeing them through to completion will contribute towards students’ portfolio of transferable skills. |
| Problem solving | Independent project work and problem solving will be one central goal of the module; the submission of essays will require that students develop independent research skills as well as problem solving skills. The need to research and prepare for seminars will also enable students to develop independent project skills. The ability of students to solve problems will be developed and assessed by asking them to: adopt differing points of view; consider extreme cases; reason logically; construct theoretical models; consider similar cases; look for patterns; divide issues into smaller problems. |
| Research skills | The submission of the essays will reflect the independent research skills of students. The need to locate appropriate research resources and write up the results will also facilitate research skills. Research preparation for seminars will also enable students to develop independent project skills. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Students have the opportunity to develop, practice and test a wide range of subject specific skills that help them to understand, conceptualise and evaluate examples and ideas on the module. These subject specific skills include: • Collect and understand a wide range of material relating to the module • Ability to evaluate competing perspectives • Demonstrate subject specific research techniques • Apply a range of methodologies to complex historical and political questions |
| Team work | In seminars students will be obliged to prepare, present and discuss as a group the core issues related to seminar topics and particular case studies. Such classroom debates and discussions are a vital component of the module learning experience. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7