Module Information

Module Identifier
HY11820
Module Title
The Modern World, 1789 to the present
Academic Year
2025/2026
Co-ordinator
Dr Steve Thompson
Semester
Semester 1
Reading List
View example reading list on Aspire
Other Staff
 

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Open examination  1000 Words  50%
Semester Assessment Essay  2000 Words  50%
Supplementary Assessment Open examination  1000 Words  50%
Supplementary Assessment Essay  2000 Words  50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Demonstrate a familiarity with a body of historical knowledge relating to the Modern World, c. 1789 to the present day.

Demonstrate an understanding of the concept of ‘modernity’ and how it has been interpreted.

Demonstrate a familiarity with the range of primary and secondary sources which may be utilised by historians to study Modern World History.​

Brief description

With the concept of modernity at its centre, this module addresses the Modern World, its shaping, and the historical understanding of it. Taking a global, rather than Euro-centric perspective and addressing themes rather than a narrative, aspects of modernity and the development of the modern world are considered in the period c. 1789 to the present day. Themes addressed include: Towns and Cities; Work and Leisure; Travel and Movement; Nation-States and Borders; Industrialisation; War and Violence; Ideologies and Social Movements; and Class, Race, and Gender.

Content

The module addresses a number of themes in the Modern World, underpinned with an understanding of modernity. An introductory lecture will address the concept of modernity, and lectures and seminars then address a series of themes (in one or more lectures each). The areas covered will include:

Towns and Cities

Work and Leisure

Travel and Movement

Nation-States and Borders

Industrialisation

War and Violence

Ideologies and Social Movements

Class, Race, and Gender.

The five seminars will be based on a selection of these broad themes.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Application of Number Through occasional discussion of relevant numerical data, e.g. figures, graphs, tables.
Communication Written communication skills will be developed through the coursework and written examination; skills in oral presentation will be developed in seminars but are not formally assessed.
Improving own Learning and Performance Students will be advised on how to improve research and communication skills through the individual tutorial providing feedback on submitted coursework.
Information Technology Students will be encouraged to locate suitable material on the web and to apply it appropriately to their own work. Students will also be expected to word-process their work and make use of Blackboard. These skills will not be formally assessed.
Personal Development and Career planning Students will develop a range of transferable skills, including time management and communication skills, which may help them identify their personal strengths as they consider potential career paths.
Problem solving Students are expected to note and respond to historical problems which arise as part of the study of this subject area and to undertake suitable research for seminars and essays.
Research skills Students will develop their research skills by reading a range of texts and evaluating their usefulness in preparation for the coursework and the written examination.
Subject Specific Skills
Team work Students will be expected to play an active part in group activities (e.g. short group presentations in seminars) and to learn to evaluate their own contribution to such activities.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4