This module provides an introduction to the political, economic, social and cultural history of Britain between 1850 and 1997.

Britain’s position in the...

This module provides an introduction to the political, economic, social and cultural history of Britain between 1850 and 1997.

Britain’s position in the world is a key theme of the module. In 1850, the British empire was expanding; from the mid-twentieth, decolonisation and its aftermath fundamentally shaped British society, culture and politics. The two world wars—both closely entwined with the history of the British empire—form key turning points in modern British history and significantly impacted Britain’s place in the world as well as domestic politics and society.

In domestic politics, we examine the birth of mass democracy, the rise of working-class politics and the growth of women’s suffrage campaigns, as well as the development of the welfare state and ‘warfare state’. In economics, we explore both industrial revolution and recurrent ideas about British economic ‘decline’.

Britain has always been a ‘four nations’ country; the ethnic make-up of society also changed substantially across the period, with Irish, Jewish and new commonwealth migration. Ideas about race and its relationship to national identity changed significantly between 1850 and the late twentieth century, and are key topics for this module. Changes in race, class and gender are, thus, key themes in the module, alongside broader cultural trends such as demographic change, secularisation, the development of mass consumerism, and the decline of deference.

This module provides an introduction to the sub-discipline of urban geography. It explores the distinctive contribution that geographers have made to the...

This module provides an introduction to the sub-discipline of urban geography. It explores the distinctive contribution that geographers have made to the analysis of cities and urban life. The module outlines the economic and social origins of urban life, exploring the relationship between population density, size, and diversity that characterise cities. The module systematically outlines how contemporary cities can be interpreted as economic spaces, social spaces, and political entities. It also explores the different ways that urban geographers and others have framed their research into cities and urban environments. Given that cities – for all their attractions and strengths – are frequently defined by their dysfunction and inequality, the module examines how such poor outcomes are generated. It also explores the kinds of policy programmes that might be capable of generating more liveable and equitable cities. The module takes a selfconsciously international perspective, encouraging participants to read widely about the diversity of cities that form the focus of urban geographical thinking today.

The aims of the course are:
• To examine the cultural, social, economic, and political dynamics that shape urban life.
• To provide students with a grounding in the intellectual traditions upon which contemporary urban geography is built.
• To provide an overview of some of the intellectual debates within contemporary urban geography.
• To present case studies of cities that are paradigmatic of a range of different patterns of urbanization.
• To give students an overview of both the challenges and potentialities of urban life.
• The course will place particular emphasis on examining case studies situated in and about cities from a wide range of different contexts from the Global South and Global North.

 