Research Methods in Science and Technology Studies (HPSC0140)

Generating new data is essential for ongoing research. This module surveys research methods for STS and across the social sciences that contribute to the generation of new data. One aim is to develop skills using a diverse range of methods. Another aim is to understand the strengths and weaknesses of particular methods for investigating particular questions. Students are introduced to the theory and practice of qualitative and quantitative methods. Topics include: research ethics, research design, face-to-face interviews and focus groups, surveys, content and discourse analysis, and ethnography. No prerequisites.

State and centres of power, including non-state and semi-state organisations and institutions determine through their actions and trajectories how the past is...

New Public Histories in Conflict-Affected Contexts (HIST0872)

State and centres of power, including non-state and semi-state organisations and institutions determine through their actions and trajectories how the past is used today. Heritage, or more specifically uses of the past, including interpretations of history, are closely connected to the actions of groups and political actors. In conflict and post-conflict contexts, heritage becomes an indispensable resource for political groups who attempt to govern, and in some cases, exert influence on geographies and populations with a view to influencing state-building and political trajectories. This module will explore the connections between politics, including of organised political groups, and the uses of heritage and how in turn that affects public history. Specifically, it will examine the ways in which heritage is exploited, appropriated, transformed and sometimes destroyed in contexts of political contestation and competition for legitimacy and resources. The module will examine the impact of these dynamics on public history. A key focus of this module will be to critically examine the nature of evolving political systems and configurations of power and the impact politics has on heritage, history and people. This is a research-led, case study-based module, built around ongoing research in the Department of History of heritage-making in contemporary Iraq/Sri Lanka and other countries that have experienced recent conflict.