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Making the Nation - ARC00022M

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  • Department: Archaeology
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Caitlin Kitchener
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25

Module summary

The seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw radical changes in landscape, buildings and material culture - in how life was lived. These marked the emergence of the modern nation. Britain became a colonial power. This had a profound impact on British life. Colonialism, capitalism and consumerism had far-reaching effects on society, economy and culture. This module will examine the emergence and establishment of Britain as a modern nation. It will analyse the rural landscape and the ideology of ‘Improvement’, social identities, poverty, radicalism, and the urban environment as markers of modernity.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2024-25

Module aims

This module aims:

  • To critically explore the themes of the rural and urban life and death, landscape, settlement and poverty over the long eighteenth century.

  • To understand the development of historical archaeology as a sub-discipline, its aims, objectives and social relevance.

Module learning outcomes

Upon completion of this module students should be able to:

  • Critically evaluate landscape change and its impact on rural life.
  • Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the different ways in which economy and consumption are studied.
  • Demonstrate originality in the application of case studies from Britain relating to different social classes and rural and urban environments.
  • Evaluate the methods, theories and approaches commonly applied in historical archaeology, and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses
  • Communicate complex ideas in an analytical framework through essay writing

Module content

This module will examine the making of the modern world through changes that took place in society, economy, and culture over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. We start by understanding the transformation of the rural landscape and society through the drive for improvement, which laid many of the social and economic foundations for colonialism and urban growth. A wide range of methodologies, evidence types, and social contexts will be considered with which to investigate themes of the rural landscape and improvement, urbanism and social identities, domestic life and death as markers of the 'modern' age.

Examining Britain in this period is highly relevant to us today. The processes of industrialisation and capitalism still shape society. Through this module, students will unpick important themes and issues in eighteenth and nineteenth century Britain through an understanding of landscape, buildings and material culture. Students have found the module intellectually stimulating and have found it helps them to consider the period in a new way.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Formative: oral feedback from module leaders

Summative: written feedback within the University's turnaround policy

Indicative reading

Finch, J. 2008, 'Three Men in a Boat: biographies and narratives in the historic landscape', Landscape Research, vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 511-530.

Hall, M. and Silliman, S.W. 2006 'Introduction: Archaeology of the Modern World'. In Martin Hall and Stephen Silliman (eds.), Historical Archaeology. Blackwell: Oxford, 1–22.

Hicks, D. and Beaudry, M. C. 2006 'Introduction: The Place of Historical Archaeology'. In Dan Hicks and Mary C. Beaudry (eds.) The Cambridge Companion to Historical Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1–9.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.