Children, Health & Welfare in Britain & Empire, 1830-1990 - Semester 2 - HIS00198H

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Module summary

The experiences, living conditions, welfare and rights of children changed rapidly and significantly during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Ideas about the nature of childhood were revolutionised by new scientific, medical and psychological perspectives, while cultural understandings of children were shaped by social, economic and political upheavals. How children should behave and how they should be treated was widely debated in the media and in parliament, from the ideal family to the ethics of child labour; from the right to education to the necessity of child protection. In the context of Empire white British children were perceived anew, as little imperialists, while those living in colonised societies were impacted by racist beliefs and policies. By the late 20th century, after the upheaval of two World Wars, childhood had arguably changed beyond all recognition with the emergence of new identities and a movement for international children's rights. At the same time, in the wake of decolonisation and the global diaspora, children of colour faced new challenges in a post-colonial world.

During this module we will explore a growing historiography which seeks to understand children as historical agents, whose lives and experiences have much to tell us about broader questions of family, health, welfare, and political and economic change. Throughout the module we will consider how diverse experiences of childhood and family in Britain and its Empire were shaped by social and cultural shifts, and affected by ideas about gender, class, race, ethnicity and religion. We will explore the thoughts and feelings of children themselves through diaries, testimonies and oral histories, and use a wide range of sources to access the perspectives of the adults, governments and institutions who shaped childrens’ lives.

Related modules

Students taking this module must also take the first part in Semester 1.

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

• To introduce students to in depth study of a specific historical topic using primary and secondary material;
• To enable students to explore the topic through discussion and writing; and
• To enable students to evaluate and analyse primary sources.

Module learning outcomes

Students who complete this module successfully will:

• Grasp key themes, issues and debates relevant to the topic being studied;
• Have acquired knowledge and understanding about that topic;
• Be able to comment on and analyse original sources;
• Be able to relate the primary and secondary material to one another; and
• Have acquired skills and confidence in close reading and discussion of texts and debates.

Module content

Students will attend a 3-hour seminar in weeks 2-4, 6-8 and 10-11 of semester 2. Weeks 5 & 9 are Reading and Writing Weeks (RAW). Students prepare for and participate in eight three-hour seminars in all. A one-to-one meeting between tutor and students will also be held to discuss assessments.

Seminar topics are subject to variation, but are likely to include the following:

1. Race and eugenics
2. Children during war
3. Teenagers and moral panics
4. Family and the welfare state
5. Abortion and birth control
6. Children of the diaspora
7. The commercialisation of childhood
8. The (international?) children’s rights movement

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

For formative assessment, students submit an essay draft of 2000-words.

For summative assessment, students complete a 4000-word essay relating to the themes and issues of the module. This comprises 100% of the overall module mark. Summative assessments will be due in the assessment period.

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100

Module feedback

Following their formative assessment task, students will receive a one-to-one meeting with the tutor to discuss the essay and their plans for the assessed essay.

Work will be returned to students with written comments in their tutorial and may be supplemented by the tutor giving some oral feedback to the whole group. All students are encouraged, if they wish, to make use of their tutor’s student hours. For more information, see the Statement on Feedback.

For summative assessment tasks, students will receive their provisional mark and written feedback within 25 working days of the submission deadline. For more information, see the Statement of Assessment.

Indicative reading

For semester time reading, please refer to the module VLE site. Before the course starts, we encourage you to look at the following items of preliminary reading:

• Laura Tisdall, “State of the Field: The Modern History of Childhood,” History (online firstview, 2022).
• Heidi Morrison, “What is the global history of childhood,” in The Global History of Childhood Reader, ed. Heidi Morrison (Routledge, 2012)
• Olsen, Stephanie, ed. Childhood, Youth and Emotions in Modern History : National, Colonial and Global Perspectives. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2015.