Undergraduate Course: Earning a Living in the Scottish Town, 1400 to 1800: Occupational History and the Urban Environment (ECSH10093)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course explores different approaches to the topic of work in early modern Scottish burghs. To fully understand how people of all stations earned a living, a nuanced, comparative approach is required. By looking at work in Scotland's urban environment, students will develop a broader appreciation of the day-to-day experience of the early-modern Scottish town. |
| Course description |
This course explores different approaches to the topic of work in early modern Scottish burghs. Common perceptions of urban occupations are sometimes limited to descriptions of wealthy merchants, or craftsmen like 'the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker'. Elitism and protectionism meant that the occupational character of a town was anything but predictable, especially with secondary occupations or complex financial activities, such as credit systems, money lending and property rentals. Seasonal work in agriculture or fishing went hand in hand with primary occupations, such as weaving or blacksmithing, tying the urban year firmly into the natural rhythms of the land and sea. To fully understand how people of all stations earned a living, a nuanced, comparative approach is required. Honour, identity, gender and nepotism were but a few of the complex determinants in negotiating the relationships between different types of work and the wider burgh community. This course will explore the range of occupations in Scotland's urban environment; connections with hinterland, coast, and littoral; contemporary suppositions about work and station; the ways in which new technologies were absorbed within an allegedly restrictive framework; differing approaches and methodologies to the study of work; and the impact of place on the relationship between work and urban society. By looking at work in Scotland's urban environment, students will develop a broader appreciation of the day-to-day experience of the early-modern Scottish town.
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | A pass or passes in 40 credits of first level historical courses or equivalent and a pass or passes in 40 credits of second level historical courses or equivalent.
Before enrolling students on this course, Personal Tutors are asked to contact the History Honours Admission Administrator to ensure that a place is available (Tel: 50 3780). |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 History courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses. Applicants should note that, as with other popular courses, meeting the minimum does NOT guarantee admission.
** as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Office directly for admission to this course ** |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: 25 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
172 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
50 %,
Coursework
30 %,
Practical Exam
20 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One two-hour exam (one source commentary; one essay question) - 50%
One 3,000-word essay due in week 6 - 30%
One group Presentation in week 10 - 20%
Visiting Students in 3/4MA courses must fulfil the same course requirements as other students. Those in attendance for the first semester only will be given a take-home examination paper. Those in attendance for a whole year or for the second semester only must sit the degree examinations at the end of the academic year.
|
| Feedback |
Students will receive written feedback on their coursework, and will have the opportunity to discuss that feedback further with the Course Organiser during their published office hours or by appointment. |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical awareness of the historiography of urban work
- Confidently and systematically answer research questions, effectively constructing an argument
- Make effective use of a range of primary sources, including documents, objects, buildings and maps
- Understand the importance of place for historical enquiry
- Demonstrate strength in communication skills, both individually and as part of a group
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Earning a living |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Aaron Allen
Tel: (0131 6)50 2384
Email: Aaron.Allen@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Cat Andrade
Tel: (0131 6)50 3780
Email: cat.andrade@ed.ac.uk |
|
|
University Homepage