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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of History, Classics and Archaeology : Scottish History

Undergraduate Course: Contemporary Scotland (SCHI10010)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of History, Classics and Archaeology CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThe course is designed to look at a range of issues in contemporary Scotland and to place them in a historical context. Considerable attention will be paid to assessing the problems relating to primary source material for contemporary history.
Course description The course aims to provide historical contextualisation for issues in contemporary Scotland. A broad range of themes will be covered in the seminars: politics, economic developments, education, identity, race and ethnicity, religion and sectarianism, regional diversity, land reform. The course is designed to make students aware of the intellectual issues surrounding the study of contemporary history using empirical material drawn from recent Scottish history.

Content note: The study of History inevitably involves the study of difficult topics that we encourage students to approach in a respectful, scholarly, and sensitive manner. Nevertheless, we remain conscious that some students may wish to prepare themselves for the discussion of difficult topics. In particular, the course organiser has outlined that the following topics may be discussed in this course, whether in class or through required or recommended primary and secondary sources: a range of societal inequalities in relation to change and continuity over time in a Scottish context including poverty, sexism and racism. While this list indicates sensitive topics students are likely to encounter, it is not exhaustive because course organisers cannot entirely predict the directions discussions may take in tutorials or seminars, or through the wider reading that students may conduct for the course.
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.

Students should only be enrolled on this course with approval from the History Honours Programme Administrator.
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting 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 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  0
Course Start Semester 1
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 50 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) Coursework:
3,000 word essay (50%)

Exam:
Two hour exam paper (50%)
Feedback Students will design their essay topics with the Course Organiser and will receive formative feedback on a plan and a bibliography prior to submission of the essay. Further, 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 S1 (December):120
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination as required, that they have gained knowledge and understanding of this period of Scottish history;
  2. demonstrate, by way of coursework and examination as required, some skills in critical reading of primary and secondary sources;
  3. demonstrate some skills in completion of independent research leading to seminar presentation and submission of written work to a required standard;
  4. demonstrate some skills in participation in group seminar work and an appreciation of the responsibility to other members of the group.
Reading List
Abrams, L and C Brown (eds), A History of Everyday Life in Twentieth Century Scotland (Edinburgh, 2010)
Cameron, E, Impaled Upon a Thistle: Scotland since 1880 (Edinburgh, 2010)
Devine, T et al (eds), The Transformation of Scotland: The Economy since 1700 (Edinburgh, 2005)
Devine, T and J Wormald (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Modern Scottish History (Edinburgh, 2012)
McCrone, D, Understanding Scotland: The Sociology of a Nation (London, 2000)
MacDonald, CMM, Whaur Extremes Meet: Scotland's Twentieth Century (Edinburgh, 2010)
Paterson, L, Scottish Education in the Twentieth Century (Edinburgh, 2004)
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills - Developed skills in research development and analysis
- Improved oral communication skills through participation in class discussions and group work
- Improved written communication skills through written assessment
- Acquired experience of group working and problem solving team work
KeywordsContemp Scotland
Contacts
Course organiserDr Valerie Wright
Tel:
Email: Valerie.Wright@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMr George Bottrell-Campbell
Tel: (0131 6)50 8349
Email: g.bottrell-campbell@ed.ac.uk
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