Undergraduate Course: Making and Breaking Medieval Britain: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, c. 1000 - c. 1400 (HIST08047)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course traces the interwoven stories of the various polities that occupied the archipelago of Britain and Ireland between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. It examines both the 'making' of a cohesive geographical, political and cultural idea of Britain over the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and the 'breaking' of this process in the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries in the face of war, plague and economic decline. |
| Course description |
Medieval Britain and Ireland encompassed a diverse range of polities, communities, cultures and languages. This course introduces students to the dynamic, intertwined histories of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales between the eleventh and fourteenth centuries. Over this period, the idea of 'Britain' was cultivated, asserted, exploited and challenged. This course looks beyond 'national' political narratives to examine some of the major developments taking place not only in governmental and military affairs, but also in the church, in urban environments, in the writing of history and in everyday life. It traces how a French-speaking aristocracy extended their influence in the wake of the Norman Conquest of England, explores the process of 'Europeanisation' that allowed the English monarchy to reinforce its dominant position across the archipelago, and considers the impact of war, plague, famine and revolt in the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries that destroyed the coherence of this 'English Empire'.
|
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should usually have at least 1 introductory level History course at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses.
** as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Office directly for admission to this course ** |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
162 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
50 %,
Coursework
50 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework:
One 2000 word essay (50%)
Exam:
One two-hour exam (50%) |
| 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. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate competence in core skills in the study of History: essay-writing, independent reading, and group discussion
- show a sound knowledge of key aspects of medieval Britain and Ireland
- plan and execute a substantial written analysis of key events in the history of medieval Britain and Ireland
- evaluate and apply recent critical debates in the study of medieval Britain and Ireland
- demonstrate the ability to reflect critically on the source material for medieval Britain and Ireland.
|
Reading List
The Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries, 1066-c. 1280, ed. Barbara Harvey (Oxford, 2001)
A Companion to Britain in the Later Middle Ages, ed. S. H. Rigby (Chichester, 2009)
Robin Frame, Ireland and Britain 1170-1450 (London, 1998)
Richard Oram, Domination and Lordship: Scotland 1070-1230 (Edinburgh, 2011)
R. R. Davies, The First English Empire: Power and Identities in the British Isles 1093-1343 (Oxford, 2000)
Christopher Dyer, Making a Living in the Middle Ages: The People of Britain, 850-1520 (New Haven, 2002)
P. J. P. Goldberg, Medieval England: A Social History, 1250-1550 (London, 2004)
R. R. Davies, Domination and Conquest: Ireland, Wales and Scotland, 1100-1300 (Cambridge, 1990)
John Gillingham, The English in the Twelfth Century: Imperialism, National Identity and Political Values (Woodbridge, 2000)
Robert Bartlett, The Making of Europe: Conquest, Colonization and Cultural Change, 950-1350 (London, 1984) |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Skills and abilities in research and enquiry:
ability to draw valid conclusions about the past;
ability to identify, define and analyse historical problems;
ability to select and apply a variety of critical approaches to problems informed by uneven evidence;
ability to exercise critical judgement in creating new understanding;
ability to extract key elements from complex information;
readiness and capacity to ask key questions and exercise rational enquiry;
ability critically to assess existing understanding and the limitations of knowledge and recognition of the need regularly to challenge/test knowledge;
ability to search for, evaluate and use information to develop knowledge and understanding.
Skills and abilities in personal and intellectual autonomy:
openness to new ideas, methods and ways of thinking;
ability to identify processes and strategies for learning;
independence as a learner, with readiness to take responsibility for one's own learning, and commitment to continuous reflection, self-evaluation and self-improvement;
ability to make decisions on the basis of rigorous and independent thought;
ability to test, modify and strengthen one's own views through collaboration and debate;
intellectual curiosity;
ability to sustain intellectual interest.
Skills and abilities in communication:
ability to make effective use of oral and written means convey understanding of historical issues and one's interpretation of them;
ability to marshal argument lucidly and coherently;
ability to collaborate and to relate to others;
readiness to seek and value open feedback to inform genuine self-awareness.
Skills and abilities in personal effectiveness:
ability to approach historical problems with academic rigour;
ability to manage and meet firm deadlines;
possession of the confidence to make decisions based on one's understanding and personal/intellectual autonomy;
ability to work effectively with others, capitalising on diversities of thinking, experience and skills. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Emily Ward
Tel: (0131 6)50 6693
Email: Emily.Ward@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
|
|
University Homepage