BA History and Film Studies

Key details

BA HISTORY AND FILM STUDIES

Start Year

2021

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Bachelor of Arts

UCAS course code

WV61

Entry Requirements

BBB or ABC

The BA History and Film Studies degree is an innovative degree programme combining these two interlinking subjects, offering opportunities for critically engaging with how historical events have been recorded and reconstructed through visual media.

You’ll explore world history alongside the history of film. You'll be able to choose from a wide range of options across the two subjects. Specially designed modules will bring your two degree subjects into dynamic dialogue, examining areas such as propaganda and documentary. You'll also have access to resources like our on-campus television studio and the unique holdings at the East Anglian Film Archive, where there are opportunities for practical experience in film-making and archival research. This is a unique resource which you can make use of during your time here. We have close links with the British Film Institute in London.

Our Film, Television and Media Studies department is recognised as a leading centre for the study of British, Hollywood and Asian cinemas, popular film and television genres and feminist approaches to media.

About

Film and history have been intertwined since the invention of the moving image at the beginning of the 20th century. Whether film has been used to depict history or to sway its course, the overlapping of these two disciplines has long been a source of scholarly and cultural fascination.

In this degree you’ll explore the key aspects of this relationship over a range of modules. You’ll explore the representation of history in genres such as documentary and propaganda films. At the same time you’ll engage with the history of cinema.

You’ll also have access to first-hand archival experience at the East Anglian Film Archive with which UEA has a special relationship. You’ll be able to use the materials to reconstruct aspects of local history or use them to make a film of your own.

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Course Reference Number: 1463457

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

You’ll be assessed in individual and group assessment modes from essays and exams to presentations and discussions. Your progress in some theoretical modules will be assessed through creative practice. For example, you might be required to produce a script of your own to explore questions of film history. All of these assessments help strengthen your critical thinking and give you skills that are attractive to future employers.

Structure

In the first year you’ll be introduced to the major academic debates in film studies and history. At the same time you’ll develop the key skills needed to analyse and interpret a range of media texts and historical documents. Modules at this stage cover topics such as the nature of film history and visual(ising) history.

Teaching and Learning

Our world-leading academics employ a range of teaching styles. Alongside the more traditional lectures and seminars, you’ll learn through film and television screenings. You’ll also have access to UEA’s Television Studio and Media Suite. Both contain a wide variety of cutting edge media technologies (editing suites, cameras and sound equipment, sound studio and digitisation suite). You’ll have the opportunity to be fully trained to use all of these. You’ll acquire practical skills while deepening your understanding of how the film and television content you’re studying is produced.

You’ll acquire vital skills needed for independent learning throughout your course and have access to dedicated sessions designed to help you make the most of UEA’s state of the art library facilities. Through these sessions and your academic modules, you’ll gain the vital research skills of uncovering resources and critically assessing sources. As you progress through your degree you’ll develop as a self-motivated researcher and independent creative thinker.

In addition to timetabled lecture and seminar slots, each member of staff at UEA holds dedicated office hours where students can come and seek additional advice and guidance on a one-to-one basis. You’ll also be assigned an adviser who can support you through your studies by providing academic and career guidance.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Assessment for Year 2

Structure

You’ll deepen your knowledge in modules covering topics such as propaganda and film genre. You’ll also begin the specialisation that continues in the third year. Modules at this stage cover subjects such as documentary: history, theory and criticism, heritage, and public history.

You’ll also have opportunities for internships in the second year. Previous students have undertaken placements with organisations including local radio stations, television production companies and the East Anglian Film Archive.

Teaching and Learning

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Assessment for Year 3

Structure

You’ll continue to specialise, choosing from modules on a range of areas according to your own interests. Modules may include film and memory and the representation of the past, and genres such as science fiction. You’ll also develop your research skills in our dissertation module which includes a period of supervised independent study.

Teaching and Learning

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Assessment for Year 1

Compulsory Modules

FILM HISTORY

Code AMAM4001A

Credits 20

INTRODUCTION TO MODERN HISTORY

Code HIS-4003A

Credits 20

You will gain a wide-ranging introduction to the political, social and economic transformation of Britain and Europe from the late eighteenth century to the First World War. Among the themes, you will consider industrialisation and its impact, revolution and reform, nationalism and imperialism, gender and society, great power relations, the impact of war and the collapse of the old Europe in 1917-18.

ANALYSING FILM

Code AMAM4009A

Credits 20

The analysis of film form underpins film studies as a discipline, informing aesthetic, theoretical and historical modes of inquiry. You will be introduced to the analysis of film form and film style. It encompasses approaches to the fundamental formal elements of mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing and sound. You will also build on these elements of film form to address systems of and approaches to film style including narrative and narration, genre, realism, continuity and classicism, modernism and experimentation. You will also learn how questions of film style are integral to the analysis of representation, for example in relation to modernity, gender and race.

WORLD CINEMAS

Code AMAM4035B

Credits 20

The concept of World Cinema pervades our everyday experiences of film. It is a category of films that can be seen increasingly from cinema listings to the high street. Inherent within the label are debates of resistance, industry, art, technology and aesthetics that have held sway since the dawn of cinema worldwide. In this module you will break down some of these discourses and address the significant cultural, economic and political influences that world cinema has had, and indeed still has, within cinema. There are innumerable cinemas that may be contained within the notion of “world cinema,” but few are more long-lived, or as well-developed, as those we will investigate during this module. Taking the conceptual frameworks of “Middle Eastern,” “European” and “Asian” cinemas as starting points, you will break down the meanings that these regional, national and international definitions of cinema share. You will focus, for example, on the cinemas of Europe, Turkey, Middle East, Japan and America. This tightly focused definition of “world cinemas” is intended to introduce some of the most significant of contemporary world cinemas, while also focusing on those which have had the most influential global histories.

VISUAL(ISING) HISTORY

Code HIS-4007B

Credits 20

The importance of visual and material sources as historical evidence, as witnesses to history, has long been recognised by historians. Relics, buildings, maps, paintings, photographs, and films are all visual and material sources from which historians can elicit meaning. Paintings, photographs, and films in particular propose to give us unique access to the ideological, physical and emotional content of a specific historic moment. But visual evidence also challenges us to consider where we as historians draw the line between the mediated and unmediated ‘truth’ of the past. History is always an interpretation of the past that changes. Our aim is to introduce students to the analysis and interpretation of a wide range of visual and material evidence. Furthermore, students will examine the manifold ways in which audiovisual historical representations shape and reshape our collective memory and understanding of the past from the medieval to the contemporary.

HISTORY, CONTROVERSY AND DEBATE

Code HIS-4009B

Credits 20

This module challenges you to reflect on the nature of history: what it means for historians; what it means for the wider public and contemporary society; and what it has meant in the past. You’ll explore the key approaches to the study of history and the conduct of historical research. You’ll consider how historians have written history in the past and how they engage with it in the present, the relevance and challenges of sources and evidence, how historians present their interpretations, and the ways in which they debate amongst themselves. You’ll come away with an understanding that history is rarely about the ‘right’ answer, but rather a series of ways of understanding and interpreting the past. You’ll focus in particular on historical debate and how you can effectively analyse and interpret it. Through a mixture of both historical interpretation and historiography, you’ll develop key study and transferable skills.

Admissions Live Chat

Virtual Open Day

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.

Students will take 120 credits (6 modules) across year 2. 60 credits in semester 1 and 60 credits in semester 2. Students wishing to enrol on the 60-credit Film and Television Studies semester abroad module AMAM5037B in the spring must first seek approval from the Study Abroad Office and Internationalisation Director.

Assessment for Year 2

Compulsory Modules

PROPAGANDA

Code HIS-5050B

Credits 20

This module introduces you to the history and theory of propaganda, and its role in society. You’ll consider what constitutes and defines propaganda. Focusing on the 20th century, we examine propaganda in a range of political settings, both totalitarian and democratic, in the local context of the relationships of power and communications. The module is structured chronologically, starting with the development of propaganda during World War I and finishing with a consideration of propaganda in the 21st century.

FILM THEORY

Code AMAM5030A

Credits 20

This module explores aspects of film theory as it has developed over the last hundred years or so. It encompasses topics including responses to cinema by filmmaker theorists such as Sergei Eisenstein and influential formulations of and debates about realism and film aesthetics associated with writers and critics such as André Bazin, Siegfried Kracauer, Rudolf Arnheim and Bela Bálázs. You’ll study the impact of structuralism, theories of genre, narrative and models of film language; feminist film theory and its emphasis on psychoanalysis; theories of race and representation; cognitive theory; emerging eco-critical approaches; post-structuralist and post-modern film theory. You’ll be taught by lecture, screening and seminar. You’ll work with primary texts - both films and theoretical writings - and have the opportunity to explore in their written work the ways in which film theories can be applied to film texts.

RESEARCHING MEDIA

Code AMAM5025B

Credits 20

The module provides you with the key concepts and methods necessary to devise and execute an independent research project, whether using traditional academic methods or practice based research. As a result, you will cover the key processes involved in devising and focusing a research project, reflexively undertaking the research yourself and writing up your results. In the process, you will be shown how to position your work in relation to an intellectual context; devise the research questions that are practical and realistic; and develop research methods through which to address these questions.

Optional A Modules

(20 credits)

COMEDY

Code AMAM5001B

Credits 20

This module explores key developments in TV comedy from the genre’s inception to the present. We consider the status of the genre in television culture and broader debates associated with TV Studies. We also map the ways in which the genre responds to and reflects social and historical contexts and explore examples of the genre from a variety of nations and cultures. The module will explore ways in we can study humour and comedy, and how this has been theorised historically. Key topics related to television comedy will be explored as case studies.

CHILDREN'S TELEVISION

Code AMAM5002B

Credits 20

Children’s television is dynamic, diverse and often controversial. In this module, we examine how television has constructed childhood and how children have, in their turn, shaped television. One of the particular challenges with children’s television is that it is usually made by adults for children. As society has shifted over time, therefore, children’s television programming becomes caught up in debates about who and what children are; about how (much) they should watch; and, about what they should (not) be allowed to see. Because childhood is a highly debated cultural and social category, there is a large and growing body of scholarship on the topic of children’s television. We use these theoretical and methodological maps to investigate the past and present of children’s television, including things like: cultural studies, media ethnography, genre studies, gender studies and production studies. We look at a range of topics that may include: Saturday Morning Television, children’s variety shows, animation, children’s broadcasting, children’s satellite channels, censorship, consumerism, pressure groups and gender.

ANIMATION

Code AMAM5024A

Credits 20

Animation has long been one of the most popular and least scrutinised areas of popular media culture. This module seeks to introduce you to animation as a mode of production through examinations of different aesthetics and types of animation from stop motion through to cel and CGI-based examples. It then goes on to discuss some of the debates around animation in relation to case study texts, from animation's audiences to its economics. A range of approaches and methods will therefore be adopted within the module, including methods like political economics, cultural industries, star studies and animation studies itself. The module is taught by seminar and screening and is not a practice module.

RESEARCHING MEDIA

Code AMAM5025B

Credits 20

THE BUSINESS OF FILM AND TV DRAMA IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Code AMAM5026A

Credits 20

The module provides an intensive introduction to the business of film and television; including the development, financing, production, distribution and exploitation of films and television drama programmes. It is based around a detailed understanding of the film and television value chain, showing how different businesses and creative people work together to create and exploit programmes. It will also cover the process by which scripts or TV programme ideas are written and developed. Emphasis will be placed on UK, European and American Independent film models; and the difference between the independent model and the US studio model. It will examine the effect of Netflix and the rise of digital streaming. It includes a wide range of recent case studies and real-life examples, with companies from Pixar to Working Title. Issues raised will include the impact of new technologies; changing business models; the conflict between commerce and art; entrepreneurship and managing creative people; and the complex and difficult relationships between writers, directors, producers, executives, financiers, and distributors. It is a practical forward-looking course about current and future business practise, which will be a valuable foundation for anyone interested in working in the media, film or television sectors. It will also be valuable to anyone studying film and television programmes and culture, so that they can fully understand the financial and business context in which programmes are created. By the end of the module you will know how films and TV programmes get dreamt up, how they get developed, and how they get financed and distributed. You will learn how the industry actually works.

GENDER AND THE MEDIA

Code AMAM5031A

Credits 20

You’ll examine the role of media in constructing – and challenging – contemporary gender relations and understandings of a range of femininities and masculinities, providing a conceptual overview of feminist research methods You’ll explore both theoretical and methodological issues and cover theoretical approaches from feminist media studies, cultural studies, gender studies and queer theory. You’ll explore a range of media and visual cultures including television, magazines, sports media, music, digital media culture, etc.

FILM GENRES

Code AMAM5033A

Credits 20

Film Genres introduces students to the range of theories and methods used to account for the prevalence of genres within filmmaking. We investigate historical changes in how film genres have been approached in order to consider how genres have been made use of by industry, critics and film audiences. Genre theories are explored through a range of case studies drawn from one or more of a range of popular American film genres including the Western, science-fiction, melodrama, romantic comedy, the road movie, the buddy movie, film noir, the gangster film, the war film and action/adventure film. In exploring concepts and case studies relating to film genres the module aims to demonstrate the richness of film genre and its continuing relevance as a mode of analysis.

RECEPTION STUDIES: HISTORY THEORY AND TRANSCULTURAL CONTEXTS

Code AMAM5035A

Credits 20

In this module you will be introduced to the key theoretical frameworks and approaches within the tradition of reception studies. It will offer you a critical exploration of the main debates and studies that have shaped the field, exploring both historical and contemporary contexts of media reception. In particular, you will consider the transcultural circulation of media, and the issues that arise when film, television and other media transfer between cultures with significantly different values and modes of reception. You will also be encouraged to critically evaluate existing reception studies, being equipped with the tools necessary to undertake your own small-scale reception study.

GUIDED STUDY

Code AMAM5040A

Credits 20

This module allows students to work on a specialist area in Film, TV or Media Studies under the guidance of a member of staff with relevant expertise. The module enables students to develop and extended their knowledge and understanding of the contexts, approaches, practices, theories and debates connected with a specific topic or field of study. The module also develops students to develop their critical and analytical skills. The module can allow staff and students to explore a particular area of interest in depth and can therefore permit opportunities for the interrelationship between teaching and research. In addition, the module has a key role in public-facing, outreach and widening participation work: it allows staff-led groups of students to gain accreditation for specific projects such as, for example, being involved in cultural activities such as festivals, academic projects such as symposia, schools outreach activities, practice projects such as radio station broadcasts, heritage or charity-sector initiatives and other commissioned projects. Assessment of the module reflects group and individual learning activity. It is a module that can effectively support interdisciplinary work. Despite the diversity of potential content, the module adheres to a uniform structure: 1. Contexts: The social, political, cultural and/or theoretical backdrop to the subject under investigation. 2. Approaches: Introduction and analysis of a range of methodologies and theoretical and/or creative applications to demonstrate the potential approaches that can be used in the subject. 3. Practice or Theory Project: The student's practical or theoretical work within the topic.

THE HOLLYWOOD STUDIO SYSTEM

Code AMAM5042B

Credits 20

Is there really 'no business like show business'? This module will develop your understanding of how silent-era, classical and post-classical Hollywood has developed as an industry, balancing the twin demands of creativity and commerce. Our aim is to encourage you to analyse how Hollywood works as an industry, the kind of films it produces, and the ways in which they are consumed by domestic and global audiences. You will engage with a variety of Hollywood films and be introduced to a range of theories and approaches for analysing how they are produced and consumed.

DOCUMENTARY

Code AMAM5045A

Credits 20

This module will introduce you to key issues in documentary history, theory and practice. You will engage with definitional and generic debates; historical forms and founders; different modes of documentary; ethical issues; and social and political uses. We will draw upon a range of national and media contexts and give you the opportunity to engage with a range of theories, archival materials, documentary styles and ethical debates within your written and practical work. At the end of module you will produce a documentary shaped by the traditions and theories you have studied, employing a range of archive film and television footage sourced from the East Anglian Film Archive.

THEORISING TELEVISION

Code AMAM5047A

Credits 20

This module explores some of the key ways in which television has been theorised, conceptualised and debated. You are offered insight into how the discipline of Television Studies has developed, as well as how television itself has developed - in terms of social roles, political functions and aesthetic form. The medium will be explored as a textual entity, a social activity (i.e. the focus on audiences and viewing), and a political agent (ideology and power). Part of our intention is to focus on how the specificities of television have been understood.

WRITING THE AMERICAN SCRIPT

Code AMAM5052B

Credits 20

Writing the American Screenplay: Hollywood and Beyond For much of the twentieth century, the screenplay was synonymous with Hollywood, the Studio System, and “The Movies”; films as brash and bold as booming American power, written by screenwriting giants, such as Preston Sturges, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Billy Wilder, Anita Loos and Paddy Chayfsky. But much of what we love about more recent American film-making has been the work of writers outside the mainstream: John Cassavetes, Joan Micklin Silver, Charlie Kaufman, Spike Lee, Nora Ephron, Quentin Tarantino, and the like. Throughout, American screenwriting has produced work as dynamic and expansive as the nation itself. In this module you will move through the high points of American scriptwriting, using scripts, texts, and creative pastiche to develop an understanding of the form. Your work may be assessed through a mix of creative and critical work, writing exercises and a complete short script. In broadly the first half of the semester you will use pastiche and other techniques to develop basic screenwriting skills. The remainder of the term will be devoted to developing and workshopping an original script. You will be introduced to the basic dramaturgy of cinematic storytelling, screenwriting form and format, and skills in pitching and story development. This module will therefore help you develop your creative capacity, your communication skills, and will help broaden your commercial awareness. Students who achieve a mark of 68%+ either in this module or Adaptation and Transmedia Storytelling are eligible to enrol on Creative Writing: Scriptwriting in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing at Level 6.

FILM AND VIDEO PRODUCTION

Code AMAP5123A

Credits 20

Film is frequently described as a ‘director’s medium’, while simultaneously defined as a ‘collaborative effort’. How is that possible? How do the director, cinematographer, designer and editor work together to create the suspense, romance, or comedy that we expect from our favourite films? What does the film director actually do? What are the choices that see one director lauded as an ‘auteur’ and another derided as a ‘hack’? Why does a cinematographer choose the specific lighting, framing and camera style for a scene? How does the director work with a script and coax performances out of the actors? What prompts the editor to use one angle, rather than another? This module attempts to answer these questions, as it introduces you to the practical application of film and television grammar and explores the fundamental questions of cinematic and televisual storytelling. A series of filmmaking exercises give you the chance to experiment with elements of camera and blocking, the use of sound, and multiple editing options. Other exercises look at script as a dramatic text and introduce basic techniques of working with actors. The final project asks you to work with professional script material to produce a video scene study. The module encourages students to understand the choices and decision-making processes involved in filmmaking, and the pros and cons involved in any creative decision.

FILM AND VIDEO PRODUCTION

Code AMAP5125B

Credits 20

ARTS AND HUMANITIES PLACEMENT MODULE

Code HUM-5004B

Credits 20

This module will provide you with the opportunity work within a creative/cultural/charity/ heritage/media or other appropriate organisation in order to apply the skills you are developing through your degree to the working world and to develop your knowledge of employment sectors within which you may wish to work in the future. The module emphasises industry experience, sector awareness and personal development through a structured reflective learning experience. Having sourced and secured your own placement (with support from Careers Central), you work within your host organisation undertaking tasks that will help you to gain a better understanding of professional practices within your chosen sector. Taught sessions enable you to acquire knowledge of both the industries in which you are placed as well as focusing on personal and professional development germane to the sector. Your assessment tasks will provide you with an opportunity to critically reflect on the creative and cultural sector in which you have worked as well as providing opportunities to undertake presentations, gather evidence, and articulate your newly acquired skills and experiences.

POPULAR MUSIC

Code AMAM5046A

Credits 20

For many people, popular music provides the soundtrack to their lives. It is intimately bound up with their sense of themselves, their attitudes and values, their friendships and social lives, their dreams and fantasies. But what can we learn about the power and place of popular music by studying it from an academic perspective? Throughout this module you will discover the range of approaches brought to popular music’s sounds, images, meanings, audiences and production through the perspectives of media studies, cultural studies and sociology. In examining songs and videos, fans, industry and performance, you’ll be encouraged to communicate your ideas in seminars and written work, engaging with key concepts and theories which will give you the tools to carry out your own research on popular music. We’ll begin with a consideration of the ‘popular’ of pop, before critically engaging with historical perspectives on popular music, tracing this through to the development of a fully-fledged ‘popular music studies’. Along the way, you’ll uncover approaches to analysing popular music’s texts, their production and the ways in which audiences and fans relate to them in the formation and expression of identities. You’ll also be encouraged to reflect on popular music’s relationship with other media (such as television, music writing and the internet), its role in everyday life, questions of representation, politics and power, and the contemporary relevance of terms such as ‘scene’, ‘subculture’ and ‘genre’. Having considered the study of popular music in this way, you will put your knowledge into practice by developing and conducting your own research project into an aspect of popular music audiences and/or culture of your choice.

WRITING THE AMERICAN SCRIPT

Code AMAM5051A

Credits 20

For much of the twentieth century, the screenplay was synonymous with Hollywood, the Studio System, and “The Movies”: films as brash and bold as booming American power, written by screenwriting giants, such as Preston Sturges, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Billy Wilder, Anita Loos and Paddy Chayfsky. But much of what we love about more recent American film-making has been the work of writers outside the mainstream: John Cassavetes, Joan Micklin Silver, Charlie Kaufman, Spike Lee, Nora Ephron, Quentin Tarantino, and the like. Throughout, American screenwriting has produced work as dynamic and expansive as the nation itself. In this module you will move through the high points of American scriptwriting, using scripts, texts, and creative pastiche to develop an understanding of the form. Your work may be assessed through a mix of creative and critical work, writing exercises and a complete short script. In broadly the first half of the semester you will use pastiche and other techniques to develop basic screenwriting skills. The remainder of the term will be devoted to developing and workshopping an original script. You will be introduced to the basic dramaturgy of cinematic storytelling, screenwriting form and format, and skills in pitching and story development. This module will therefore help you develop your creative capacity, your communication skills, and will help broaden your commercial awareness.

TELEVISION STUDIO PRODUCTION

Code AMAP5119B

Credits 20

This module introduces you to television studio production, using the resources of the campus television studio. You will learn basic skills of both live and recorded studio production (including directing, vision and sound mixing, camera-work, lighting, floor management and editing), using practice-based training. You will produce a short television programme, researching the appropriate genre characteristics, style and narrative to create the final work. The live broadcast will be accompanied by written reports analysing and evaluating the production process and the finished product. PLEASE NOTE - This module needs a minimum of 12 students enrolled to run; if that enrolment is not met, the module may be withdrawn.

TELEVISION STUDIO PRODUCTION

Code AMAP5122A

Credits 20

This module introduces students to television studio production, using the resources of the campus television studio. You will learn basic skills of both live and recorded studio production (including directing, vision and sound mixing, camera-work, lighting, floor management and editing), using practice-based training. You will produce a short television programme, researching the appropriate genre characteristics, style and narrative to create the final work. The live broadcast will be accompanied by written reports that critically analyse and evaluate the production process and the finished product. PLEASE NOTE - This module needs a minimum of 12 students enrolled to run; if that enrolment is not met, the module may be withdrawn.

Optional B Modules

(40 credits)

THE ORIGINS OF THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE 4000BC TO 1066AD

Code HIS-5002A

Credits 20

On this module you’ll study the development of the English landscape from early prehistoric times to the late Anglo Saxon period. You’ll learn to identify and interpret key landscape features from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages before moving on to study Roman and Anglo Saxon landscapes. Lectures, seminars and field trips will provide you with an introduction to the approaches and sources used by landscape historians and landscape archaeologists. You’ll develop your understanding of landscape history through the study of key sites such as Stonehenge, Hadrian’s Wall and Sutton Hoo. The chronological approach of the module will provide you with an understanding of long term landscape change, telling the story of the English landscape from prehistory to the eve of the Norman Conquest.

THE ENGLISH LANDSCAPE 1066 TO 1600

Code HIS-5003B

Credits 20

You’ll examine the development of the English countryside during the Middle Ages. You’ll discuss the nature of rural settlement, high status buildings and landscapes and 'semi-natural' environments.

LATIN FOR HISTORIANS

Code HIS-5004B

Credits 20

This module provides an introduction to the linguistic skills in medieval Latin which enable students to read administrative documents such as charters, accounts, court rolls, etc. It is particularly suited for those who intend on proceeding to postgraduate study in aspects of the past, such as medieval history, which require a reading knowledge of Latin. This course is not intended for students who have already studied Latin to A level or equivalent.

ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND, C. 400-1066

Code HIS-5005A

Credits 20

The Anglo-Saxon period spanned 600 years from the end of Roman Britain to the Norman Conquest. It was a period of turmoil, seeing waves of immigration, the clash of peoples and religions, and kingdoms jockeying for control. Out of this crucible England emerged. This is the story of how it came to be. Using contemporary sources, you will learn to handle evidence and reconstruct the worldview of people who lived over a thousand years ago. Anglo-Saxon history teaches you to go a long way with a little evidence; to use your imagination to fill in the gaps. Whether it's new to you or something you've studied before, you'll achieve a deeper and richer understanding of how the nation was formed. Via lectures, seminars and private study, you'll discover the Romans, Saxons and Vikings; the strange treasure they left behind; the cryptic and conflicting chronicles (learning to read between the lines), and debates we still haven't resolved today. Developing your powers of argumentation, you'll run into questions with no certain answer. Building with fragmentary evidence will boost your creativity, and you'll encounter ancient artefacts. (Trips have included West Stow Anglo-Saxon village and Norwich Castle Museum.) At the end of the module you'll command an overview of how England came into being. You'll also have built your ability to see other people's points of view, even if they lived a thousand years ago. This is a crucial ability whether in personal or professional relationships. Also learning to argue with evidence as fragmentary as the evidence we'll explore will hone your problem-solving skills to an unusual degree.

FROM HASTINGS TO THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR: NORMAN AND PLANTAGENET ENGLAND 1066-1307

Code HIS-5007B

Credits 20

This module examines a critical period in English History. We begin with the Conquest of England by the Normans and look at the ways in which as a consequence England was drawn into European affairs. The mid point is the loss of those continental lands in 1204 and the Magna Carta crisis of 1215. We then explore the domination of Britain by the English kingdom and end with the start of England’s next great European adventure, The Hundred Years War.

FROM AGINCOURT TO BOSWORTH: ENGLAND IN THE WARS OF THE ROSES

Code HIS-5009B

Credits 20

You will explore one of the most turbulent and dynamic periods in English history: c.1400-1485. In addition to exploring the narrative of events as it unfolded chronologically you will also learn about topics such as: theories of medieval kingship, the relationship between church and state, the relationship between England and Continental Europe, medieval warfare, chivalry and knighthood, the relationship between national and local concerns, and the opportunities for people of all genders to participate in political struggle. You will have the opportunity to read a wide range of primary sources as well as considering key historiographical debates. Upon completion of your module, you should have a more nuanced understanding of the exercise of power in the 15th century and how the deeds and decisions of those in charge impacted the lives of people further down the social spectrum. You should also have honed your skills in primary source analysis and historiographical scrutiny.

THE RISE AND FALL OF BRITISH POWER

Code HIS-5011A

Credits 20

You will examine Britain's expansion and decline as a great power, from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the mid-twentieth century. During this module, you will consider the foundations of British power, the emergence of rivals, Britain's relationship with the European powers and the USA, and the impact of global war. You will also investigate the reasons for Britain's changing fortunes, as it moved from guarding the balance of power to managing decline.

NAPOLEON TO STALIN (and beyond): THE STRUGGLE FOR MASTERY IN EUROPE

Code HIS-5017B

Credits 20

This module deals with the rivalries of the Great Powers from the end of the Napoleonic Wars to the onset of the Cold War and its end with collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. We shall be examining topics such as the Vienna system; the Crimean War; Italian and German unification, the origins of the First and Second World Wars and the Cold War period.

MODERN GERMANY, 1914-1990

Code HIS-5018A

Credits 20

We will introduce you to German history in the twentieth century, which was characterised by various radical regime changes and territorial alterations. Topics include German world policy and nationalism in the late imperial period; imperialism and expansionism during the First World War; the challenges of modernity in the Weimar Republic; the rise of Hitler and the formation of the Nazi empire in Europe; the post-war division of Germany and the legacy of the Third Reich; the nature of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) dictatorship and the problem of West German terrorism; as well as the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification. Special attention will be given to questions of nationalism and national identity, issues of history and memory, and Germany’s role in Europe and the world. On completion of this module you will have developed a solid understanding of one of the most dramatic periods of German history when the country oscillated between the two extremes of war and repression, on the one hand, and the return to peace and democracy, on the other.

HERITAGE AND PUBLIC HISTORY

Code HIS-5026A

Credits 20

What shapes our view of history and heritage? How do we balance academic approaches with the need to engage an audience? How do we assess the significance of historic buildings and sites? On this module you’ll explore these questions by studying the ways in which history is presented in the public sphere, in museums and galleries, at heritage sites and historic buildings, in the media and online. Through lectures, seminars and field trips you’ll gain an understanding of different current approaches to history and heritage, exploring themes such as the role of museums, the commemoration of historic events and the development of digital heritage.

EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE: WARRIORS, SAINTS AND RULERS

Code HIS-5042A

Credits 20

You'll explore the experiences and fortunes of the peoples of the western peninsula of Eurasia between the rule of the Emperor Constantine I in the 330s and the call to crusade in the 1090s. At the beginning of the period, the lands centred on the Mediterranean and much of its hinterland were situated within the Roman empire. Yet, within three hundred years, this empire had disintegrated and been replaced by a number of successor states, ruled by competing dynasties. These states included Visigothic Hispania, Vandal Africa, and Merovingian Francia. Another—in fact, the longest lived of all the successor states—was the eastern empire centred on Constantinople, long known to historians as ‘the Byzantine empire’. By the close of the 7th century, many of these states had themselves been conquered by Arabic and African warriors committed to the new religion of Islam and been incorporated in the Caliphate centred on the city of Damascus—an empire which easily rivalled the might, spread, and power of Rome before its own collapse and fission in circa 1000. What Islamic rulers could do, so too could Christian ones. In 800 the son of a Frankish usurper, Charlemagne, was crowned emperor of the West. The actions and ambitions of this emperor were as formative and as formidable in the history of 9th and 10th century Europe as those of Napoleon in the 18th and 19th. The heirs and successors of Charlemagne—whether Frankish, Ottonian, or Scandinavian—were long compelled to negotiate his legacy and memory. By the 11th century, even the Roman pontiffs, now advancing a new programme of reform and renewal, were looking to situate themselves in relation to his Salian successors. The summons to liberate Jerusalem and rescue the Greek empire in the east, carefully tailored to the aspirations of the new élites of Francia and Catalonia, was perhaps the most explosive strategy advanced by these Roman pontiffs. This course is thus broad in chronological scope, covering more than eight hundred years, and extensive in geographical range, taking us from the Atlantic to the Euphrates, from the Atlas mountains to the North Sea. In the course of this journey we'll meet many warriors, saints, and rulers, both female and male.

THE FIRST BRITISH EMPIRE

Code HIS-5045A

Credits 20

Between the sixteenth and the early nineteenth centuries, the English crossed the oceans and claimed territory on every continent other than Antarctica. This module surveys the creation and growth of British Empire, examining its origins and its impact on an array of peoples. In the context of studying how the empire spread and functioned, we will consider the varied experiences of Africans, Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians, Protestant refugees from the continent of Europe, the peoples of India, the Irish, and British settlers across the globe. The complex, intimate, and often violent interactions of these groups led to ideological battles pitting loyalism against republicanism, for example, and imperial “civilization” against an array of indigenous cultural revivals. At first glance these struggles may seem to place the British against the subject peoples of their empire, but on closer examination it becomes apparent that they fractured nearly every population within the imperial domains. The creative energy of the British Empire stemmed in large part from collaborations between British groups and individuals and segments of their purported imperial subjects in building, reforming, or in some cases seeking to destroy the structures of imperialism

PROPAGANDA

Code HIS-5050B

Credits 20

TWENTIETH-CENTURY BRITAIN, 1914 TO THE PRESENT

Code HIS-5057B

Credits 20

The Great War transformed domestic expectations and ushered in an age of Mass Democracy and economic hardship. After 1945 the welfare state and full employment saw rising affluence, accompanied by the emergence of youth cultures, a sexual revolution and new forms of radicalism and identity politics. The economic crisis of the 1970s sped-up deindustrialisation whilst the neoliberalism of Thatcher and her successors deepened inequalities and stoked nationalist sentiment. We explore the social, political and economic history of these tumultuous years.

FRANCE FROM THE ENLIGHTENMENT TO THE BELLE ÉPOQUE

Code HIS-5059A

Credits 20

You will be introduced to an eventful period of history during which France exercised a preponderant role over European affairs and culture. The module will provide you with the essential background knowledge of political events, revolutions and wars but it will also encourage you to explore deeper social and cultural trends. In the first weeks we will reconsider ‘Old regime’ France, drawing attention to its dynamism and cultural richness before turning to the crises that discredited Bourbon absolutism. In subsequent weeks we will focus on the Revolutionary-Napoleonic epoch: our endeavour here will be to explain why the Revolution was revolutionary in theory, violent in practice and dictatorial in consequence. We will then reflect on the Restoration. Using extracts from Hugo’s Les Misérables as our starting point, we will look at how rapid industrialization generated social tensions that successive ministries tried to diffuse through repression and reform. Next, we will look at the France of the Second Republic and Second Empire; our focus here will be Napoleon III’s modernization initiatives and dramatic remodelling of Paris. Finally, we will approach the history of the Third Republic between 1870 and 1914 from three angles: its success in making the populace feel French; science, art and culture; and its nationalistic foreign policy, which contributed toward undermining the general European peace. The seminars for this module will provide us with an opportunity to analyse and discuss in depth an eclectic range of primary sources, including textual documents (in English translation) ranging from constitutions to period fictional writings, maps, advertisements, artwork, extant material and architectural evidence, and music.

HISTORY OF MODERN ITALY

Code HIS-5060B

Credits 20

Since the unification of the states of the Italian peninsula, the history of modern Italy has been the subject of intense historical debate. Modern Italy has often been cast as a ‘weak’ state and ‘fragile’ nation, riven by particularism and by competing secular and religious ideologies, ‘economically backward’, less successful than its national neighbours, and ‘the least of the Great Powers’. More recent historiography has sought to challenge or modify these perceptions in a number of ways, and this course examines modern Italian history from unification to present day, in the light of these ongoing historiographical debates. a) Italian nationalism, the process of Italian unification and the attempts to create national unity after 1870; b) the relationship between socio-economic change and political development in Liberal Italy; c) the impact of the First World War on Italian society and politics; e) the nature of the Fascist regime and its impact on Italian society; f) the radicalisation of the regime, its racial policies and the quest for Empire; g) Italy’s role in World War II, the reasons for the collapse of the Fascist regime, and the emergence of civil war. h) Italian history since 1945

WOMEN, POWER AND POLITICS II, THE DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE TO NANCY ASTOR

Code HIS-5063B

Credits 20

We will explore female involvement in politics, from the Duchess of Devonshire’s infamous activities in the 1784 Westminster election until 1919, when Nancy Astor became the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons. We will examine topics including the early feminists, aristocratic female politicians, radical politics and the suffragettes, and will investigate the changes and continuities with female engagement with the political process from the eighteenth century through to the twentieth century.

WOMEN, POWER, AND POLITICS (I): ISABEL OF CASTILE TO MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT

Code HIS-5064A

Credits 20

This module examines the issue of gender in European history, between 1500 and 1750. Using a variety of written and visual sources, and including a comparative element, we focus on the following themes: definitions of femininity and masculinity; marriage, family and life cycles; queens and queenship; honour and sexual identities; charity and welfare; women and work; material culture; women in the new world; education and learning; early feminists.

BETWEEN EAST AND WEST: INTERNATIONAL HISTORY SINCE 1890

Code HIS-5065A

Credits 20

The beginning of the twentieth century witnessed a period of immense instability and change with the emergence of the United States as an international actor in the West and the Japanese break from the Chinese sphere of influence in the East. This was underpinned by technological developments, the expansion of global empires, extreme economic dislocation and two global wars. You will examine the conduct and content of the foreign policies of the major powers from the 1890s, with the Sino-Japanese War and the Spanish-American War, to the Japanese occupation of Asia. This will include assessing the interplay of the political, military, economic, strategic and cultural forces that shaped the beginning of the twentieth century and which continue to resonate in the contemporary world.

FROM STALIN TO PUTIN: THE LONG SHADOW OF THE WAR

Code HIS-5065B

Credits 20

World War II and the immense sacrifices the Soviet people made in defeating Nazism left multiple long-lasting legacies that shaped the multi-ethnic Soviet and post-Soviet Russian state, society and economy. This module aims to give you a better understanding of the state of contemporary Russian politics, society and economy through detailed historical enquiry of Russia’s path since 1945. It is divided into two main parts: in part one you will examine key periods of post-war Russian history in chronological order, and in the second part you will look more closely at key contemporary in their historical perspective. These will include the question what it meant to be Soviet and its legacy; geopolitical imperatives, which only recently led Putin to invade Crimea; identity politics and historical commemoration; the transition of the economy from a planned economy to a market economy; and the complex mutations and adaptations of power structures in Russia that gave birth to Putin’s ‘managed democracy’.

JAPAN IN MODERN TIMES

Code HIS-5066A

Credits 20

In just a few decades Japan emerged from its feudal and isolationist condition and became a thriving capitalist nation-state with imperialist ambitions on the world’s stage. From the mid-nineteenth century onwards, the country re-invented itself, combining the strength of its traditions with Western models of government, economic management, social structure and culture. Samurai gave way to elite bureaucrats; a skilled industrial workforce gradually displaced the peasantry; education expanded with remarkable speed; new infrastructure transformed the physical landscape. New patterns of daily life, social tensions and cultural aspirations accompanied these changes. The aggressive expansionist policy and authoritarianism of the 1930s precipitated the country into a war with devastating consequences, only for Japan to resurrect itself as a global industrial power and stable democracy in the post-war era. This module examines this process of transformation from circa 1850, when Western powers pressured Japan into opening to international trade, to the oil shock of the 1970s that brought an end to Japan’s high growth phase. You will pay attention to the intellectual and cultural trends that informed Japan’s development, and investigate concepts such as revolution, national identity, civilizational discourse, late imperialism, and historical memory. You will also explore social and economic change as reflected in lived experience, for example in farms and villages at the turn of the century; on the home front during the Russo-Japanese War; in bustling cities during the Taisho era; in colonial outposts before and during the Pacific War; and in occupied Japan afterwards.

TUDOR ENGLAND

Code HIS-5067A

Credits 20

The Tudors are England’s most famous royal dynasty. This module seeks to move beyond the traditional stories of Henry’s turbulent marriages and Elizabeth’s stunning victory over the Spanish Armada. You'll gain a better understanding of the change and turmoil the Tudor century caused, not just to the monarchs themselves but to the lives of their subjects, the everyday people of England. Beyond establishing a strong chronological knowledge of the 16th century and its religious upheavals, the module will consider issues of gender; the changing construction of the social order; the importance and developing role of local elites; problems caused by poverty and dearth; and the position of England within Britain itself and within Europe.

STUART ENGLAND

Code HIS-5067B

Credits 20

We will explore the dramatic century of Stuart rule in England. This ‘century of revolution’ included the union of the English and Scottish crowns, the dramatic upheaval of the civil wars, and the continued political instability that led to the birth of political parties and the Glorious Revolution. While exploring these political themes we will also consider developments such as: the birth of modern news culture, crowd politics, civil society and coffee shops, the origins of empire, state formation, and the emergence of England as ‘a nation of shop keepers’ and Europe’s great ‘constitutional monarchy’.

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Important Information

Assessment for Year 3

Compulsory Modules

FILM, TELEVISION AND MEDIA STUDIES: DISSERTATION (AUTUMN)

Code AMAM6079A

Credits 30

This module provides the opportunity to work on an independently-researched dissertation on an aspect of Film, Television and/or Media Studies; you will choose and negotiate the topic of your choice to gain approval. You are able to choose whether you do the dissertation module in the Autumn or the Spring Semester of your final year, whichever fits in better with your schedule of modules. You need not relate directly to material taught in previous modules, although it is expected that dissertations will draw on and reflect upon perspectives and methodologies introduced earlier in the degree course.

FILM, TELEVISION AND MEDIA STUDIES DISSERTATION (SPRING)

Code AMAM6080B

Credits 30

CONTESTING THE PAST: REPRESENTATION AND MEMORY

Code HIS-6077B

Credits 30

In this module, you will explore how the past is constantly constructed and reconstructed in the present. In the first part of the module we will consider how mnemonic processes are created, by who, and for what purpose. Commemoration, memorialisation, and visual representations form a key part of this process. In the second part of the module, we will study the ways in which individuals and groups remember and how this often differs from official or mediated discourses. In the third and final part, we will explore various ‘memory conflicts’ and their present day consequences. Throughout, film, photography, visual and audio media, and oral history will form key components of our studies.

Optional A Modules

(30 credits)

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT ON SCREEN

Code AMAM6002A

Credits 30

Module Description (This module is about) This module explores the ways in which cinema and television have engaged with discourses of crime and punishment across the history of the two mediums. It will look at the ways in which screen cultures have circulated and contested historical understandings of crime, criminality and justice, but also ongoing debates regarding cinema and television’s influence on the propagation and perception of criminal behaviour. The module will explore a range of film and television genres that focus on crime, investigation and the penal system, and that have incorporated scientific and technological innovations with regard to surveillance and detection, including: gangster films, police procedurals, delinquency films, true crime, prison dramas, crime appeal programmes, superhero movies, and forensic crime dramas. We also map the ways in which these genres have responded to different historical, national and social contexts, and explore the ways in which a range of converging identities (gender, sexuality, class, race, ethnicity, generational identity) have influenced these contradictory depictions and discourses. This interdisciplinary module will explore the relationship between media history, theory and representation, drawing upon theories from fields including film studies, television studies, cultural studies, gender studies, sociology, criminology, psychology, and science and technology studies.

BRITISH FILM SINCE THE 1960s

Code AMAM6012B

Credits 30

How has British cinema developed through the 21st century? What has it learned from the successes and failures of its own past? By focusing on British film and British film culture from the 1960s to the present day, this module will give you new and different perspectives on the modern British film industry, and the films it produces. You'll get a grounding in the important movements, directors, genre, cycles and stars within the last 6 decades of British film. You'll learn how to examine and analyse those people, films, and movements within a cultural and industrial context, considering the social, technological, artistic and ideological motivations underpinning the creation of 'British' film. Central to this will be your exploration of how 21st century British cinema understands and exploits its own history, from Ealing Studios and Hammer Horror to claims of the 'boom and bust' economic cycle of British production.

GENDER AND GENRE IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN CINEMA

Code AMAM6062B

Credits 30

This module offers an overview of critical and theoretical approaches to gender and genre in film and television, focusing particularly on North American media, over the last decade. The module is taught by seminar, tutorial and screening and the topics explored may include: the articulation and development of postfeminism in film and television; popular and independent film; feminism and authorship; media responses to the political and cultural contexts of postfeminism; responses to the recession; race and the limits of feminist representation; motherhood and fatherhood; representations of queerness.

JAPANESE FILM: NATIONAL CINEMA AND BEYOND

Code AMAM6087A

Credits 30

This module aims to introduce you to approaches to cinema as it relates to national, transnational and global discourses. Japanese cinema forms the focus of the module, largely because it has been at the forefront of non-Anglo/American cinematic discourses since the earliest periods of “world” cinema history. Investigating Japanese cinema case study films will allow you to pose a variety of important questions in relation to the history, techniques and culture of cinema as it is consumed around the world. The module is divided into three sections, roughly historically. In the first section you will examine the golden age of Japanese cinema through the works of filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu. You will explore the history of Japan’s national film industry, its canonisation, the beginnings of international Japanese cinema, and some of the aesthetic innovations of Japan’s cinematic “Golden Age”. The second section examines Japanese genre cinema. By focusing on some of Japan’s famous filmmakers and franchises, including Godzilla, you will explore Japanese film through an inter- or transnational lens. You will also consider other important questions; for example, why is it that some film genres travel and others do not? The final part of the module will consider contemporary Japanese cinema through transnational and global frameworks. You will look at the current rise in international popularity of Japanese filmmaking, assessing the importance of cycles of filmmaking, audiences and distribution to the notoriety of Japanese cinema on a global level. These discussions are intended to reframe discussions on current and past Japanese filmmaking, challenging existing theorisations of Japanese cinema by examining it through alternative methodological frameworks. There is no expectation that you should be able to speak Japanese, nor are you expected to be an expert in Japanese cultural studies. While the module does focus on the history and culture of Japan and Japanese filmmaking as specific to this national cinema, it is intended to provide you with the tools to study other national and global cinemas too. By taking in a range of frameworks from the national to the global, the module is intended to provide you with a set of theoretical concepts relevant to every cinema, everywhere and throughout film history.

CELEBRITY

Code AMAM6090B

Credits 30

You'll explore the phenomenon of celebrity and fame from its origins to the present day, moving across a range of different media, including film, television, print media and the internet. In the process, You'll examine key approaches to the study of celebrity, paying particular attention to the cultural formation of celebrity and how it is bound up with structures of power (e.g. gender, class, ethnicity). It will feature a range of case studies that will include Classical Hollywood cinema, the coming of television, the supposed 'tabloidization' of print media, the birth of Reality TV, the growth of the celebrity scandal and the relationship between celebrity and the internet.

INVESTIGATING AUDIENCES

Code AMAM6108B

Credits 30

In this module you will investigate a range of changing audience practices and cultures in the twenty-first century. You will be introduced to some of the key research on, and theoretical debates around, audience practices in relation to changes in distribution, technology and evolving forms of engagement. You will also study social practices and fan cultures surrounding new technologies, transmedia storytelling, branding, steamed media, event cinema, theme park attractions and other participatory cultures. Investigating Audiences will enable you to expand your critical and analytical skills, and also to develop your abilities as an audience researcher. You will evaluate and assess published academic writing on audience research methodologies, which will then enable you to exercise critical judgement in the design of your own empirical research project.

ADAPTATION AND SCRIPTWRITING

Code AMAM6115A

Credits 30

Today more films are made from adaptations than wholly original screenplays. All scriptwriters preparing for work in the business today should therefore be aware of the process and nature of script adaptation. You will explore the practice of scriptwriting, dramaturgy and story structure; and explore key theories of adaptation, from the earliest ideas of ‘fidelity’ to the source, to later approaches emphasising intertextuality, and the movement of narratives across media. You will examine a series of different examples of narrative adaptation across literary and media contexts.

ADAPTATION AND SCRIPTWRITING

Code AMAM6116B

Credits 30

Today more films are made from adaptations than wholly original screenplays. All scriptwriters preparing for work in the business today should therefore be aware of the process and nature of script adaptation. You will explore the practice of scriptwriting, dramaturgy and story structure; and explore key theories of adaptation, from the earliest ideas of ‘fidelity’ to the source, to later approaches emphasising intertextuality, and the movement of narratives across media. You can examine a series of different examples of narrative adaptation across literary and media contexts.

ANIMALS ON SCREEN

Code AMAM6119B

Credits 30

What happens to the study of television, film, and other forms of media if we take into account the representation of animals? Throughout this module you will discover, critique, engage with, and apply multiple frameworks useful for thinking about the functions animals fulfil within media. In doing so, you will critique the hitherto human-centric nature of the majority of academic thinking, and explore why thinking about animals matters. You'll cover a wide range of theoretical and practical approaches for discussing animals and human-animal relationships. For example, human-animal studies and critical animal studies are relevant interdisciplinary approaches, and you'll also explore topics such as posthumanism. Key to the module are debates about representation, and you will examine a variety of television programmes, films and other media, to unearth how animals are used in different kinds of culture. This will also map onto debates about genre with, for example, discussion of how human-animal hybrids are represented in science fiction, or the multitude of animals that appear in children's culture. The module will enable you to examine representations more thoroughly and with more nuance. It will also encourage you to think about the implications of animal representations in media, in terms of debates such as animal welfare and environmentalism.

SCIENCE FICTION

Code AMAM6121A

Credits 30

Science Fiction films and television series have provided a significant focus for addressing social, cultural and political issues. You will look at the historical development of the genre, with an emphasis on situating examples of films and television programs within their historical and cultural context. The module also concentrates on issues surrounding human identity, as played out in this genre. A range of films and series episodes from both the US and UK will be screened and various clips will also be discussed in seminar.

NATIVE AMERICAN WRITING AND FILM

Code AMAS6027A

Credits 30

Contemporary Native America is often visible only as a cultural stereotype, making the complexities of contemporary tribal experiences invisible within the American national narrative. In this module you will consider contemporary Native American self-representation, exploring recent Native writing and film as sites of cultural and political resistance, and analysing the ways in which a diverse range of Native authors, screenwriters and directors respond to contemporary tribal socio-economic and political conditions within the US. Taking popular ideas of 'the Indian', you’ll consider the ways in which stereotypes and audience expectations are subverted and challenged. You’ll make connections between these distinct groups of writers, to consider topics such as race and racism, indigeneity, identity, culture, gender, genre, land and 'home', community, and political issues such as human rights and environmental racism. You’ll assess how complex Federal-Indian histories are related to diverse contemporary political events such as the indigenous Idle No More movement, and the NDAPL oil pipeline controversies. You will also explore how Native writers engage with the political paradox of remaining colonised within the ‘Land of the Free’. Through seminar based discussion, you will develop a broad understanding of the contemporary issues faced by Native peoples, a familiarity with the ways in which stereotypes and audience expectations are subverted and challenged by Native authors, screenwriters, and directors, and insights into the ways in which Native peoples are shaping the debates around contemporary tribal socio-economic and political conditions. You will be assessed through coursework, reflective reports, and student-led workshops, and gain expertise in communicating your ideas via student-led groupwork and seminar discussion. On successful completion of the module, you will have the knowledge and skills to assess the complexities and diversities of Native American cultural and national identity, and the literary and cinematic strategies of Native writers and filmmakers.

UNDERSTANDING FESTIVALS

Code AMAM6001A

Credits 30

This module looks at the development of the music since the 1950s, with specific focus on questions relating to: • History of popular music festivals from 1950s on • Theorising festival: utopia, carnivalesque, free festivals and ‘protestival’, marketplace and sponsorship, festivalisation, mundanity, experience economy, decolonisation and music. • Representations, screenings and mediations: classic film and festival template (Jazz on a Summer’s Day (1959), Woodstock (1970), Gimme Shelter (1970)), pirate radio, daily newsletters, programmes and ephemera, 360 media arrangements (BBC Glastonbury and The Proms), social media • Working in (cultural) festivals: industry guest speakers (2 slots).

CONTEMPORARY SCREEN DISTRIBUTION AND EXHIBITION

Code AMAM6025A

Credits 30

This module is designed to provide students with an understanding of the structure and workings of the independent and local screen sector in the UK. The module will look at different approaches to distribution and public exhibition of screen content and audience development, including commercial exhibition, community cinema and film festivals. Covering a range of relevant theories and concepts, the module will provide students with a critical understanding of the key issues at stake in how screen content is circulated and accessed by audiences. Key themes will include the influence of industry regulation (by government and industry), impacts of public funding, professional work practices, content diversity and social inclusion. The module will incorporate significant contributions from industry professionals that I have been working with as part of the Rural Cinema Impact Project. A number of these partners have confirmed their willingness to be part of the teaching programme in 2019/20 including Sarah-Jane Meredith, Audience Fund Manager British Film Institute; Robert Livingston, Director Regional Screen Scotland; Christoph Warrack, CEO and Founder, Open Cinema (a national network of film clubs for excluded or marginalised people); Michael Pierce, CEO and Founder Scalarama (national film festival for independent and cult cinema); and Duncan Carson, Marketing and Communication Manager Independent Cinema Office (national body for promoting independent cinema in the UK). It is proposed to involve the students in this module in the organisation and hosting of a short film festival in Norfolk. Access to venues and audiences will be provided through Creative Arts East (CAE), a long term partner in the Rural Cinema Impact Project. CAE has over 50 screening venues across Norfolk, many which are relatively close to Norwich and the UEA campus.

MANAGING CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

Code AMAM6040A

Credits 30

What is the effect of leadership on creativity and innovation in media business today? Managing creativity and innovation is increasingly important for all companies in the current fast-changing business landscape. Digital disruption and new business models have made a huge impact on many businesses, including the media industry. The aims of this module are to introduce you to a critical and practical understanding of the nature of managing creative people in a business context; and the leadership and business strategies of organisations to encourage different types of innovation, with a focus on media companies.

CREATIVE WORK IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRIES

Code AMAM6086B

Credits 30

What is it like working in the media industries? What are the key opportunities and challenges which face aspiring and established media professionals? In engaging with such questions, this module offers you the opportunity to gain an understanding of the industries in which you may well wish to work. Throughout the module you will engage with academic research and other writing, both historical and contemporary in nature, to provide you with an understanding of the potential to find pleasure, fulfilment (and a steady income), as well as pressure, frustration and precariousness in media work. As well as developing skills in communicating ideas, principles and theories, you will conduct your own research into the nature and conditions of media work. To help you understand media work, we reflect on changes in the nature of work itself in modern societies, considering historical and recent developments in working cultures and questions of work-life balance. Following this, you will gain insights into work in the media and creative industries through an engagement with academic research, policy developments and the accounts of media workers themselves (across sectors such as film, television, music, magazines, advertising and digital media). We also look at questions about the extent to which it is feasible to do ‘good work’ and produce challenging, innovative, ground breaking, thoughtful or just genuinely entertaining media products in a seemingly ever competitive and commercial media landscape. Having developed a grasp of some of the key dynamics at play in creative labouring, you’ll put this knowledge into practice by carrying out and reflecting upon your own research into the challenges and opportunities bound up with media work. The module will not only provide you with a range of valuable insights into the realities of media work but will also help you develop skills in conducting research, organising and communicating your ideas and weighing your own arguments against those of others.

MEDIA AND THE BODY

Code AMAM6111B

Credits 30

Over the past 30 years a variety of academic disciplines have understood the body to be central to our experiences of media cultures. You will examine the ways that different bodies are not only represented by and produced in relation to the media but also the place of the body in the consumption of media texts. Using different theoretical frameworks your module approaches the body as a key site in popular culture where power relations are negotiated. It does this through a range of case studies and therefore a range of different media forms. These case studies include the racialised body, the muscular body, the pornographic body, the politics of beauty, the HIV/AIDS crisis, trans-bodies, fitbits, and disco & grime subcultures. By the end of your module you should be able to analyse and assess a contemporary mediated body culture of your choice using one (or more) of the body theories that have been taught.

GENERATION AND THE MEDIA

Code AMAM6113A

Credits 30

Generation is a key part of media discourse. Young people are represented as having fewer opportunities than the generations before them. They are portrayed as narcissists, obsessed with brands and social media. Older generations, such as the ‘Babyboomers’, are represented as selfish and as having stolen young people’s future. This module complicates these stereotypes. You’ll explore theories of generation and their relation to media texts and media use. It asks, how are generations represented in the media, and what are the effects of this on people’s experience and identity? You’ll look at how media is used and consumed in different ways according to age, lifecycle and family structure. You’ll explore the ways that generation intersects with other identities such as race, class, gender, ability, sexuality, place. You’ll combine textual analysis and theory with an emphasis on personal experience and autoethnography. That is, you are expected to engage with the academic debates around generation but also to critically reflect on their own understandings of generation in relation to their peers, family, the past and the future.

SCIENCE FICTION

Code AMAM6122A

Credits 20

GENERATION AND THE MEDIA

Code AMAM6123A

Credits 20

Generation is a key part of media discourse. Young people are represented as having fewer opportunities than the generations before them. They are portrayed as narcissists, obsessed with brands and social media. Older generations, such as the ‘Baby boomers’, are represented as selfish and as having stolen young people’s future. This module complicates these stereotypes. It explores theories of generation and their relation to media texts and media use. It asks, how are generations represented in the media, and what are the effects of this on people’s experience and identity? It looks at how media is used and consumed in different ways according to age, lifecycle and family structure. It explores the ways that generation intersects with other identities such as race, class, gender, ability, sexuality, place. Students will combine textual analysis and theory with an emphasis on personal experience and autoethnography. That is, students are expected to engage with the academic debates around generation but also to critically reflect on their own understandings of generation in relation to their peers, family, the past and the future.

ALTERNATIVE MEDIA

Code AMAM6133B

Credits 30

This module looks at a range of print, broadcast and online alternative media in the USA and Britain from largely the 1960s counterculture onwards. This includes pirate radio, underground press, guerrilla television, fanzines, subvertising, video activism, Indymedia, community media. It maps the history and development of alternative media, explores connections and tensions with technological innovations, the cultural politics of alternative media, the relationship with and impact on mainstream media forms, and assesses the significance of alternative media for social change. There is an emphasis on historical and cultural material theorised through aspects of media, subculture and social movements.

MEDIA PRACTICE PROJECT (AUTUMN)

Code AMAP6097A

Credits 30

You’ll be able to make use of your practical skills to produce a significant practice-based project investigating some aspect of Media, Film and/or Television studies. You’ll produce a significant practical work that refers to, and makes use of, relevant theoretical debates and issues, and will also write a critical evaluation of your work. Projects are individually negotiated with supervisors, and will build upon an area of practice that you have previously covered (film-making, screenwriting, digital media, magazine or sound media). Before taking this module students MUST have completed one of the following modules: AMAP5119B – Television Studio Production; AMAP5123A – Film & Video Production; AMAP5124B – Digital Media Theory and Practice; AMAM5052B - Writing the American Script; AMAM5051A/AMAM5052B – Writing The American Script: Hollywood and Beyond; LDCC5002A or LDCC5008B – Creative Writing: Scriptwriting.

MEDIA PRACTICE PROJECT (SPRING)

Code AMAP6098B

Credits 30

You’ll be able to make use of your practical skills to produce a significant practice-based project investigating some aspect of Media, Film and/or Television studies. You’ll produce a significant practical work that refers to, and makes use of, relevant theoretical debates and issues, and will also write a critical evaluation of your work. Projects are individually negotiated with supervisors, and will build upon an area of practice that you have previously covered (film-making, screenwriting, digital media, magazine or sound media). Before taking this module students must have completed one of the following modules: AMAP5119B – Television Studio Production; AMAP5123A – Film & Video Production; AMAP5124B – Digital Media Theory and Practice; AMAM6032A – Adaptation and Screenwriting; AMAM5038B – Adaptation and Transmedia Storytelling; AMAM5049B – Writing The American Script: Hollywood and Beyond; LDCC5002A or LDCC5008B – Creative Writing: Scriptwriting

NATIVE AMERICAN WRITING AND FILM

Code AMAS6028A

Credits 20

This is a 20-credit module, available to visiting/exchange students. Contemporary Native America is often visible only as a cultural stereotype, making the complexities of contemporary tribal experiences invisible within the American national narrative. In this module you will consider contemporary Native American self-representation, exploring recent Native writing and film as sites of cultural and political resistance, and analysing the ways in which a diverse range of Native authors, screenwriters and directors respond to contemporary tribal socio-economic and political conditions within the US. Taking popular ideas of 'the Indian', you’ll consider the ways in which stereotypes and audience expectations are subverted and challenged. You’ll make connections between these distinct groups of writers, to consider topics such as race and racism, indigeneity, identity, culture, gender, genre, land and 'home', community, and political issues such as human rights and environmental racism. You’ll assess how complex Federal-Indian histories are related to diverse contemporary political events such as the indigenous Idle No More movement, and the NDAPL oil pipeline controversies. You will also explore how Native writers engage with the political paradox of remaining colonised within the ‘Land of the Free’. Through seminar based discussion, you will develop a broad understanding of the contemporary issues faced by Native peoples, a familiarity with the ways in which stereotypes and audience expectations are subverted and challenged by Native authors, screenwriters, and directors, and insights into the ways in which Native peoples are shaping the debates around contemporary tribal socio-economic and political conditions. You will be assessed through coursework, reflective reports, and student-led workshops, and gain expertise in communicating your ideas via student-led groupwork and seminar discussion. On successful completion of the module, you will have the knowledge and skills to assess the complexities and diversities of Native American cultural and national identity, and the literary and cinematic strategies of Native writers and filmmakers.

Optional B Modules

(30 credits)

RUSSIA IN REVOLUTION 1905-1921

Code HIS-6004B

Credits 30

More than a century after Lenin's Bolsheviks proclaimed the world's first socialist revolution in Petrograd, the events of 1917 retain their power to fascinate, inspire, bewilder and repel. How can we understand the Russian revolution, why did it happen, and what did it mean for the people who made and lived through it? On this module we'll use a range of sources, including contemporary documents, newspaper reports, and memoirs - some translated specially for this module - to answer these questions. We start with the run-up to the revolutionary events of 1905, when the whole empire was convulsed with strikes, uprisings and armed clashes. We then take the story through the Tsarist regime's attempt to shore up its authority through limited consitutionalist concessions, before looking at World War One and the fall of the monarchy. We'll look in detail at what happened in 1917 and why - not only in the Russian heartland but also in certain non-Russian parts of the empire. Finally, we'll examine the civil war and why the Reds won. Throughout, we put the story in its historical, political and geographical context, always with an eye to its impact on later developments up to today. By understanding the events of a century ago, you'll gain insights into the Russia of today and the troubled and turbulent post-Soviet area. You'll also gain invaluable experience of carrying out in-depth independent research and presenting your findings.

TWENTIETH-CENTURY SPORT HISTORY

Code HIS-6006B

Credits 30

You’ll explore key themes and topics in the history of twentieth century sport, from the founding of the modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 to the impact which the collapse of socialism had upon sport at the end of the century. Sport’s interaction with empire, nationalism, fascism, socialism and capitalism will be considered, demonstrating that the political history and international relations of the century are deeply entwined with it. As an aspect of social history, issues of gender, race and disability are inseparable from this topic, as are the harnessing and exploitation of sport as a means of war or reconciliation at various periods throughout the century.

FIELDWORK IN LANDSCAPE HISTORY

Code HIS-6017A

Credits 30

Fieldwork is a key part of landscape history and this module will give you hands-on practical experience of a range of landscape survey methods. Our fieldwork week takes place during the summer and will provide you with training in various survey techniques that can be applied to earthworks and buildings. Your surveys will form the basis for site drawings and a research project on the site we have surveyed. Seminars and field trips take place in the Autumn semester and will cover topics such as drawing earthwork plans and carrying out original research using archive maps and documents. By the end of the module you will be able to recognise and interpret historic landscape features in the field and use a combination of survey work and original research to understand them.

YOUTH IN MODERN EUROPE

Code HIS-6023A

Credits 30

The importance of youth as a driving force for social change has been recognised by many historians. Young people were often at the forefront wherever revolutions took place, wars were fought and tensions in society erupted. However, the historical study of youth is still a relatively young discipline. This module uses ‘youth’ as a prism to study key themes in 20th century European history, such as the experience of war, life under dictatorship and the longue durée of social change. We shall examine the diverse experience of youth in Western and Eastern Europe during war and peace times, including the Communist and Nazi state-sponsored youth systems, and also the way in which generational experience and conflicts became underlying forces for social and political change. The module employs a strong comparative approach and countries studied include France, Britain, the Soviet Union, West and East Germany, Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. The seminars will be accompanied by several film screenings.

VICTORIAN UNDERWORLDS

Code HIS-6026A

Credits 30

You will be introduced to the darker side of life in Victorian Britain. Though this was undoubtedly a period of economic prosperity, not everyone shared in the gains. You will look at those who, for reasons of poverty or ‘deviance’ were confined to the margins. Topics include the criminal and insane, gender and insanity, prostitution, drink, slums, the London Irish, and Jack the Ripper. By looking at the margins and the misfits, we will seek to gain a deeper understanding of British society in the 19th century.

THE FIRST WORLD WAR: A NEW HISTORY

Code HIS-6051B

Credits 30

We will explore the impact of the First World War on European and non-European states, societies, and cultures. Our aim is to broaden and deepen the students’ knowledge by introducing some of the lesser known aspects of the conflict, such as the campaigns on the Eastern front, in Africa, or the Middle East. You will investigate the role and perception of colonial troops in the European theatre of war and examine the war efforts of such countries as Italy, Serbia, the Ottoman Empire, and Australia. Further topics to be discussed include alliance politics and the role of neutral states, psychological effects of ‘industrialised slaughter’, atrocities against non-combatant civilians, captivity and occupation, state propaganda and the spiritual mobilisation of intellectuals, as well as processes of social change with regard to home and family life, ethnicity and class. We will draw on a wide range of primary sources, including poems, paintings, and film. In their coursework, students will have the opportunity to study more specific issues, such as naval and aerial warfare, British military strategy, civil-military relations in democratic and autocratic states, medical innovations, the war experiences of children, or questions of memory and commemoration.

ROBIN HOOD: THE MEDIEVAL OUTLAW IN HISTORY AND LEGEND

Code HIS-6078A

Credits 30

We will examine the wider subject of resistance to royal authority by men who become outlaws and their portrayal in popular legend from the Norman Conquest of England to the twentieth century with its focus being the outlaw for whom the name Robin Hood has become an archetype. We will examine the stories of medieval outlaws before going onto look at the Robin Hood tales in particular. We will then follow Robin Hood into the early and modern periods, through children's literature and on into the modern renditions of Robin Hood in film and in pantomime.

SLAVERY IN THE EARLY MODERN ATLANTIC WORLD

Code HIS-6081A

Credits 30

This module begins by surveying African, Native American and European labour regimes in the fifteenth century in order to establish a foundation for studying the transformations that followed European imperial expansion and the inauguration of the transatlantic slave trade. We will examine the process of enslavement in Africa, North America, and the Mediterranean; the ransom, exchange and sale of captives; and the development of slave markets in the European colonies in the Americas. We will study childhood and family life in various enslaved communities; the material lives of slaves; and the rise of distinct cultures within the African diaspora. We will compare the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, French and British Empires with regard to the practice of slavery. We will also trace patterns of slave resistance, escapes, rebellions, and the creation of maroon communities. The semester will end with an examination of the tangled international politics surrounding the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade and the end of plantation slavery across the Atlantic World.

GRAND STRATEGY

Code HIS-6082A

Credits 30

This module examines the theory and practice of grand strategy in historical and contemporary contexts from a variety of analytical perspectives. It defines grand strategy as ‘the calculated relation of means to large ends’. It focuses on how parts relate to the whole in whatever an individual, a corporation or a nation might be seeking to accomplish. The strategists considered range over some two and a half millennia. Some represent the best thinking and writing on this subject; others exemplify success and failure in the implementation of grand strategy.

FROM VICTORY TO DEFEAT: DEFENDING BRITAIN'S EMPIRE 1919-1942

Code HIS-6082B

Credits 30

The end of the First World War witnessed both the expansion of the British Empire to its largest extent, covering a quarter of the globe, and the destruction of its colonial rivals. However, the First World War also unleashed nationalist forces that would challenge the British imperial system. This resulted in outbreaks of riots and resistance against British rule in Ireland, India, Mesopotamia and Egypt. Weakened economically and socially by the gargantuan effort of winning the war how would Britain maintain her far-flung lines of empire? You will examine how Britain attempted to secure her strategic interests both within an era of growing nationalist resistance from within the Empire and against external threats from a resurgent Japan, Germany and Italy. You will be introduced to the high-tide of war imperialism; inter-war imperial defence; the crisis of empire Britain faced in Ireland, India and the Middle East; the ‘family-network’ of the ‘white’ Dominions; colonial development in Africa and the Caribbean as well as what it meant to fight the Second World War on an imperial footing during the campaigns in the Mediterranean and North Africa, finishing with the strategic abyss that was the fall of Singapore in February 1942. By examining the pressures policy-makers faced from within the Empire and from outside you will seek to gain a deeper understanding of how the British Empire functioned during this pivotal period of the imperial project.

DOING HISTORY DIGITALLY

Code HIS-6085B

Credits 30

This module provides a practical introduction to Digital History. You’ll develop the intellectual research tools to critique digitised and born-digital sources and at the same improve your understanding of the new ways historians are interrogating these sources in order to develop new insights and interpretations of the past. This module is designed to emphasise the skills of criticism and increase your knowledge of the major methodologies of digital history.

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Important Information

Entry Requirements

A Levels

BBB or ABC including History or BBC including History with an A in the Extended Project

BTEC

DDM, alongside grade B in History A-level (or equivalent qualification). Excludes BTEC Public Services, BTEC Uniformed Services and BTEC Business Administration

Scottish highers

AABBB including History

Scottish highers advanced

CCC including History

Irish leaving certificate

2 subjects at H2, 4 subjects at H3 including History

Access course

Access to Humanities & Social Sciences pathway. Pass the Access to HE Diploma with Merit in 45 credits at Level 3 including 12 credits in History

European Baccalaureate

70% including 7 in History

International Baccalaureate

31 points including HL 5 History

GCSE offer

You are required to have Mathematics and English Language at a minimum of Grade C or Grade 4 or above at GCSE.

Additional entry requirements

If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes.

If you do not meet the academic and or English requirements for direct entry our partner, INTO University of East Anglia offers guaranteed progression on to this undergraduate degree upon successful completion of a preparation programme. Depending on your interests, and your qualifications you can take a variety of routes to this degree:

International Foundation in Business, Economics, Society and Culture

International Foundation in Humanities and Law

Alternative Qualifications

UEA recognises that some students take a mixture of International Baccalaureate IB or International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme IBCP study rather than the full diploma, taking Higher levels in addition to A levels and/or BTEC qualifications. At UEA we do consider a combination of qualifications for entry, provided a minimum of three qualifications are taken at a higher Level. In addition some degree programmes require specific subjects at a higher level.

Students for whom english is a foreign language

We welcome applications from students from all academic backgrounds. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):

IELTS: 6.0 overall (with no less than 5.5 in any component)

We also accept a number of other English language tests. Please click here to see our full list.

Interviews

Most applicants will not be called for an interview and a decision will be made via UCAS Track. However, for some applicants an interview will be requested. Where an interview is required the Admissions Service will contact you directly to arrange a time.

Gap year

We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.

Intakes

This course is open to UK, EU and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.

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Course Reference Number: 1463457

BA HISTORY AND FILM STUDIES