British History from Regency to Radicalism

About

This module provides an overview of what has changed (and what has not) in British society and culture since the late eighteenth century. It features radicals and revolutionaries, as well as royalists. It explores how change was driven by ordinary men and women, alongside the powers of empire, aristocracy and monarchy.

The module begins with the life and times of Thomas Paine, the famous British revolutionary whose Common Sense helped spark American independence. You’ll visit Paine’s home in Sussex where his revolutionary ideas were first hatched. You’ll encounter the vibrant life of Regency Brighton, encapsulated in the dazzling Royal Pavilion. You’ll discover how ordinary Britons responded to the Second World War, and you’ll explore the power of British youth culture, from mods and rockers to punks and ravers.

Throughout all this you’ll be immersed in a wide range of sources and archives, including The Mass Observation Archive and our library's extensive collection of decolonisation materials. You will learn advanced skills of historical analysis and gain not only historical skills but fresh insight into how the past continues to shape contemporary Britain. Why have the legacies of empire become a source of such controversy? How has the monarchy been able to survive through eras of crisis? What is the future of the Anglo-American “special relationship”, 250 years after Paine’s call for American independence? These questions require us to confront the longer-term historical patterns in a nation which struggles to confront both its past and its present.

Target group

This module is suitable for students who have an interest in how history has shaped contemporary British culture and society. A background in history is not required.

Course aim

1. Use historical knowledge and evidence to analyse and contextualise contemporary issues and challenges

2. Demonstrate skills of source analysis, archival investigation, textual interpretation and evaluation

3. Investigate the influence of events and ideas across historical periods

4. Understand key debates and conflicts in British history since the late eighteenth century.

Fee info

The full cost of one 3-week Undergraduate Summer School session will be £2985. Early applications will receive a 20% reduction on tuition fees, making the overall cost of one 3-week Undergraduate Summer School session £2640. If you wish to study for both sessions, we welcome you to do so. Fees are made up of Tuition fees of £1725 per session including all teaching and assessment for one module of study. A minimum of 40 class/teaching contact hours and 150 study hours. Modules formally approved for 15 Sussex credits, equivalent to 7.5 ECTS or 3 – 4 US credits. You will receive a transcript of studies upon successful completion of the module (including meeting all attendance and assessment requirements). The accommodation and social programme fee of £1260 per session includes your own bedroom in on-campus student village. These are a mixture of en-suite flats and standard flats with shared facilities. You will receive a bedding pack of duvet and duvet cover, sheet, towel, pillow, and pillowcase, as well as a kitchen pack containing everything you need for self-catering. The fee includes a programme of campus social events and activities throughout each session. Excursions and social programme trips will also be provided on Fridays.