Course method : Lectures, with group discussions and class presentations. All lectures and presentations will be in English.
Assignments : Each student will
prepare two illustrated reports: the first about the
historical development of some important aspect of British society and
culture; the second about some important aspect of contemporary
Britain.
The
first report will be due at the end of the Mid-term
Exams, the second at the end of the 13th week.
In addition, each student will keep track of news developments about an
important topic: politics; economics; international relations (Europe);
social issues (health, education, the police ...); social tensions and
conflicts; regional issues (Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales); the role
of the monarchy ... This will require students to read the news from Britain
almost every day, using the BBC
News, the Times,
the Guardian, and
the Yahoo UK
headlines. Students will prepare a file containing background
notes and a summary of ongoing developments in their chosen topic week
by week. This will be used in small-group discussions and will be graded
as part of the mid-term and final exams.
The main text books (available from the University Bookstore) will be :
An Illustrated History of Britain by David McDowall (Longman, 1989).
Britain In Close-Up by David McDowall (Longman, 2000)
Lots of other resources will be found on the shelves of Loyola Library (go and look in history, British literature, art and music). Otherwise, the Web is there for you. A few useful resources are listed in Brother Anthony's Links to Resources (especially the British Culture links) but there are many others. Click here for a map of Britain, statistics (Basic),(Official UK Government), (USA summary). See also the Norton Topics Online pages.
Grading: The two Reports and the two Exams (midterm and final) will have equal value. Other assignments may be given and will receive additional points.
If you have questions you may write
to Brother Anthony or visit him in his office (X109)
Page numbers for the first 7 weeks refer to "An Illustrated History of Britain"
Week 1 Introduction; Basic Geography
Week 2 (Pages 1 - 33) Early history
Neolithic (Stonehenge
Photos 1,2,),
Celtic, Roman Britain.
Invasions: Anglo-Saxons, Vikings,
Normans, feudalism
The Seafarer (fragment), The Wanderer;
the Bayeux
Tapestry; Magna Carta
Week 3 (Pages 34 - 65) Medieval
England
Chaucer's General
Prologue (extracts); the 100-years'
War in text and pictures;
Luminarium : Medieval
culture sites
Week 4 (Pages 67 - 85) Renaissance and
Reformation
Luminarium : Renaissance
culture sites; aspects of the
Renaissance
More's Utopia;
Royal
Portraits; Discoverers;
Sir
Francis Drake
Shakespeare's Globe;
Shakespeare's 'This royal throne of kings';
Hilliard's Youth;
Backgrounds
to Shakespeare
Week 5 (Pages 87 - 129) 17th Century Revolutions.
18th Century: Revolutions, Romanticism
Luminarium : 17th
century culture sites; Civil
War;
Science, philosophy, technology; Jack Lynch's
18th
Century Resources;
Gray's Elegy; Hogarth : Marriage
a la Mode; The
Rake's Progress; John Constable 1,2;
Jack Lynch's Romanticism
Resources, William Blake Archive,
William Turner 1,2,3.
Week 6 (Pages 131 - 150) 19th-Century
Britain : Industry, Empire, Progress
The Victorian
Web
Week 7 (no class Good Friday)
(Pages 151 - 184) Modern British History
Wilfred Owen: Poems;
World
War I (the 'Great' War);
World
War II
Week 8 Mid-term Exams
Chapter numbers for the rest of the semester refer to "Britain in Close-Up"
Week 9 (Chapter 1) Britain today
Week 10 (Chapters 2 & 3) The Crown and the
State
Week 11 (Chapters 4 & 5) Legal systems and
local government
Week 12 (No class Friday) (Chapters 6
& 7) Work and society
Week 13 (Chapters 8 & 9) Culture and regions
Week 14 (Chapters 10 - 12) Foreign relations,
education, media
Week 15 (Chapters 13 - 16) Religion, transport,
environment, health
Week 16 Final Exams
