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Losing an Empire, Finding a Role: Britain Since 1945

Module description

This module will provide an introduction to the history of Britain from 1945 until the turn of the Millennium. It will chart the changes in the social and political landscape as Britain adjusted to a new role after the Second World War. It will provide a broad survey of a series of case studies in both domestic and foreign policy incorporating variety of different narratives from politics, the media, and social history. The course will be designed to accommodate those students who have limited prior knowledge of Britain since 1945.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to the important themes in contemporary British history; of how post-colonialism, social change and re-adjustment to a new international role after the Second World War continues to shape debates around Britain’s recent past. You will learn to interpret and analyse documents, films and literature that sheds light on how social and political events were perceived at the time. You will also learn of the vibrant historiographical debates that have occurred around contemporary British history, and will be required to critically assess the idea of ‘decline’ that has been apparent in many analyses of this period.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Assess the political and social changes in Britain since 1945.
• 2. Analyse social, cultural and economic change in Britain from a variety of perspectives, from government to social history.
• 3. Develop a critical appreciation of history-writing on modern Britain, and in particular develop a critical ability to question the idea of ‘decline’ in contemporary British history.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Identify the problems of using historical sources, e.g. utility, limitations, etc, and compare the validity of different types of sources.
• 5. Answer a question briefly and concisely.
• 6. Present work orally, respond to questions orally, and think quickly of questions to ask other students.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 7. Conduct independent study and group work, including the presentation of material for group discussion, developed through the mode of learning.
• 8. Digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument, developed through the mode of assessment.
• 9. Work with others in a team and to interact effectively with the tutor and the wider group.
• 10. Write to a very tight word-length.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Introduction: The Effects of the Second World War
• Forging the Welfare State
• Foreign Policy in the Cold War
• The White Heat: Modernising Britain
• A Civilised or Permissive Society?
• Britain and Europe
• In Place of Strife: The Crises of Industrial Relations
• The Rise of Scottish and Welsh Nationalism
• Multi-Cultural Britain
• The ‘End of Consensus’ and the ‘New Right’
• Conclusions: New Labour, New Britain? Evaluating the Post-War Experience

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Paul Addison & Harriet Jones, A Companion to Contemporary Britain, 1939-2000 (Oxford: Blackwell, 2005).
• David Childs, Britain since 1945 (Oxford: Routledge, 2012).
• Richard English & Michael Kenny (eds.), Rethinking British Decline (London: Macmillan, 2000).
• Jonathan Hollowell (ed.), Britain since 1945 (London: Blackwell, 2003).
• Peter Leese, Britain since 1945: Aspects of Identity (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2006).
• Rodney Lowe, The Welfare State in Britain since 1945 (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005).
• Alex May, Britain and Europe since 1945 (Oxford: Routledge, 1999).
• Andrew Marr, A History of Modern Britain (London: Macmillan, 2007).
• Kenneth O. Morgan, Britain since 1945: The Peoples’ Peace (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001).
• David Reynolds, Britannia Overruled: British Policy and World Power in the Twentieth Century (Oxford, Routledge, 2013).

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11893 
• Exeter University Historical Newspapers http://as.exeter.ac.uk/library/subjectguides/philosophy/newspapers/historicalnewspapersavailableonline/
• Hansard House of Commons Debates, http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/
• Online Accessible British Government Cabinet Minutes http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers/cabinet-gov/meetings-papers.htm
• British Political Speech http://www.britishpoliticalspeech.org/speech-archive.htm
• British Pathé, http://www.britishpathe.com/

Key words search

Britain, 1945, Political, Social, Post-Colonial, Cold War, Europe, Decline