• Home
• Study
• Study Information
• Modules
• Module Information

Critical Approaches to Maritime and Naval History

Module description

This module introduces you to the main approaches historians have taken to studying Maritime and Naval History, introducing the most influential methodological approaches in the field from the traditional and classic approaches based on the study of geographical explorations and the expansion of individual European empires, to the more recent focus on the interactions and interconnectivity between different imperial and economic systems, and the crucial interaction between economic, political and strategic concerns. With a strong comparative element, the course will concentrate on the way the field has interacted with different national historiographies, and played a fundamental role in the development of world and global histories.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module is designed to enhance your understanding of the main themes and approaches in the study of Maritime and Naval History from the traditional and classic approaches based on the study of geographical explorations and the expansion of individual European empires, to the more recent focus on the interactions and interconnectivity between different imperial and economic systems, and the crucial interaction between economic, political and strategic concerns. Starting with a focus on the British experience since the Middle Ages, it will move on to discuss other European realities, fostering the comparative study of both research methodologies and analysis of primary evidence in different realities and on different topics. Particular attention will be dedicated to how focusing on the sea can provide alternative interpretations of some of the most important issues of historical analysis such as the interaction of state institutions and private enterprise; the development of national and professional identities; defence concerns and economic growth; knowledge transfer; cultural identities and self-perception.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. Understand and evaluate the main themes and approaches in the study of Maritime and Naval History
• 2. Possess detailed knowledge of the key historiographical and theoretical debates informing the study of Maritime and Naval History from the Middle Ages to the contemporary world
• 3. Assess critically the role of primary sources in informing the study of Maritime and Naval History, and discuss the challenges of adopting a local, national or global approach

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 4. Analyse and synthesise different types of historical material and evidence.
• 5. Demonstrate a critical understanding of key historical concepts and debates, and recognise the differences between different approaches and source types
• 6. Develop practical research skills in the primary and secondary evidence

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

• 7. Demonstrate capacity for independent critical research, study and thought, including developing the ability to construct and defend a sustained argument, both in written form and orally, using primary and secondary materials
• 8. Work as an individual and with a tutor and peers in an independent, constructive and responsive way
• 9. Apply key bibliographical skills to independent study

Syllabus plan

Over the course of one term, potential seminar topics include (these will vary depending on staff expertise and student choice):

• The Maritime-Naval Divide
• War at Sea
• The Sea in National Histories and Identities
• Constitutions, Maritime and Naval Power
• Global and World Histories of the Sea
• Oceanic Perspectives
• The Challenges of Technology
• Maritime Trade
• Maritime Labour History
• Institutions: Fiscal-Military State and Logistics
• Sea and Empires
• The Cultural History of the Sea

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 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• J. Glete, Warfare at Sea, 1500-1650: Maritime Conflicts and the Transformation of Europe, London-New York, 2000.
• D. Redford ed., Maritime history and identity: the sea and culture in the modern world, London, 2014.
• R.W. Unger ed., Shipping and Economic Growth 1350-1850, Leiden, 2011.
• M. Fusaro and A. Polónia eds., Maritime History as Global History, St John’s, 2010.
• J.H. Bentley, R. Bridenthal and K. Wigen eds., Seascapes: Maritime Histories, Littoral Cultures and Transoceanic Exchanges, Honolulu, 2007.
• R. Morriss, The Foundations of British Maritime Ascendency 1755-1815. Resources, Logistics and the State, Cambridge, 2010.
• L. Benton, A Search for Sovereignty. Law and Geography in European Empires 1400-1900, Cambridge, 2010.
• M. Rediker, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: Merchant Seamen, Pirates and the Anglo-American Maritime World, 1700-1750, Cambridge, 1987.
• P. E. Steinberg, The Social Construction of the Ocean, Cambridge, 2001.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11366 
• http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/history/research/centres/maritime/resources/

Key words search

Maritime history, Naval history, sea, empires