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World History: Globalisation

Module description

The aim of this module is to introduce you to a range of social, cultural, economic and political themes in modern global history. Particularly focusing on the twentieth century it covers topics such as imperialism and decolonisation, war and resistance, economics and globalisation, rights and sovereignty, and the emergence of global governance. You will explore histories of global interconnectedness and rupture, and use a mixture of primary and secondary sources to engage with other historians’ arguments while developing your own perspectives.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims:

• to give you a deeper understanding of global historical change in the modern period. Key themes in global history - such as conflict, migration, revolution, development, economics and colonization - will be explored using historical and comparative cultural/international perspectives.
• to develop an understanding of how global historical change can inform a more micro-historical approach and vice versa, complementing your study across Level 1.
• to develop your skills in fundamental aspects of historical enquiry, including the location, critical understanding and evaluation of primary and secondary source materials, and the written and oral presentation of scholarly arguments. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. Demonstrate understanding of some of the key themes in global history
• 2. Evaluate key historiographical arguments in global history, and use primary sources to achieve this
• 3. Demonstrate an understanding of how 'macro' historical change can inform understanding at the 'micro' level, and vice versa.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 4. Deploy the basic rules of evidence in historical enquiry
• 5. Compare and contrast differing historical approaches
• 6. With guidance, indicate how people have lived, acted and thought in a range of contexts at different times and in a number of locations
• 7. Indicate some of the complexities of historical change at global scales

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

• 8. With guidance, select and digest academic literature relevant to the topic under study
• 9. Organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument
• 10. Communicate ideas orally and respond to the arguments of others in an appropriate manner

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:

• An introduction to world history
• globalisation
• imperialism
• colonisation
• decolonisation
• migration
• science and technology
• nationalism
• conflict
• Human rights

These topics are flexible depending on staff availability in each particular academic year.

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

• Sebastian Conrad, What is Global History? (Princeton University Press, 2016).
• Akira Iriye, Global and Transnational History (Springer Books, 2012).
• Erez Manela and Heather Streets-Salter, The Anticolonial Transnational (Cambridge University Press, 2023).
• John Breuilly (ed.), Oxford Handboook on the History of Nationalism (Oxford University Press, 2013).
• Nicole Eggers, Jessica Lynne Pearson, and Aurora Almada e Santos (eds.), The United Nations and Decolonisation (Routledge, 2020).
• Steven L.B. Jensen, The Making of International Human Rights (Cambridge University Press, 2016.)
• Odd Arne Westad, The Global Cold War (Cambridge University Press, 2007).
• Martin Thomas and Andrew S. Thompson (eds.) The Oxford Handbook on the Ends of Empire (Oxford University Press, 2017)

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE : https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11310 
• Internet Global History Sourcebook: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/global/globalsbook.asp
• Library of Congress (Teacher resources): http://www.loc.gov/teachers/additionalresources/relatedresources/world/primary.html
• World History Matters: http://worldhistorymatters.org/
• World History Sources: http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/

Key words search

History; globalisation; empire; economics; conflict; colonisation; politics; nationalism; decolonisation; human rights