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National University of Ireland, MaynoothDEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

OPTIONAL MODULES

III ARTS SEMESTER 1 2014-15

PLEASE NOTE

Flyers provide information supplementary to that available in module descriptors, which may be viewed on the university database at www.nuim.ie/courses.

Students are expected to consult both flyers and module descriptors in advance of registration.

http://www.nuim.ie/courses

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, MAYNOOTH

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORYTHIRD ARTS, 2014-2015

FIRST SEMESTER

Co-ordinatorDR DAVID LEDERER

Module codeHY 307

Credits2.5

Module titleREADING MODULE 3A

Module content

This module requires students to read one or more assigned books/articles and to present an analytical report.

A list of approved titles will be provided on the relevant Moodle site early in the semester.

Upon successful completion of the module, students should be able to compose an analytical report based on assigned reading.

Form of assessment

2,500 word essay to be submitted by Monday, 5 January 2015

Special requirements (e.g., field trips inc. cost; special sessions; books)

None



FIRST SEMESTER

LecturerDR COLMÁN ETCHINGHAM

Module code SG 302

Credits5

Lecture hours per weekTwo

Module title:

LAW, SOCIETY AND THE LEARNED CLASSES IN EARLY CHRISTIAN IRELAND

Module content

This module introduces students to key aspects of the early Irish laws, popularly

known as the ‘Brehon laws’, investigating what they can tell us about early Irish

society, by studying directly passages from the laws themselves in translation.

Form of assessmentTwo essays of up to 2000 words on primary sources studied in class. 100%Deadlines for submission of essays are TBC

Special requirements (e.g. field trips inc. costs, special sessions)None

*Note that, since this module is also taken by students of Celtic Studies, there is only a limited number of places available for students of History

Please note that SG302 is timetabled by the School of Irish and may clash with corelectures in other subjects.



FIRST SEMESTER

LecturerDR DYMPNA MC LOUGHLIN

Module code HY 312

Credits7.5

Lecture hours per weekThree

Module titleGENDER AND EMIGRATION IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY IRELAND

Objectives To understand the chronology of nineteenth century Ireland emigration To analyse orphan emigration schemes to Canada analyse voluntary assisted emigration schemes i.e. workhouse orphans to Australia introduce convict transportation and landlord clearance schemes as examples of

involuntary assisted emigration examine the motivations behind the emigration of men and women throughout the

nineteenth century, and to elaborate on the differences between them. Special focus will be on the overrepresentation of women in post famine emigration.

to analyse the social, economic and cultural context of nineteenth century Ireland and how these factors impacted on emigration.

AimTo analyse the phenomenon of emigration from the point of view of ordinary men and women.

Assessment:Analysis of primary sources 20%

Essay of 5,500 words 80%

Both assessments will be based on a convict Petition

Essay deadline: Monday, 5 January 2015Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.

Special requirements (e.g., field trips inc. cost; special sessions; books):

At least one visit to the National Archives will be necessary.




FIRST SEMESTER

LecturerDR ALISON FITZGERALD

Module code HY323

Credits

7.5

Lecture hours per week

ThreeModule title:THE BUSINESS OF LUXURY: THE DECORATIVE ARTS IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY EUROPE

Module content:What caused Augustus the Strong Elector of Saxony and King of Poland to be seized by porcelain ‘madness’? Why was there such a fascination with luxury goods from China and Japan in eighteenth-century Europe? Why are the names of eighteenth-century entrepreneurs like Josiah Wedgwood and Thomas Chippendale still so well known today? This seminar will examine the production, retailing and consumption of luxury goods including porcelain, silver and furniture in eighteenth-century Europe. Who were the arbiters of taste and fashion during this period? What was new? How did developments in terms of fashionable living generate demand for new categories of goods such as silver or ceramic tea wares? The supremacy of French taste during the first half of the eighteenth century will be investigated, by drawing comparisons with Georgian Britain, which imported French ideas in the sphere of design and the decorative arts, while at the same time expressing rivalry and even Francophobia. Britain’s own commercial expansion will be analysed to take account of the factors that encouraged innovation in design. The way in which luxury goods were manufactured, advertised and sold will be examined using both modern and eighteenth-century sources to develop a closer understanding of the objects. No previous knowledge of design history is required.

Assessment:In-class assessment: 40%Research project (approximately 4,000 words) based on primary sources on topic approved by the lecturer: 60% Deadline: Monday, 5 January 2015Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.

Special requirements (e.g., field trips inc. cost; special sessions; books): The number of students admitted to this module is limited to 25. There will be some site visits with this module, which will take place on Friday afternoons.




FIRST SEMESTER

LecturerDR JACINTA PRUNTY

Module code HY 330

Credits7.5


Module titleMAPS IN HISTORY

Module contentThis module will cover cartographic traditions in key areas, including medieval 'mappae mundi'; exploration, travel and trade; technological advances in surveying and cartography; military mapping and colonial expansion; the atlas tradition; the Ordnance Survey; property and power (estate mapping); map repositories in Ireland; roads, canal and rail mapping.

Module aimMaps are fascinating and complex historical sources. From medieval mappae mundi centred on Jerusalem, and peopled at the edges with exotic creatures, through the portolan charts upon which the safety of mariners rested, and the many maps produced as part of the acquisition and management of property, the map has played an important role in the human story. The core objective of this module is to introduce ‘landmarks’ in map-making, a selection of the most important classes of maps, and the historical contexts (political, social, technological) in which they were created, so that students might be equipped to approach maps from a critical and questioning stance.

Teaching and learning activities:36 lecture hours or equivalent, including field walk (Maynooth), visits to exhibitions and displays (Russell Library, John Paul II Library, National Science Museum, and other repositories as appropriate). Planned learning activities: 36 hours and independent student activities 36 hours.

Assessment: The course will be assessed by project (80%) and class test (20%). The short class test will be based on the lecture content. The written project will be c.5,000 words, illustrated and cross-referenced, the title to be decided in consultation with the course director.

Form of assessment

Class test: 20%

c. 5,000 word project illustrated with appropriate map extracts 80%Deadline: Monday, 5 January 2015

Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.




FIRST SEMESTER

LecturerDR COLMÁN ETCHINGHAM

Module codeHY 332

Credits2.5

Module title

READINGS ON EARLY IRISH LAW AND SOCIETY

Students will chose one from a list of books on the subject of the module and write a critical review of the book chosen.

For the list of books please email [email protected].

Form of assessment

Book review (2500 words) 100%

Deadline: Monday, 5 January 2015




FIRST SEMESTER

LecturerPROFESSOR FILIPE DE MENESES, MS ANNE ROSENBUSCH

Module code HY 333

Credits7.5


Module titleTHE FIRST WORLD WAR AND FASCISM

Module contentAttention has shifted in the past years from purely diplomatic and military concerns to the incredibly rich political, economic, social, and cultural developments taking place behind the lines. The attempts by belligerent governments to harness their respective countries’ strength for war left indelible marks on Europe, which can only be understood if a broad comparative approach is adopted. These attempts were also to have a direct impact on the inter-war history of Europe: it is impossible to understand the sudden appearance of the Fascist phenomenon without reference to the war experience not only of soldiers, but of all men and women in the countries affected by the war. This course intends to trace the development of Fascism, demonstrating how its core ideology was shaped by the desire to recreate in peace the virtues of a mythical wartime society which had never in fact existed. TopicsThis course is divided into two broad parts. In the first, the War is examined: its causes and course, the experience of those who fought in it and, above all, the attempt by the belligerents to bring all their strength to bear on the enemy. This means that we will consider the role of all those groups which offered their services to wartime governments: churches, unions, feminist organisations, intellectuals, etc. The economic dimension of the war, crucial in such a prolonged industrial struggle, is also examined. Finally, in this part of the course we will examine the popular and official memories of the War.In the second part of the course we will examine the Fascist phenomenon as a direct consequence of the First World War and the efforts made during the conflict to mobilise whole populations. Fascism will be examined both as an ideology and as a system of government, again using a comparative approach, and the Fascists’ desire to recreate an ideal wartime experience will be considered in detail. The course culminates in a brief look at the Second World War.

Module aimThe aim of this module is to introduce the student to the full range of recent scholarship being produced on the subject of the First World War.

Module structureThe module will consist of lectures and discussions of primary sources, as well as student presentations.

AssessmentAssessment will be based on an oral presentation (20%); the analysis of a scholarly article (1,000 words, 20%); and an extended essay of c.4,000 words (60%). Essay deadline: Deadline: Monday, 5 January 2015Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.




FIRST SEMESTER

LecturerPROFESSOR TERENCE DOOLEY

Module code HY 340

Credits7.5


Module title:THE IRISH COUNTRY HOUSE: A HISTORY

Module content:This module will examine the Irish Country House (‘Big House’) from the eighteenth to the twenty-first century. It introduces students to the historical contexts in which these houses were designed and constructed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; their architectural evolution over time; the design and construction of their landscapes; the accumulation of their art collections and furnishing; their artistic representations; the working of the landed estates on which they were centred (particularly important in an Irish context because of the ubiquitous land question which dominated much of the nineteenth century); and the social, economic, political and cultural histories of those who lived in them and worked them. The module then considers the reasons for the decline and fall of country houses from the late nineteenth century onwards. In the latter respect the module looks at the effects that economic depression and the Land War of the 1880s, the break up of landed estates under the Land Purchase (Ireland) Acts, economic developments from the Russian Revolution of 1917 to the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Great War 1914-18, and the revolutionary period, 1919-23, had on landed families and their homes. The focus then turns to the struggle for survival that faced many big house owners in independent Ireland and considers questions of management and public perception of these houses in Ireland up to the present day.Students will also be introduced to the primary sources which are available for the study of big houses and landed estates in Ireland, how to locate them and how to assess their strengths and weaknesses.

At the end of this module students will be expected to display evidence of knowledge of Irish country houses and their histories; appreciate the social, economic, political and cultural contexts which shaped the development and decline of the country house over a period of three hundred years or so; be able to identify primary sources relevant to the study of individual houses and families; and be able to use an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the country house.

AssessmentIn-class presentation 20%Research project (approx. 6,000 words) based on primary sources on a topic approved by the lecturer: 80%Deadline for submission of essay: Monday, 5 January 2015Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.

Special requirements (e.g., field trips inc. cost; special sessions; books): Students will be expected to partake in at least two field trips and these may have to be arranged for a Saturday morning. The aggregate cost of these trips is not likely to exceed €20.




FIRST SEMESTER

LecturerProfessors Raymond Gillespie and Ruairí Ó hUiginn

Module code HY 357

Credits5

Lecture hours per weekTwo

Module title

IRISH LITERATURE AND SOCIETY, 1600-1660

Module contentThis module uses some of the literature written in Irish in the first half of the seventeenth century as a way into the social, cultural and political worlds of that period from the perspective of the Gaelic Irish. In particular it will focus on the reactions of the native Irish community to economic and political change over this period and the impact that this had on a number of literary genres.

The framework that we will use is the reading of a number of key texts, the most important of which are the two versions of Pairlement Chloinne Tomáis, written respectively in the 1630s and 1650s. This allows us to see the sometimes contradictory responses of the native Irish community to the main changes of the century. Around this central text it is possible to build a wider range of texts, including poetry and historical writing. By doing this the module will provide an insight into how literary texts can reflect the society in which they were created.

The extended essay should be a more detailed examination of one or more the texts that we will look at in class. A knowlege of Irish is not required as most of the texts that we will be dealing with are available in English translation.

Form of assessmentIn-class test (33%)5,000 word essay (67%)Essay deadline: Monday, 5 January 2015Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.

Special requirements (e.g., field trips inc. cost; special sessions; books) None



DEPARTMENT OF HISTORYTHIRD ARTS 2014-2015

FIRST SEMESTER

LecturerDR DENISE DUNNE

Module code HY 360

Credits7.5


Module titleINTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN EAST WEST RELATIONS, 1945-1991

AimTo introduce students to the study of international relations by adopting a historical and theoretical approach to the analysis of key issues in twentieth century international relations.

ContentThe study of international relations involves the consideration of theoretical and historical issues. The emphasis in this module is placed on the ways in which ideas about world politics, sometimes referred to as international relations theory, interact with developments in the international arena itself. The first part of this module concentrates on international relations theory with a view to providing the student with the theoretical tools to enable a better understanding of the international system of the Cold War period from 1945 to 1991. The second part of the module surveys the international system of the Cold War period from the breakdown of the wartime alliance and the origins of the Cold War in 1943-1947, until the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe. Lectures will discuss the causes and consequences of key political and economic developments in East-West relations during this period. A particular emphasis is placed on US-Soviet relations. A number of major themes are addressed: the shift from a Euro-centric international society to a global one; the role of the state in the contemporary world; international conflict in the nuclear age; trans-nationalism and interdependence. Specific topics will be selected for more in-depth treatment, for example, the significance of European integration in the context of the Cold War, the Cuban missile crisis, the Vietnam War etc.

Form of assessment:Students are required to prepare in advance for class discussions by appropriate reading. Assessment will be based on the following:

1. The presentation of paper to the class during the semester 20%2. The presentation of a 5,000 word essay 80%3.

Deadline: Monday, 5 January 2015Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.

Special requirements (e.g., field trips inc. cost; special sessions; books)If for any reason a student cannot attend lectures in full from week 1 through to week 3 inclusive (i.e. the first 9 lectures), he/she should select an alternative module. Critical examination material is covered in lectures 1 through to 9 inclusive, which will impact on the student’s ability to successfully manage the remainder of the module.




FIRST SEMESTER

LecturerDR JOANNE MANCINI

Module code HY 383

Credits7.5


Module title

AMERICAN HISTORY SPECIALModule contentIn recent decades, historians of the United States (and colonial America) have become increasingly interested in a subject that had often been neglected by prior historians: the relationship between people and the natural world. Using a wide range of sources, environmental historians have worked to reconstruct how human interaction with the environment has brought about what the pioneering environmental historian William Cronon called “changes in the land.” But if environmental history is about the physical effects of human interaction with plants, animals, soil, water, and other elements of the natural world, it is also about the social, political, and cultural patterns that affect and are affected by that interaction. Further, it is also about the attitudes that have shaped the relationship between people and the environment: attitudes that, like that relationship itself, are not fixed but change over time.

Indeed, one striking aspect of American cultural history is the extent to which this relationship—and the issues emerging from it, such as loss of wilderness, species extinction or loss of biodiversity, pollution, the consequences to health and environment caused by the industrialisation of food, and climate change—have been the subject of generations of American writers from Henry David Thoreau and John Muir in the nineteenth century, to Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson in the twentieth century, to Michael Pollan and Bill McKibben in the twenty-first century. Thus in HY383 we will consider secondary sources written by historians and other scholars, but also examine a wide range of primary sources that will give us access to changing American consciousness towards the environment from the nineteenth century to the present.

The module will employ a seminar format, with regular in-depth discussions of assigned readings and other source material. Students must be prepared to participate in these discussions and to come to lectures having completed the assigned readings and other exercises.

AimTo investigate the relationships between environment and culture in American history

Form of assessment: Participation (5%), plusIn-class group presentation (15%), plusContinuous assessment portfolio (20%), plus4500 word essay (60%)

Deadline for final essay: Monday, 5 January 2015Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.


All students must acquire the required text: American Earth: Environmental Writing Since Thoreau, ed. B. McKibben




First SemesterLecturer

MR JOHN BRADLEY

Module code HY 385

Credits7.5


Module title

THE IDEA OF HISTORY

Module content

A consideration of the relevance of the study of history to modern life and a review of key historical writing from earliest times to the twentieth century'.

What is history and why are histories written? Why are historians (unlike novelists or script writers) expected to get the facts right? Why do historians’ opinions of what happened differ? How does one decide what is ‘true’ and what is not? Why do people get upset when ‘their’ history is misrepresented or incorrectly told? Didn’t it all happen a long time ago? Why be bothered about it now?

The purpose of this course is to review the ways in which the writing of history has changed over the centuries and to introduce some of the major practitioners of the craft. The module begins with historians of the ancient world before moving on to look at some of the key figures of the Middle Ages. The developments that characterise the Renaissance and Enlightenment are next assessed. The emergence of ‘scientific history’ during the nineteenth century is considered before examining the range of developments that have characterised the study of history during the twentieth century.

Form of assessment

2,500 word essay, 33%, deadline: Monday, 5 January 2015plus two-hour written examination, 67%, at end of semester


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