‘
History, by appraising of the past,
will enable you to judge of the future.
’
Thomas Jefferson
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WELCOME WHY STUDY HISTORY AT EDGE HILL? SUPPORTING YOUR DEVELOPMENT YOUR CAMPUS
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FIELD TRIPS JOINING OUR COMMUNITY RESEARCH PUBLIC HISTORY
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HISTORY DEGREES AT EDGE HILL COURSES AVAILABLE STUDENT PROFILES FIND OUT MORE
PAGE 4 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY | WELCOME
HISTORY | WELCOME PAGE 5
‘World-Leading’ & Supportive – the History Community at Edge Hill University
At Edge Hill, we are dedicated to delivering cutting-edge teaching and research in the fascinating field of Modern History—from the African-American fight for civil rights to the origins of the Israel/Palestine conflict. Our research has been judged to be ‘worldleading’ and ‘internationally excellent’ (RAE 2008), and our teaching has been praised in all our areas by the Quality Assurance Agency. We pride ourselves on our warm, student-centred culture, and we strive to nurture the skills, knowledge, and confidence of everyone whom we welcome into our community. Our mission is to help each of our students realise their full potential, and become independent, confident, and employable graduates. There are a whole host of careers out there open to those with a History degree – from law to journalism to the civil service and beyond. Our aim is to help you prepare for the journey that lies ahead. Roger Spalding, Head of History
History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are. David C. Mccullough
PAGE 6 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY | WHY STUDY HISTORY AT EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY?
Modern History from Across the Globe
Image: NASA
HISTORY | WHY STUDY HISTORY AT EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY? PAGE 7
Why Study History at Edge Hill? The course and our research are focused on the History of Britain, Europe, the USA, and Asia from the late eighteenth to the early twenty-first centuries. We believe that the study of this period of History provides us with a profound understanding of the world that we live in today, and the challenges that we face. In your first year with us, you will have the opportunity to learn about the broad spread of Modern History. Equipped with historical skills and knowledge, you will then have the choice to specialise in different areas of our discipline. You might wish to study the history of the Soviet Union, contemporary France, the British Empire, or the United States. The list goes on. In your third year, you may want to write a piece of original research, make a documentary, or construct an historical website. It’s up to you.
We cannot escape history. Abraham Lincoln
PAGE 8 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY | SUPPORTING YOUR DEVELOPMENT
There’s Always an Open Door
HISTORY | SUPPORTING YOUR DEVELOPMENT PAGE 9
Supporting your Development Our programme has been carefully designed to ensure that students develop their confidence, knowledge and skills in a gradual way, and in a highly supportive environment. In the first year, for example, you will have invaluable in-depth sessions each week with your personal tutor. We also have an ‘open door’ policy, so that you can have easy access to us outside the class room. We see our relationship with students as one in which we work together to help you succeed; it’s a collaboration. To help you to fulfil your potential we also believe it is important that you have a sense of community with your fellow students and tutors. To that end, we do a number of things to encourage a sense of belonging, including our Christmas party, studentedited newsletter, field trips, and achievement prizes.
PAGE 10 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY | YOUR CAMPUS
HISTORY | YOUR CAMPUS PAGE 11
Excellent Facilities, in a Beautiful Campus At Edge Hill, you will have access to some of the latest History resources that will support your learning. You will be able to read newspapers going back to the nineteenth century online, consult the latest journals via your own internet connection, and use websites that are created to support each topic. Perhaps the best kept secret about Edge Hill, though, is the campus itself. Set in wonderful grounds in the heart of the North West, you will enjoy our magnificent 1930s original building, where the History team is based, as well as the new, cutting-edge teaching buildings, sports and social facilities. And if you want to hit the bright lights of the city, we are just a half hour train ride from the centre of Liverpool.
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Main Buidling
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Green Campus
3.
Western Campus
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Rose Theatre
5.
Learning Innovation Centre (LINC)
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Liverpool Skyline
PAGE 12 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY | FIELD TRIPS
A Wider Perspective
HISTORY | FIELD TRIPS PAGE 13
Field Trips Last year, our students went on a range of exciting excursions. These included a visit to the National Archives in London, where students had the chance to work with de-classified documents; a trip to the Le Corbusier exhibition, which was about one of the twentieth-century's most important architects and artists; and a visit to the public archives of Liverpool, the leading centre of 19th century trade and migration. These trips are an important part of what we do, and we look forward to going back to London and other parts of the North West in the coming year.
PAGE 14 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY | COMMUNITY
Becoming Part of our History Community These are exciting times for History at Edge Hill. Over the last year, we have started a number of new initiatives, collaborated with leading universities across the UK, and received high praise for our work. A key focus in the coming years is to develop even further the sense of community that we have amongst students and staff outside the class room.
HISTORY | COMMUNITY PAGE 15
Student-Edited News
Supporting Achievement
This year we will be launching our student-edited newsletter, which will have a new editorial team each semester. It will bring together the exciting experiences and news of current and former students, visiting students from the United States, and staff. From international travel to life after university, we are looking forward to sharing the stories of our community.
Every year, students overcome challenges, strive to improve their marks, develop new skills, and generally work hard to realise their potential. We believe that it is important that such efforts are recognised, and to that end we are launching a new set of achievement prizes this year. We want to highlight the impressive stories that we encounter every year. Rather than focus on those who achieve the highest marks, our awards will go to those who make the most effort and progress.
edgehill.ac.uk/history
PAGE 16 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY | RESEARCH
Our research concentrates on the politics of ‘race’ and social History in Britain, the United States, France, and the British Empire, with particular reference to the Middle East. In 2008, 30% of our published research was judged to be either ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ in the national Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). According to the RAE, we had a higher proportion of ‘world-leading’ research than the History Department at the University of Manchester. We are also pleased that one of our books was longlisted for the Longman/History Today Book of the Year Prize. We have pursued a number of collaborative projects with leading universities, including conferences with University College London, Goldsmiths, and the University of Manchester. We also strive to work with colleagues around the world. Over the last year, members of the History team have presented their research at universities across the UK, the United States and France.
HISTORY | RESEARCH PAGE 17
Our Research edgehill.ac.uk/history
PAGE 18 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY | PUBLIC HISTORY
Public History
Alyson Brown Dr Alyson Brown has been a reader in history at Edge Hill since 2006 and her main research interests concern crime and punishment in modern Britain. “More specifically though, most of my publications are about penal history with an emphasis on large-scale disturbances, including riots. I am currently working on a monograph about the Dartmoor Convict Prison riot of 1932, penal policy and the criminal careers of inmates in the prison at that time. Much criminological work has been carried out on post-war prison disturbances, but little on events prior to that, so that is why I wanted to examine this area. Through my research I have been able to conclude that it is predominantly a lack of legitimacy that creates an environment where the likelihood of rioting behaviour is increased in prison. A high level of punishment, overcrowding or lack of discipline, for example, are not in themselves sufficient explanations.
Media organisations such as the BBC and Al-Jazeera Television have interviewed Edge Hill Historians for documentaries, and consulted them for their expertise. Public History is a particular interest of members of the History group. In 2009 Dr Alyson Brown was appointed to the Advisory Panel for a series of exhibitions in Lincoln Castle and Prison, which will focus on the themes of power and justice. This project is part of a £15million scheme, the ‘Lincoln Castle Revealed’. Also, Dr James Renton has recently become a member of the ‘History-Policy Network’, which is organised by the University of Cambridge and the Institute of Historical Research.
I feel that my work brings a social history perspective to the course programme in that I examine events from below – concentrating on the poor, weak and marginal classes, such as criminals – rather than the great political figures. My modules also show that crime in all its forms is not a recent development, as the media would have us believe; and through historical examination we realise the extent to which public concerns can often be distorted by this very same media.”
HISTORY | PUBLIC HISTORY PAGE 19
James Renton
Daniel Gordon
Senior lecturer in History Dr James Renton, is also an honorary research associate in the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at University College London.
Since 2003 Dr Daniel Gordon has been Edge Hill’s senior lecturer in European History and his main research interests concern migration and anti-racism in 20th century France, as well as the international political and social movements of 1968.
“My research focuses on the British Empire in the Middle East, the origins of the Israel/Palestine conflict, and racism. I chose to study these subjects because of their significance for the world today. The challenges posed by racism, the problems of the Middle East and the legacy of the British Empire continue to be of the utmost significance.
“I first became interested in France as a child on family holidays, as my grandmother had told me all about her concern for the fate of her French cousin during the Second World War. Like my grandmother, her cousin was a child of RussianJewish immigrants and it transpired he had fought for the Resistance in Paris. This family heritage has probably also indirectly led to my sympathy for, and interest in, immigrants and their treatment.
My work involves looking at how and why the British Empire came to dominate the Middle East in the early 20th century and the impact this had on the region. My work extends to how this had an impact on world Jewry and how the Middle Eastern empire was affected by European racism and nationalism.
Since my PhD on immigrants and the new left in France 1968-1971, my research has continued in this and related areas, and involves using the libraries and archives in Paris at least once a year, as well as conducting interviews with former activists there.
Following recent debates about rising prejudice against Muslims and Jews in Europe, in 2008 I co-organised the first international conference on the relationship between Antisemitism and Islamophobia – from the Crusades to the present day.
I have given papers at international academic conferences, have spent a year working in Nice, had articles and book chapters published and recently completed a book manuscript about May 1968 and the rise of anti-racism in France.
Before I began teaching at university, I worked in the international publishing and events industry. I hope that, like many of my colleagues here at Edge Hill, my experience of life beyond academia gives me a well-informed understanding of what students have to prepare for after university, and the opportunities that are open to them.”
I think my in-depth knowledge of Britain’s closest, but often stereotyped and misunderstood, continental neighbour helps our students understand the ideological passions that tore Europe apart in the 20th century; and, having previously studied and worked at Oxford University, I’m keen to bring the best of that experience – namely a belief in paying attention to students as individual people – to a university like Edge Hill that has a great record in opening up opportunities to people who are the first in their families to go to university.”
edgehill.ac.uk/history
PAGE 20 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY | DEGREES
HISTORY | DEGREES PAGE 21
History Degrees at Edge Hill
At Edge Hill we offer single, combined and joint honours degrees in History. You can choose to study a single BA (Hons) in History where you will work towards a particular award title and there is some choice of elective modules in the second and third year. Alternatively you can study History alongside another subject in either a joint or combined honours degree. In a joint degree you will study a programme comprising around 50% in each subject area and your degree will reflect the balance of subjects studied. All our joints have been specifically designed to offer a well balanced, challenging two-subject programme. Subjects currently available as a joint include Creative Writing, Criminology, English, Film Studies and Sociology. In a combined degree you study two subjects throughout the three years of your programme, with your major subject taking 75% of your study time and your chosen minor making up the remainder. These programmes are an excellent way to maintain an interest in a second subject and to show future employers that you have studied in more than one area. Subjects currently available to study as minors alongside History include Creative Writing, Criminology, English, Film Studies, Information Technology and Management. History can also be studied as a minor alongside a number of other courses.
If we open a quarrel between past and present, we shall find that we have lost the future. Winston Churchill
edgehill.ac.uk/history
PAGE 2 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY | WHAT YOU CAN STUDY
What you can study with us: Year 1
Year 3
The Medieval World: History and Historians Interpreting European History: The 19th Century Themes, Issues and Movements: The 20th Century in Perspective History: Who, What, Why?
African American History Black Life and Black Protest in the United States since 1895 African American Leadership 1880-1940
Year 2 American History The Republic in Danger: The United States 1800-1941 Ideals and Self Interest: US Foreign Policy and Expansionism since 1840
Imperial and World History The Birth of a Conflict: Britain and Palestine, 1840-1948 European History 1968 And All That: Protest in Western Europe
Imperial and World History The Rise and Fall of the British Empire
British History The History of Interpersonal Violence from c.1750 The 1930s and Culture in Britain
European History The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union France Since the Popular Front: 1936 to the Present Day
History and Media History Video Project History and ICT – Website and Database Design, Construction and Application
British History Crime and Society in England and Wales, c.1660-1900
Public History and Research History and Society: Interpretations and Applications Dissertation
HISTORY | WHAT YOU CAN STUDY PAGE 23
History is a race between education and catastrophe. H. G. Wells
edgehill.ac.uk/history
PAGE 24 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY | STUDENT PROFILES
Student Profiles
Mark Halsall “I chose Edge Hill mainly because of its attitude towards mature students. Although I lacked A Levels, they allowed me to complete a 6-week ‘fast track’ course so that I could enrol on the degree programme. Edge Hill manages to be modern and inclusive, without compromising on academic standards – most of the modules are taught by lecturers who are active in research and publishing at a high level. This is evident in the module content, which is taught at a manageable pace, and is of real benefit to student historians. Also, as a mature student, I’ve never been made to feel any less valued than my younger colleagues. The tutor’s doors are always open and their informal, friendly style is ideal for helping us through the course.”
HISTORY | PROFILES PAGE 25
Lucy Batterton
Patricia Gill
“The fantastic facilities, friendly and helpful staff and interesting module choices were what made me choose to come and study at Edge Hill. There’s everything here that a student needs, and it’s all within a two-minute walk of each other.
“I’d attended numerous open days, so even before I started my course, Edge Hill was like a second home to me!
I’m now in my third year and I’ve found the module choices throughout to be really wide-ranging, especially this year. I’ve also found my personal tutor to be really helpful and supportive, and he’s always approachable for any problem you have.”
I’ve loved every minute of university life so far, the campus is in a beautiful area, there are some fantastic facilities and everyone at Edge Hill has done all they can to enhance my experience of university life. The history course is really good and has given me the chance to study periods of history that I’ve never done before, as well as visiting some of the old favourites. Also, the tutors are really supportive and you genuinely couldn’t ask for more from them.”
PAGE 26 EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY | FIND OUT MORE
Find Out More? For more information about History at Edge Hill, request a prospectus from our Enquiries Unit on Freephone 0800 195 5063 or visit our website at edgehill.ac.uk If you have any subject specific queries please contact Roger Spalding, the programme leader, who will be able to provide any advice you might need regarding our History programmes.
Contact If you have any questions about courses or the department do feel free to get in touch. General Enquiries 01695 584760/650883 history@edgehill.ac.uk Roger Spalding Head of History 01695 584287
spaldr@edgehill.ac.uk
edgehill.ac.uk/history
EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY
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HISTORY
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ST HELENS ROAD
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ORMSKIRK
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LANCASHIRE L39 4QP
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0800 195 5063
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ENQUIRIES@EDGEHILL.AC.UK