National University of Ireland, Maynooth s2

National University of Ireland, Maynooth

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

FLYERS FOR ELECTIVE MODULES

II 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. NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, MAYNOOTH DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SECOND ARTS, 2014-2015

FIRST SEMESTER Module Co-ordinator Module code Credits DR COLMÁN ETCHINGHAM HY 207 2.5

Module title READING MODULE 2A

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

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, MAYNOOTH DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SECOND ARTS, 2014-15

FIRST SEMESTER Lecturer Module code Credits Lecture hours per week DR DYMPNA MC LOUGHLIN HY 230 5 Two

Module title HISTORY OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE A

Content

The following five themes will be covered in this module

- the structure and function of the medical profession - the main medical institutions of the nineteenth century - the public health movement in Britain and Ireland - The language of medical ideas in relation to insanity and human sexuality - Medical ideas on the nature of contagion including tuberculosis, venereal disease and cholera

Aim The aim of this module is to introduce students to the developing area of medical history through an analysis of hegemonic medical ideas and the resulting clinical practises of nineteenth century practitioners.

Assessment Analysis of a primary source 20% Essay of 4,000 words 80% Deadline for submission of essay: Monday, 5 January 2015 Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.

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

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, MAYNOOTH DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SECOND ARTS, 2014-2015 FIRST SEMESTER Lecturer Module code Credits Lecture hours per week DR ALISON FITZGERALD HY233 5 2 Module title: PICTURING THE RENAISSANCE

Module Content: This elective examines European visual culture during the Renassance period. It explores the production and consumption of art, the role of politics and patronage in shaping the art market, and the evolution of style from the ‘rebirth’ of interest in the ancient world to the visual sophistication of the High Renaissance. Though focusing primarily on painting, it also considers other media including sculpture, print and decorative arts, and investigates issues such as the use of art in both public and private spaces, artist-patron relationships and the techniques used in the production of sacred and secular art. No previous knowledge of the History of Art is required.

Assessment: In-class assessment: 20% Essay (4000 words) 80% Deadline: Monday, 5 January 2015 Attendance 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. A site visit to the National Gallery of Ireland will be a required course component and will take place on a Friday afternoon/Saturday morning. NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, MAYNOOTH DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SECOND ARTS, 2014-2015 FIRST SEMESTER Lecturer Module Code Credits Lecture hours per week STEVEN BALBIRNIE HY 248 5 TWO Module Title THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY AND THE RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR

Module content Russia’s October Revolution was one of the key events in twentieth century history, marking the birth of the world’s first communist state and the beginning of a political and economic system which would dominate the lives of half of the world’s population for most of the century. The creation of the Soviet Union did not occur in a vacuum and this elective shall explore the reactions and responses of the international community to the emergence of the world’s first communist state. This module shall examine the Russian Revolution and Civil War within the context of the First World War, the post-war peace settlement and the role which the international community played in the Russian Civil War. By the conclusion of this module students shall also have become familiar with this episode’s place within the wider history of the international community’s relations with Russia. Aim This module aims to introduce students to the Russian Revolution and Civil War and to deepen students’ understanding of the international response to this pivotal event.```` Learning Outcomes By the end of this module students should have  established a knowledge of the causes, course and outcomes of the Russian Revolution and Civil War

 gained an understanding of the formation and impact of international perceptions of Russia

 developed their analytical skills through their engagement with primary source material

 furthered their independent research skills through their completion of a research project Assessment: Primary source analysis (1,000 words) – 20% Essay (4,000 words, topic to be agreed upon in advance with lecturer) – 80% Deadline for submission of essay: Monday, 5 January 2014 Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses Special requirements (e.g., field trips inc. cost; special sessions; books) Textbook: Evan Mawdsley, The Russian Civil War (Revised ed., Edinburgh, 2008) NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, MAYNOOTH DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SECOND ARTS, 2014-2015 FIRST SEMESTER Lecturer Module code Credits Lecture hours per week DR DAVID LEDERER HY 249 5 Two

Module title THE HISTORY OF SUICIDE: A GLOBAL OUTLOOK

Module content

Before 1993, suicide was still a crime in Ireland. Commenting on the release of the report of the National Task Force on Suicide five years later, Mr Brian Cowen T.D., then Minister for Health and Children, declared:

In order to tackle this growing tragedy in our society it is essential that a clear, systematic approach aimed at the prevention of suicide and suicidal behaviour is put in place.

But is it? Certainly, Cowen’s statement reflects an historic shift in attitudes toward suicide. Self- murder was long prosecuted as a heinous crime in the Christian West until it ultimately became stigmatized as mental illness, a call for help or an inexplicable social tragedy. However, across the centuries and throughout cultures, choosing death is perceived differently. Some cultures deny the very existence of self-harm, while others glorify self-sacrifice. In classical antiquity, taking a Roman death meant defending one’s virtue. In the samurai Bushido code, seppuku was a defiant act, re-defined by young Japanese pilots coerced into serving as kamikaze. In Western misconceptions of India, the dark legend of the Sati still overshadows the pervasive practice of purification through self-starvation. Today, in the Middle East, martyrdom is the political hallmark of the Palestinian Intifada. Since Emile Durkheim first published his Le Suicide (1897), sociologists and medical professionals have argued that voluntary death is a universal and soluble problem. More recently, cultural historians have taken an interest in the subject with some rather surprising results.

Module aim The purpose of this module is to examine orthodox preconceptions about suicide from a variety of perspectives and, in a broader sense, to provide participants with the critical skills to historically contextualize social behavior.

Requirements: The course consists of lectures, assigned readings from the course text (Georges Minois, The History of Suicide), films, and guest lectures.

Form of assessment Grades are based on short assignments (40%) and a final essay of approximately 3,000 words (60%). Project deadline: Monday, 5 January 2015

Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses. NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, MAYNOOTH DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SECOND ARTS, 2014-15

FIRST SEMESTER Lecturer Module code Credits Lecture hours per week DR JENNIFER REDMOND HY 254 5 Two

Module title Modern Ireland Social Elective (A) MODERN IRELAND: POPULATION TRENDS AND THE IMPACT OF MIGRATION Overview This module examines the social impact of the demographic changes in modern Ireland, the most important of which have been the major migration flows from the post-Famine period that have shaped the country. Migration from Ireland has been the single biggest factor shaping Ireland’s population, economy and the pace of social change in the modern era. There are other significant impacts of the Famine we will consider in-depth: rural depopulation, late or delayed marriages, high celibacy rates and high fertility rates. We will examine the statistical, oral and documentary evidence on population change in Ireland from 1850-1950 using a multiplicity of source material including newspapers, letters and public statements, the 1901 and 1911 Censuses (available online), parliamentary debates and other personal sources. We will also critically interrogate the arena of social commentary in journals and newspapers to determine how migration was framed in positive and negative terms at different points in time in the twentieth century. Students will also reflect upon a number of critical questions, and generate their own, in the course of their research and presentations: what were the local and national effects of population change in Ireland?How did migration affect those who stayed in Ireland? What were the forces that either drove people to leave or encouraged them to stay? What kinds of evidence can we use to reconstruct attitudes to migration in the past? At the conclusion of this module students will have a comprehensive understanding of population change in Ireland from a social history perspective. Students will hone their research skills using traditional archives and the available digital resources. During the course of the semester, students will have completed an independent piece of research based on primary and secondary sources, and given a class presentation on a topic of their choice. This module requires individual and group work, evidence of reading and active participation in class discussions.

Assessment Archival visit and preparation of primary source research report 10% In-class test/presentation/etc 15% Research project (approximately 4,000 words) based on primary sources on a topic approved by the lecturer: 75% Deadline for submission of essay is Monday, 5 January 2015 Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.

Special requirements (e.g., field trips inc. cost; special sessions; books) Trip to the National Archives in Dublin to examine primary source material NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, MAYNOOTH DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SECOND ARTS, 2014-15

FIRST SEMESTER Lecturer Module code Credits Lecture hours per week DR JACINTA PRUNTY HY 262 5 Two

Module title WORLD HISTORY ELECTIVE (A)

Module content

The ‘discovery’ of new worlds and new peoples by European travellers and explorers from the 1490s onwards profoundly changed the course of world history. The processes of conquest and colonisation are well known and the imperialism that resulted. This module steps back a little to the ‘age of discovery’, and reflects on what was known at the time, the new knowledge that resulted and how it was disseminated. Who sponsored each expedition and why? What were the philosophical frameworks within it was conceived? What was the political underpinning? The environmental challenges? What had been mapped already and in what way? What was the impact of this strange new encounter on First Nations and what was exchanged over the longer term? The module is structured geographically, with significant exploratory travels in each region placed within the context of scientific advancement at the time, as well as contemporary politics and commerce. Places to be covered include: the Americas (Central America, North West Passage, St Lawrence River, Hudson Bay, the Mississippi); Africa (South Africa, Sierra Leone, East Africa); India; Pacific and Australia; Antarctica. The period covered by this module culminates with the disappearance of the Franklin expedition to the Northwest Passage through North America in 1845 and the search expeditions that followed. Extensive and critical use will be made of contemporary travel and exploration accounts.

Assessment In-class test: 20% Research essay of approx. 4,000 words on approved topic: 80% Deadline for submission of essay: Monday, 5 January 2015 Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.

Special requirements (e.g., field trips inc. cost; special sessions; books) NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, MAYNOOTH DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SECOND ARTS, 2014-15

FIRST SEMESTER Lecturer Module code Credits Lecture hours per week DR CIARÁN REILLY HY 273 5 Two Modern Ireland History:

THE GREAT IRISH FAMINE, 1845-1853

Module content

The aim of this module is to introduce the student to the causes and consequences of the Great Irish Famine. In particular, students will examine the impact of the Famine at a local level. The Famine, 1845-1853, was the greatest social catastrophe in Irish history. In that short period over one million people died, while another one million people emigrated from Ireland. This module will examine the economic, social and political background, as well as the public and private reactions to the disaster.

The Great Famine continues to provide the basis for considerable debate amongst historians and others. Students will analyse the various interpretations of the causes and consequences of the Famine and engage in discussion and debate on these matters. One of the largest collections of primary source material relating to the Famine, the Strokestown Park Archive, is currently deposited in the OPW/NUI Maynooth Archive & Research Centre at Castletown. Documents from the archive will be used throughout the module and students will avail of the opportunity of assessing this crucial period in Irish history using primary source material.

Assessment Review of archive visit 15% In class presentation on topic for research project 15% Research project (approximately 3,500 words) based on primary sources on a topic approved by the lecturer: 70% Deadline for submission of essay: Monday, 5 January 2015 Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.

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

This module requires a mandatory visit to the OPW/ NUI Maynooth Archive & Research Centre, Castletown House, Celbridge on a day to be assigned. NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, MAYNOOTH DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SECOND ARTS, 2014-15 FIRST SEMESTER Lecturer Module code Credits Lecture hours per week DR JONATHAN WRIGHT HY 277 5 Two

MODERN BRITISH ELECTIVE (B) POLITICS, CULTURE AND SOCIETY IN LATE GEORGIAN BRITAIN

Module content For many, to think of ‘Georgian Britain’ is to think of an age of elegance and stability; it is to think of a world of graceful architecture and polite sociability as depicted in the novels of Jane Austen. However, the Georgian period, and in particular the late Georgian period (spanning the reigns of George III, George IV and William IV), was one of political flux, both domestic and international, and of rapid social and cultural change. It was a period which saw Britain lose its colonies in America, deal with the consequences, both at home and abroad, of the French Revolution and engage in an epic struggle with Napoleon – a struggle from which it emerged victorious, as the leading power in Europe. It was an age, also, in which an increasingly politicised middle class emerged within Britain, and in which romanticism and evangelicalism reshaped social, intellectual and spiritual outlooks. This module will explore the dramatic political, social and cultural changes that occurred in Britain during the late-Georgian period, while also providing students with an opportunity to reflect on broader questions relating to historical periodization and the development of ‘Britishness’. The course will be taught through lectures and seminars and will address a range of themes, including the loss of America, the French Revolution, politics and the people, trade and industry, romanticism and evangelicalism.

Module aim Having completed the module, students will have developed an appreciation of the complexity of the late-Georgian period and will have engaged with a wide range of historiography. In addition, they will have learned to look beyond neat thematic and chronological boundaries, between, say, the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, or between ‘political’ and ‘social’ history. In practical terms, students will also have been given an opportunity to develop their research skills, through using a range of traditional and online archival resources, while in-class presentations and written assignments will have provided the means to develop written and oral presentation skills.

Assessment: In-class presentations 20% Analysis of primary source (c. 1,500 words) 20% Essay (c. 2,500-3,000 words) on a topic approved by the lecturer: 60% Deadline for submission of essay: Monday, 5 January 2015 Attendance requirements apply. See relevant module descriptor at www.nuim.ie/courses.

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND MAYNOOTH DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY SECOND ARTS 2014-2015

FIRST SEMESTER Lecturer Module code Credits Lecture hours per week DR COLMÁN ETCHINGHAM SG203 5 Two

Module title EARLY CHRISTIAN IRELAND

Module content

This module introduces students to the first four centuries of Irish history, the era of ‘Ireland before the Vikings’. It is intended to give an understanding of selected features of that era, including the political, ecclesiastical and general social history of Ireland and its relationship with the outside world.

Form of assessment One essay of about 2500 words: 50% One-hour end-of-semester examination: 50%

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

Please note that SG203 is timetabled by the School of Irish and may clash with core lectures in other subjects.