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HIS32750

Academic Year 2026/2027

Blitz to Brexit: Themes in Contemporary British History (HIS32750)

Subject:
History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Jennifer Wellington
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
Online
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Britain after 1945 experienced social upheaval at home and fundamental changes to its position in the world. This course examines recurring themes in contemporary British history, including: the establishment and decline of the welfare state; emigration, immigration, and decolonisation; peace, war, violence, and terrorism; changes in gender roles and social identities; race and nationalism; and Britain’s relationship with Europe. In exploring these topics, students will be exposed to a wide range of historical sources, and will read broadly in the historiography of contemporary Britain. Primary sources we will examine include political speeches, acts of Parliament, letters and diaries, television, comedy sketches, literature, film, and popular music.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the events, actors and processes through which Britain changed in this period.

2. Critically engage with a variety of primary and secondary material.

3. Evaluate conflicting interpretations of how and why British society fundamentally changed after 1945.

4. Write scholarly essays to the standard of a level 3 student of history.

5. Assess and analyse key themes, readings, sources, and debates in class discussions.

Indicative Module Content:

The module will cover the following main areas: Week One: Introduction and Overview. Week Two: the Second World War. Week Three: the Welfare State. Week Four: Sex, class, and society. Week Five: Decolonisation and immigration. Week Six: Into Europe. Week Seven: Thatcherism. Week Eight: Violence and Terror. Week Nine: Social change. Week Ten: 'Cool Britannia.' Week Eleven: Where next? Brexit and course review.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Advanced Beginner

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Advanced Beginner

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Advanced Beginner

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Competent

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Competent

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 1

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

95
Autonomous Student Learning

95
Lectures

11
Seminar (or Webinar)

22
Total

223

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is a small-group, seminar-based module. It is taught through a one hour lecture and a two hour seminar each week. The weekly seminar is focused upon individual active/task-based learning by means of class debates, discussion and student presentations. Advanced research, writing and citation skills are developed through a written primary source analysis and a written essay. Autonomous learning is advanced through student-led debate and discussion of set primary and secondary sources and/or student presentations each week.

Generative AI may not be used for assessments in this module. If you have any concerns about what is included in the remit of generative AI, please consult with your Module Coordinator.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): End of semester written assignment Week 14 Graded No
40
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Primary source analysis Week 7 Graded No
20
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: In-class participation, including ability to make informed comments on class readings. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
20
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: In class quizzes/short exercises Week 3, Week 5, Week 9, Week 11 Graded No
20
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on the mid-term assignment is given in writing on the returned assignment. Feedback on the end-of-semester essay is given by appointment in one-to-one meetings.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Mon 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Tues 09:00 - 10:50
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