HS1006: Hunger and Famines in History

Module code: HS1006

Module provider: History; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Rohan Deb Roy, email: r.debroy@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 11 November 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

• To identify the most significant causes of famines across the modern world;
• To examine the impacts of famines in different cultures and societies;
• To compare the diverse ways in which governments and survivors have dealt with famines;
• To discover how underprivileged groups of people have resisted hunger;
• To analyse how starvation has featured in protests, in fashion and in religious rituals;
• To deduce how historical knowledge can be applied in tackling famines in the contemporary world;
• To introduce students to the fields of global history and imperial history.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Understand how ideas and events are shaped by their historical contexts;
2. Be aware of differing historiographical interpretations;
3. Organise material and articulate arguments effectively in writing and have developed their oral communication and teamwork skills;
4. Demonstrate familiarity with bibliographical conventions and mastery of library skills.

Module content

It is often shocking to realise that many people in the twenty first century continue to live without access to sufficient food and healthy water. Indeed, chronic hunger, malnourishment and famines are among the most serious problems that plague the contemporary world. These issues have attracted the attention of economists, journalists, policy makers, and international aid agencies. This module situates contemporary food crisis in historical perspective. It explores certain critical moments in the history of hunger across different cultures. Most examples are drawn from the modern period although certain early modern and medieval case studies are also considered. In the process, it examines some of the causes of famines; the social and demographic impacts of famines; efforts of various governments and international organizations in providing relief; and the strategies adopted by people to negotiate and resist hunger. It also focuses on hunger strikes and ritual fasts to analyse why the refusal to eat has remained a persistent feature of political protests and religious practice. Ultimately this seminar series suggests ways in which insights of historians might inform policy makers in solving the problem of hunger in the contemporary world.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching is by eleven weekly two-hour seminars, supplemented by online activities as directed and independent study.

Study hours

At least 27 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Staff will devise formative assessment appropriate to the module content.

Reassessment

Additional costs