HS1010: Radicalism and Protest in Britain: from the Levellers to Black Lives Matter

Module code: HS1010

Module provider: History; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

Level: Level 1 (Certificate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Rachel Foxley, email: r.h.foxley@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: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module focuses on case-studies of British radicalism and protest movements, starting with the seventeenth-century Levellers and Diggers, and including varied radical movements from the eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries, such as anti-slavery activism, Chartism, the suffragettes, left-wing radicalism, and the varied campaigns of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries such as peace activism, anti-racism, feminism, environmentalism, LGBT activism, and disability rights activism. We will consider continuity and change in both ideas and practices; gender and levels of participation in different radical movements; the conditions which prompted the emergence of these movements; and the tactics which radicals adopted.

The module aims:

• to introduce students to aspects of early modern and modern British political history, focusing on radical ideas and the use of political protest;
• to introduce students to the study of political culture and popular politics in early modern contexts and beyond;
• to encourage students to think about long-term continuity and change in political ideas and in political culture and political practices;
• to introduce students to the study of (radical) ideas in historical context.

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

The module will look at radicalism and protest in Britain from the early modern period to the twenty-first century through a series of case-studies. We will begin with the Levellers during the English Civil War in the 1640s and the Diggers under the republic which followed the execution of Charles I, asking both how these groups protested, and how it was possible for them to do so at this time, and why they developed their radical ideas. We will then move on to a series of case-studies of radicalism and/or protest, asking whether a radical tradition developed in Britain, or whether radicalism appeared afresh as a response to historical circumstances in different periods. Case-studies will vary from year to year but may include: Levellers, Diggers, Ranters and religious radicals of the English Revolution; seventeenth- and eighteenth-century ‘commonwealthsmen’; John Wilkes; British responses to the French Revolution; Chartism; the suffragettes; radicalism and protest in the twentieth century, including left-wing radicalism and specific causes such as the peace movement, anti-racism, gay rights, and environmentalism. Throughout the module we will consider continuity and change, and ask whether and how radicals and protesters have looked back to earlier periods, and whether there is such a thing as an English or British ‘radical tradition’.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Fortnightly workshop sessions will give practical advice on working towards the assessment and practice time for skills related to the module.

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.

Essay plans may be submitted for formative feedback.

Reassessment

Additional costs