HS3T77: Battleaxes and Benchwarmers': Early female MPs 1919-1931

Module code: HS3T77

Module provider: History; School of Humanities

Credits: 20

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Jacqui Turner, email: e.j.turner@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: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module will: 

• Assess the impact of the partial franchise in 1918 and the ongoing demand for full an equal (women’s) citizenship; 
• Survey the history of women and perceptions of women’s political spheres; 
• Reflect on the ways in which gender was understood and women were represented within parliament in the 1920s; 
• Consider how historians have understood the relationship between gender and electoral/local and national party politics. 

The purpose of the module is to develop a sophisticated understanding of the interrelationship between gender and parliamentary politics and an appreciation of the limited historiographical debate. Also, an informed understanding of the legacy that we see in the treatment and evaluation of women in national politics today.  

Part 3 Options involve the study of specific periods, subjects or types of History. This option will consider the aftermath of suffrage and reassess the importance of the 1918 Representation of the People Act on British democracy, in relation to women and the emergence of female MPs throughout the transformative social, political and economic context of the 1920s. 

Module learning outcomes

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

1. have a detailed knowledge of the events through extensive reading in specialised literature; 
2. appraise critically the primary sources and historical interpretations of the subject; 
3. organise material and articulate arguments effectively in writing; and 
4. have developed their oral communication skills. 

Module content

This module will consider the aftermath of suffrage and reassess the importance of the 1918 Representation of the People Act on British democracy, in relation to women and the emergence of female MPs. It will examine the life and works of the earliest female MPs and raise new questions on the role and contribution of conservative married women alongside more politically experienced socialist women. It will explore the contribution of ‘benchwarmers’ or those who took ‘family seats’ in paving the way for ‘battleaxes’ or the election of more radical and politically experienced women. It will also assess how far the ‘tried old firm of Astor and Company’, provided a template for women in parliament. As there are limited secondary sources available for some elements of the module; it will be partially taught using extensive primary sources at Special Collections, London Road utilizing the Astor archives and other personal testimonies to assess the importance of early female MPs in the lead up to 1928 and beyond. The latter weeks of the course will be held at Reading University Special Collections utilising the Nancy Astor Archive, based at the Museum of English Rural Life, London Road with an option to teach one week in the House of Commons. 

The purpose of the module is to develop a deep understanding of gender, political representation and citizenship in a key period of transformation in British history. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching and learning will be by a variety of methods, which may include: 

• Seminars, which rely on structured group discussion and may also include seminar papers by students, discussion of evidence, team-based exercises, and debates; 
• Online research exercises; 
• Discussion boards; 
• Independent study; 
• There is also the option to experience a hands-on archive seminar in the Nancy Astor Papers at the University of Reading Special Collections (London Road); 
• An option to teach one week of the module in the House of Commons. 

Study hours

At least 33 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.

1,000 words or 2 pages of A4 maximum to include, at the module convenor's discretion: an essay plan, bibliography, book/primary source review or poster presentation or other preparatory work towards summative assessments. 

Reassessment

Additional costs