Module overview
These modules will focus upon the development of highly transferable practical skills relevant to specific sectors through which change can be affected. In this module we will explore the ways in which history and the humanities can be leveraged to effect change through the policy sector (e.g. civil service, local govt., consultancy, risk analysis) and public advocacy (e.g. charities, think tanks, public campaigning). The module’s Communication Workshops will train participants in the production of two specific outputs: concise policy briefs aimed at policy makers, and compelling opinion pieces intended for the general public. Digital Humanities Workshops will develop skills in data analysis and data visualisation to enhance the impact of these outputs.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- engage with historiography and theoretical frameworks, contributing to the debates relating to effecting change through policy and advocacy and its relationship to the wider world.
- apply your developed knowledge, structuring your ideas and research findings into well-ordered assignments.
- undertake a thorough critical analysis and assessment of a variety of textual, visual and material culture sources.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- effecting change through policy and advocacy, in particular the ways in which history and the humanities can be leveraged to effect change.
- a wide variety of secondary source material relating to effecting change through policy and advocacy, including theoretical frameworks used in the field.
- a wide variety of primary sources relating to effecting change through policy and advocacy.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- use to good effect textual, visual and material culture sources, synthesising this material to develop cogent and persuasive arguments.
- utilise and develop your time-management skills.
- research complex historical questions and communicate your findings convincingly and concisely in assignments.
Syllabus
Topics to be explored on the module may include policy briefs, risk analysis, opinion pieces, data analysis and visualisation.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include seminars and workshops.
Learning methods include skills-based workshops and discussion of key themes and ideas.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Wider reading or practice | 52 |
| Workshops | 24 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 100 |
| Seminar | 24 |
| Completion of assessment task | 100 |
| Total study time | 300 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Alix Green (2016). History, Policy and Public Purpose: Historians and Historical Thinking in Government. Palgrave.
Jill Abramson (2020). Merchants of Truth: Inside the News Revolution. Bodley Head.
Jonathan Schwabish (2021). Better Data Visualizations: A Guide for Scholars, Researchers, and Wonks. Columbia UP.
Catherine Smith (2018). Writing Public Policy: A Practical Guide to Communicating in the Policy Making Process. OUP.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 50% |
| Written assignment | 50% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Resubmit assessments | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Written assignment | 50% |
| Written assignment | 50% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External