Module Directory

What is at stake in histories of power and identity? This module helps students to negotiate debates through examination of crucial concepts, including 'power', 'embodiment', and 'intersectionality', and consideration of different approaches to researching and writing histories of power and identity.

In each session, we explore historical case studies illustrating the resonances of power and agency, conflict and cooperation, and oppression and resistance in diverse times and places. We consider how certain identities can reinforce as well as challenge power structures, and the inescapability of gender, 'race', and sexuality in shaping experiences of everyday life.

The aims of this module are:

• To ensure that students are familiar with a range of concepts, approaches, and theories used in contemporary writing about history, power, and identity.


• To enable students to critically assess and engage with diverse theoretical, conceptual, and methodological approaches to the study of history, power, and identity at an advanced level.


• To support students in developing the appropriate skills to successfully apply differing concepts, approaches, and theories to the study of history, power, and identity.


• To support students’ development of critical understanding of how the questions that historians ask about power and identity relate to concepts, sources, and methods, as well as previous scholarship.


• To enable students to compare different concepts, approaches, and theories to the study of history, power, and identity across and between different chronological and geographical contexts.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Ddemonstrate understanding of concepts, approaches, and theories used in studies of history, power, and identity.


2. Show insight into debates concerning the ways in which histories of power and identity are written, including critical knowledge of historical concepts, theories, and methods.


3. Critically examine the use of concepts, theories, and methods in practical historical writing about power and identity.


4. Ask sophisticated questions in their own specialist field of study.


5. Examine the ways in which approaches have been used in fields beyond their own.


6. Display methodological rigour in the formulation of questions and hypotheses, the choice of methods appropriate to answering and evaluating those questions and hypotheses and the treatment of evidence.


7. Present, accurately, succinctly and lucidly, and in written or oral form their arguments in accordance with appropriate scholarly conventions.

The module is divided into two parts: 'Thinking about History, Power, and Identity' and 'Researching Histories of Power and Identity'. Because the module explores recent trends in historical writing, specific topics and case studies may change to reflect current debates and practices. Typical case studies that might be examined include madness, disability, slavery, witchcraft, trans histories, and activism. An indicative syllabus is provided below.

Each session on this block is split into two parts: the first examines particular concepts associated with power and identity, and the second applies these concepts to historical case studies.

Part I: Thinking about History, Power, and Identity

• Introduction: Power and Identity Past and Present.


• Power.


• 'Race'.


• Embodiment.


• Intersectionality.

Part II: Researching Histories of Power and Identity

This part of the module considers the techniques historians have developed to meet challenges in researching histories of power and identity. Each sessions builds on and further interrogates concepts explored in the first part of the module.

• Subaltern Studies.


• Law, Medicine, and Psychiatry.


• Voice and Agency.


• Activist Histories.


• Essay Workshop.

This module will be delivered via:

• One 2-hour seminar per week.

All Module information will be available via Moodle. Key readings will be digitised an available on Talis Aspire.