Course Catalogue

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What do we mean by 'Black'? What do we mean by 'British'? And what, then, do we mean by 'Black British'? This course examines how these terms have been negotiated and contested during the modern period. Students will see how the identities of people of African origin and descent in Britain and its empire have been socially, geographically and politically contingent, and will gain insight into how histories of Black Britons have been approached and produced. This course provides a chronological and thematic overview of Black British history in the modern period, with a particular focus on the twentieth century. We will discuss slavery & abolition, migration, politics & activism, gender, sexuality, culture, and historiographical approaches to Black British history.

Weekly: one hour lecture and one hour seminar

Enrolment in an MA (SocSci) or MA (Arts) Honours Programme

ESH 4090 Themes and Debates in Economic and Social History from 2023 - 2024 only

Essay of 3000 words (60%); Source commentary of 1500 words (40%)

The aim of this course is to provide students with the historical tools to understand Black British history during the modern period, especially the twentieth century. This will be achieved through the study of both primary and secondary sources, as well as through lectures and seminar discussions. The course aims to facilitate critical thinking about race, empire and nationality through engaging with concepts about 'Blackness' and 'Britishness'.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Construct reasoned and well-evidenced arguments about Black British history, directly engaging with the requirements of the assignment.

■ Engage critically with scholarship and historiographical debates relevant to the study of Black British history.

■ Analyse primary sources that illuminate Black British history.

■ Communicate ideas about Black British history clearly, following appropriate academic conventions.