Course Catalogue

Scottish Popular Culture 1500-1800 (non-Honours) HIST3016

  • Academic Session: 2026-27
  • School: School of Humanities
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 3 (SCQF level 9)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course will explore changes in popular culture in early modern Scotland arising from the Protestant Reformation. We will investigate the changing nature of popular piety, beliefs about magic and witches, festive practices and Scottish national identity and consider popular involvement in key events from the Reformation rebellion to the Jacobite risings. 

Timetable

1x1hr lecture; 1x1hr seminar per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

 

This is one of the Level 3 options in History and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Requirements of Entry

Grade D3 or above in one of the History level 2 courses or at the discretion of the Head of History. 

Excluded Courses

HIST4124 Scotish Popular Culture 1500-1800 (History Honours)

Co-requisites

None.

Assessment

The standard assessments for this course are:  

 

■ 1000-word source analysis - 30%

■ 1000-word source analysis - 35%

■ 1000-word source analysis - 35%

  

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

 

■ There is no alternative to the Source Analyses, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

    

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

Course Aims

This course will provide the opportunity to:

■ Consider the impact of the Protestant Reformation on popular culture in early modern Scotland, encompassing religious cultures, magical beliefs and practices, popular politics and national identity.

■ Consider how historians have approached the history of popular culture.

■ Critically assess a range of secondary literature and primary sources.

■ Develop skills in group discussion and written argument.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

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

 

■ Identify and assess the approach and findings of scholarly research on Scottish popular culture (1500-1800).

■ Evaluate surviving primary source evidence in relation to academic interpretations.

■ Present clear and well-supported written arguments.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

No exceptions