Scottish Popular Culture 1500-1800 (PGT) HIST5207

  • Academic Session: 2025-26
  • School: School of Humanities
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Either Semester 1 or Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: 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 political events from the Covenanter rebellion to the Jacobite risings.

Timetable

1 x 1hr lecture per week for 10 weeks and 5 x 2hr seminars as scheduled in MyCampus.

 

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

Requirements of Entry

Standard entry to Masters at College level.

Excluded Courses

HIST4124 Scottish Popular Culture 1500-1800

HIST3016 Scottish Popular Culture 1500-1800 NH

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Research paper (3,000 words) with reflection on research and writing (500 words) -- 75%

Seminar paper (1,500 words) -- 25%

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ Consider a range of historiographical approaches to the study of early modern popular culture and engage with debates on how to define 'popular culture'.

■ Explore the impact of the Protestant Reformation on popular culture in early modern Scotland through a range of topics such as Protestant piety; magical beliefs and the demonisation of witches; and Covenanter, Royalist and Jacobite cultures.

■ Develop proficiency in disciplinary skills in critical reading of primary and secondary sources, formulation of a research question and pursuit of independent research; and transferable skills in persuasive argument and ethical use of technology.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

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

■ Critically assess primary and secondary sources to understand aspects of early modern Scottish popular culture.

■ Formulate an independent research question with attention to issues of methodology and definition.

■ Pursue independent research to produce a convincing written argument.

■ Reflect on the ethical use of technology in historical research and writing.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.