| School of Politics, International Relations & Philosophy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PIR-30134 | British State and Society during the Cold War | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Co-ordinator: | Dr Helen Parr Room: CBB2.005, Tel:33216 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Team: | Mrs Paula Hughes, Mrs Julie Street, Dr Helen Parr, Mr Scott McGowan, Miss Laura Barcroft, Mrs Diane Mason | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lecture Time: | See Timetable... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Level: | 3 | Credits: | 15 | Study Hours: | 150 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School Office: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Programme/Approved Electives for |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International Relations
Dual Honours (Level 3) International Relations Major (Level 3) International Relations Minor (Level 3) International Relations Single Honours (Level 3) Politics Dual Honours (Level 3) Politics Major (Level 3) Politics Minor (Level 3) Politics Single Honours (Level 3) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Available as a Free Standing Elective |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Barred Combinations |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| None
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prerequisites |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| None
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Description This course offers an in-depth look at Britain's Cold War policies, and the multiple relationships between Britain's external policies and domestic politics and culture during the Cold War. Broadly speaking, it uses primarily a historical perspective to ask what was Britain's role in the Cold War, and how did the Cold War affect British people? The module begins with an examination of why Britain chose to develop and to sustain its own nuclear weapon; and it contemplates the basis of Britain's security policy through an exploration of British intelligence and perceptions of the Soviet threat. It entertains in detail the reasons for and implications of Britain's civil and home defence policies, and considers domestic films about the implications of nuclear war and the plans government drew up to cope (or not) with apocalypse. It then moves on to contemplate Britain's internal security regime, examining the state's perceptions of domestic enemies and the measures established to deal with them. Further, it considers dominant political discourses in the Cold War, and the dissemination, assimilation or rejection of these discourses, through an examination of British politics, and key films and novels of the Cold War era. For example, did the American CIA influence British party politics? Or what can James Bond tell us about ideas of the enemy in the Cold War climate? Students also have the opportunity to examine primary documents about the period, to visit the nuclear bunker at Hack Green, and to imagine what would have happened if nuclear war had come to Cold War Britain.... Suggested reading: Peter Hennessy, The Secret State: Whitehall and the Cold War (Penguin, 2003) Sean Greenwood, Britain in the Cold War, 1945-1991 (Macmillan, 1999) Tony Shaw, British Cinema and the Cold War (IB Tauris, 2000) Stephen Whitfield, Culture and the Cold War (John Hopkins, 1991) Teaching format: weekly 2-hour seminars Assessment: 30% Paper, 10% Class Participation, 60% Essay |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Aims |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The module aims firstly to enhance the students&© knowledge of the rationales underpinning Britain's Cold War security policy; secondly to enhance the students' knowledge of relationships between Britain&©s external relations and domestic politics and culture in the context of the Cold War; and thirdly to provide skills in historical data retrieval (documentary and other sources) and analysis. This course examines the reasons for, and implications of, Britain's stance during the Cold War. It explores the rationales underpinning Britain's nuclear weapons and security policies; offers a framework for analysing the relationships between perceptions of Britain's external and internal security; as well as a framework for examining the transmission and reception of ideas and assumptions core to the maintenance of the Cold War state. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Intended Learning Outcomes |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Explain the reasons for, and implications of, Britain's policies towards nuclear weapons and the Soviet Union during the Cold War will be achieved by assessments: 1, 3 Appraise the rationales underpinning the motivations and activities of dissident groups, individuals and political actors in the Cold War will be achieved by assessments: 2, 3 Analyse the relationship between Britain&©s role in the Cold War and the British government&©s internal security regime will be achieved by assessments: 2, 3 Evaluate the status and availability of different categories of primary data, especially official sources/state propaganda, dissidents&© records, and popular description. will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2, 3 Evaluate popular media portrayals of ideas central to Britain&©s role in the Cold War, through analysis in particular of films and fiction. will be achieved by assessments: 2, 3 Demonstrate commitment to the generation of knowledge in the course through sensitive participation in small group and whole class discussion will be achieved by assessments: 3 Demonstrate understanding of the rationales underpinning civil defence planning in Cold War Britain will be achieved by assessments: 1, 3 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Study hours |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 2 hour tutorials (20 hours), 20 hours preparation for tutorials, 30 hours preparation of paper, 30 hours preparation of commentary, 50 hours preparation of essay |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Description of Module Assessment |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 01: Paper weighted 30% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1,500 words Students will be asked to write a paper in response to a given question about either Britain's nuclear weapons policy, or perceptions of the Soviet threat. They will be required to draw upon primary source analysis in their answer. OR Students will be required to write either a critical assessment of Britain's home and civil defence policies in the event of nuclear war from a particular perspective; or write an imagined scenario, based upon the knowledge and evidence of Britain's home and civil defence policies, of what would have happened had a nuclear war occurred. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 02: Essay weighted 60% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3,000 Students will be required to write an essay on a given question, from a choice of questions in the subject area of politics, dissidence and culture in the Cold War. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 03: Class Participation weighted 10% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tutorial Performance Students will be given a grade based upon their preparation for, and contribution to tutorials. They will be expected to read an assigned reading for tutorials each week, to discuss their reading in small groups and to contribute to full group discussion. Their performance will be graded upon their preparation, willingness to contribute, their engagement with the subject material and their sensitivity to the needs of the group overall. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Version: (1.06B) Updated: 03/Mar/2013
This document is the definitive current source of information about this module and supersedes any other information. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||