HIS-20092 - Module Specification
School of Humanities
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2020/21

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2020/21

The Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben described the camp as one of the defining symbols of modern political power in the twentieth century. Undoubtedly, images and footage from the liberation of the Nazi-administered camps in Poland have haunted the collective memory and served as reminders of the destructive potential of modernity. However, the institution of the modern camp has a far more diverse history that transcends continents, ideologies, and functions. The camp has been (and continues to be) used by totalitarian, illiberal, and democratic regimes alike. It has been deployed as detention and disciplinary facility, as torture and even killing premise, as forced labour and ideological 're-education' centre, even as laboratory for chilling medical experiments; but it has also it has provided temporary protection or more permanent shelter from persecution. This module will explore the origins and history of the modern camp, exploring a range of theoretical perspectives and case studies from the last hundred years. Topics will include the concentration camps deployed during the Boer Wars; the Soviet GULAG camps; the network of Nazi-administered camps across wartime Europe (and how their function changed after their liberation in 1944-45); the internment camps for Japanese-Americans in wartime USA; the 'killing fields' in 1970s Cambodia; the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon; contemporary refugee camps; and the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

To explore the history of the camp in the twentieth century in all its different forms. To advance students' historical knowledge and skills using a variety of sources and case studies.

Intended Learning Outcomes

demonstrate an understanding of the relation of modernity and state power to 'legitimate' and 'illegitimate' violence: 1,3
handle, relate, analyse, and present different types of information (textual, web-based, statistical): 1,2,3
undertake research in a comparative and trans-disciplinary context appropriate to undergraduate degree level: 1,2,3
appreciate the 'exceptional' and transgressive status (legal, territorial, and ethical) of the camp, regardless of its function as a space of violence or refuge: 1,3
demonstrate an ability to apply theoretical and conceptual tools to the study of particular case studies in a variety of historical, political, and geographical settings: 1,2,3
demonstrate that they possess a thorough knowledge and understanding of the main theoretical debates about the operation and legitimation of camps: 1,3
appreciate the differences intentions and functions invested by different regimes in the institution of the modern camp: 1,3

Study hours

20 hours lectures and seminars
60 hours seminar and lecture preparation, including portfolio tasks
35 hours essay researching and writing
35 hours exam preparation and writing

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment