Histories of Violence

Module code: HS2236

Over the course of this module you’ll be examining the role violence plays and played in human history, through two highly engaging and strikingly different historical studies, each directly connected to the research expertise of the module tutors. You’ll examine a variety of forms violence has taken in history, both collectively as well as individually, and consider historical and present-day impacts.

The case studies you’ll be examining range from the violence of British imperialism, violence and religions, legally sanctioned (and often brutal) vs extrajudicial violence, crimes against and by individuals to large scale events. The module will also draw from other disciplines including, for example, archaeology, geography, sociology, law, literature and linguistics. The historical context of each case study will be examined, and you’ll reflect upon the societal and shifting meaning of violence within these contexts.

Throughout this module you’ll encounter and analyse different types of violence, and the relationships between violence and human civilisation. You’ll develop a sense of how identity and otherness was created, how state and popular power were exercised, and how structures of resistance were played out.