Skip to main content

Unit information: Fear and Loathing in 2024/25

Please note: Programme and unit information may change as the relevant academic field develops. We may also make changes to the structure of programmes and assessments to improve the student experience.

Unit name Fear and Loathing
Unit code HIST20117
Credit points 20
Level of study I/5
Teaching block(s) Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director Dr. Velasco Berenguer
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

None

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None

Units you may not take alongside this one

None

School/department Department of History (Historical Studies)
Faculty Faculty of Arts

Unit Information

Muslims, Christians, witches, Jews, pagans, heretics, the poor: there was no shortage of people to hate in the premodern world. Of course, no analysis of 'fear and loathing' can omit a discussion of its counterparts: interaction, respect and even acceptance.

How did the peoples of the premodern era come to terms with difference - and how did they face up to the considerable challenge of living alongside one another - in an age before modern notions of civility, manners, and liberalism? What motivated the adoption of particular strategies, whether benign or aggressive? Adopting a broad chronological and geographical scope, this unit will explore through a series of case-studies 'fear and loathing' in contexts as varied as the Middle East, Byzantium, the Mediterranean, Middle Age and Reformation-era Europe, and the New World.

Your learning on this unit

Successful students will be able to:

  1. Examine the particular qualities of those groups who might be the subjects of fear and loathing, in different regional and historical contexts from the Middle East to the Americas from 500 to 1800.
  2. Identify broader patterns in the way that such groups were viewed and treated.
  3. Demonstrate an understanding of the main theoretical and practical challenges of global and cross-cultural perspectives to the study of the medieval world and early modern period.
  4. Engage critically with broad concepts, and assess their significance and usefulness.
  5. Interpret primary sources and select pertinent evidence in order to illustrate specific and more general historical points
  6. Present their research and judgements in written forms and styles appropriate to the discipline and to level I
  7. Demonstrate skills in oral presentation appropriate to level I.

How you will learn

Classes will involve a combination of long- and short-form lectures, class discussion, investigative activities, and practical activities. Students will be expected to engage with readings and participate on a weekly basis. This will be further supported with drop-in sessions and self-directed exercises with tutor and peer feedback.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):

There are no formative assignments.

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

10-minute Individual Presentation (25%) [ILOs 1, 7]

2-hour Unseen Examination (75%) [ILOs 1-6]

When assessment does not go to plan:

When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the format or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are confirmed by the School/Centre shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the year.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. HIST20117).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.

Feedback