Keele University Prospectus Undergraduate | 2016 | Page 118

HUMANITIES

History and Politics
Overview

To study History and Politics is to investigate the
organisation of society and the debates that surround
it, both now and in the past. You will have the
opportunity to interrogate the value and evolution of
past political settlements, whilst coming to a greater
appreciation of political decisions and stances at
the level of the everyday. Your studies will combine
sophisticated analysis of evidence and arguments
with the deep analysis of original documents to
trace the political movements that have shaped the
world today.
Whether interpreting acts of resistance, assessing
economic change, describing environmental
behaviour or understanding acts of oppression,
studying history requires a political awareness of
both past and present. Similarly, you cannot study
politics without a close appreciation of the past.
By studying the two in combination at Keele, you
will join a group of students who find each subject
benefits significantly from the insights of the other,
and develop unique perspectives on both subjects.

Course content

First year
Your first year focuses on developing academic study
skills which you will use throughout your course.
You will study three compulsory modules which
will introduce core content, skills and knowledge
in historical methodology, source analysis, and
political theory.
Historical Research and Writing provides integrated
training in the historical skills needed for degree
level study. You will learn the processes of historical
research from critical reading skills to source
selection and argument construction.
Why Politics Matters is an introduction to politics
that strips it back to its essentials. We examine the
core debates in the subject and show why argument
and disagreement are perennial features of modern
politics, b WB