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Semester 2

The Demon Drink: producing, consuming and opposing alcohol in Britain and Ireland, c. 1760 to 1921 (ECSH10107)

Subject

Economic and Social History

College

CAHSS

Credits

20

Normal Year Taken

3

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

Visiting students must have completed 3 History courses at grade B or above, and please note that we will only consider courses with a specific focus on History (not including History of Art) towards these pre-requisites. We will only consider University/College level courses. **Please see Additional Restrictions below**

Course Summary

An examination of the transformation of the production and consumption of, and opposition to, alcoholic beverages in Britain and Ireland over the course of the long 19th Century.

Course Description

Over the course of the 19th Century, the production and consumption of alcohol in Britain and Ireland were transformed from a rural activity connected to local agriculture to a more recognisably modern industry increasingly serving the domestic urban and export markets. By the turn of the 20th Century, the liquor market featured strong brands for which the image of cultural exotica (especially an idealised image of Scotland and Ireland) had become as important as the consistent flavour of the product itself; while producers and regulators strove to legally define the characteristics of consumer products whose household names were now valuable commercial property. Throughout the same period the opposition to the social and health impact of alcohol use also crystallised into a strong temperance movement that became increasingly conflated with aspects of the broader womens movement. This Honours level option course examines the formative period of this important and controversial industry through a close engagement with a wide range of primary sources. The approach is interdisciplinary, bringing in knowledge and methodologies from across History and the other Social Sciences. No prior Economic History knowledge is necessary.

Assessment Information

Written Exam 0%, Coursework 80%, Practical Exam 20%

Additional Restrictions

Unless you are nominated on a History or HCA exchange agreement, visiting students are only permitted to enrol in two 3rd year History courses each, per semester, before the start of the relevant semester’s welcome period – and spaces on each course are limited so cannot be guaranteed for any student. This includes courses in Economic History and Scottish History. Enrolment in a third course from this group will depend on whether there are still spaces available in the January Welcome Period, and cannot be guaranteed. It is NOT appropriate for students to contact staff within this subject area to ask for an exception to be made; all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. This is due to the limited number of spaces available in this very popular subject area.

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