ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ

Module Convenor 2026-27: Roberta Bivins and Elise Smith

Term: TBA

Time: TBA

Context of Module

Module Aims

Intended Learning Outcomes

Module Approach: Student Led Learning

Syllabus

Assessment

 

 

Context of Module

'Matters of Life and Death' explores a range of topics in the history of medicine, science, technology and the environment via selected books and articles authored by teaching and research staff in the Centre for the History of Medicine, Science and Technology (CHMST) and wider Department of History. Uniquely, the module is organised around student-led interviews with the authors of each week's readings. This enables close study and reflection on each text's sources, methodologies and historiographical and theoretic approaches -- and some frank and often funny discussions about how historians choose their topics, navigate their research (and lives!) and produce long-form projects in 'the real world'. In 2026-7, students will have a chance to consider the emergence of new histories situating health, embodiment and science globally and in the natural and cultural world, as well as the new challenges of work in the fields of the histories of science, technology, the environment and medicine. All students are encouraged to relate the module's discussions to their own dissertation research and approaches.

Module Aims

The principal aim of this module is to enrich the work our students do (in terms of reading, learning, research and writing) across the History MA programme, and to support them specifically in developing wide and deep expertise in fields and methodologies related to their individual MA dissertations. Students planning to join the module are welcome to contact Roberta Bivins and Elise Smith (module convenors) in advance if they have any questions about the module approach, structure, readings, or assessments.

Intended Learning Outcomes

• Review the advanced literature in a variety of areas in the history of science, medicine, technology and environment.
• Assess the theoretical underpinnings of this work.
• Draw on key concepts from one or more of the social, human and literary sciences.
• Work confidently with a wide variety of relevant primary source material.
• Generate productive and professional conversations with experts in their fileds

Module Approach: Student Led Learning

The 'Matters of Life and Death' module provides the opportunity for students to analyse a series of issues in the history of cience, medicine, technology and environment in depth, through the work of colleagues here in the Department. Each seminar introduces students to an important recent contribution to historical scholarship, and provides the opportunity to discuss this work with the authors. This will enable students to develop interview skills and professional contacts, alongside their knowledge of how the histories of science, technology medicine and the environment are now evolving in tackling global issues of life and death. It will also develop critical thinking about the challenges in undertaking such historical work.

An introductory seminar will focus on strategy for interviewing historians about their work and its situation within the field. In this session, we will allocate roles, discuss areas for questions and a structure for the seminars across the term, and identify further readings and reviews to assist analysis of the core texts. The emphasis will be on equipping students to take a lead in the organisation and intellectual direction of the seminars.

The seminars in Weeks 2-9 will put these plans into operation. These seminars will centre on reading a book or articles written (or being written) by a member of staff in the CHMST at ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ. All texts will accessible electronically via the ÌÒÉ«ÊÓƵ Library, or (if unpublished) from the authors directly. Our final session in Week 10 will be a site visit to explore how the histories of science, technology medicine and the environment are curated adn shared with wider publics. Past site visits have take us to meet curators at the Science Museum, London; the Wellcome Collection, London; the Black Country Living Museum; and the Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum.

Students will be encouraged to draw from the seminars and the readings in their assessments for the module. The subjects and titles of these pieces must be agreed with the module convenors.

Syllabus WORK IN PROGRESS FOR 2026-7: below is indicative only

Week 1: Introduction (Roberta Bivins and Elise Smith)

This term, in preparation for your summer of dissertation writing, we are focusing in reading 'long form' arguments (so whole books, or whole collections of articles). Thinking, arguing and writing at length is in some ways quite different from writing an essay or an article, as you will all discover. This is why we have not identified specific parts of the book to read below. For the purposes of our discussion in seminar, though, we will be focusing on the claims about history in the present and the writing of histories in our increasingly biomedicalised world that are made in the Introduction. So at a minimum, please read that introduction AND whichever chapter seems likeliest to influence your own approach to your dissertation.

Reading:

• • Roger Cooter with Claudia Stein, Writing History in the Age of Biomedicine, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2013.

Mini-Presentation

'Making the "Turns"'

Week 2: Globalising medicine in the early modern period and beyond (Roberta Bivins)

This week we will set the stage for a term exploring global history through the lens of medicine, science, technology and the environment by looking at encounters between different medical systems starting in the early modern period.

Reading: Alternative Medicine? A History

Week 3: Global Science (James Poskett)

Reading: Horizons: A Global History of Science

Week 4: Building Bodies and Minds in the Soviet Sphere (Claire Shaw and Anna Toropova)

Reading: Technologies of Mind and Body in the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc

Week 5: Environmental History, Above and Below Vietnam (Kathryn Dyt)

Reading: The Nature of Kingship and the Nguyá»…n Weather-World in Nineteenth-Century Vietnam

Week 6: Reading Week

Week 7: Environmental History: Dams, Development and Democracy (Katayoun Shafiee)

Week 8: Adyeeri Kembabazi

Readings:

Week 9: Somak Biswas

Reading:

Week 10: Curating Medicine (Lynsey Cullen, Roberta Bivins, Elise Smith). NB: Recording Allowed

NOTE THAT THIS WEEK WE WILL MEET FOR AN ALL-DAY FIELD TRIP

Students will travel to a museum or heritage site to meet curators and discuss how histories of medicine and health are presented to general audiences.

All participants must complete and submit this form in order to join the Field Trip. If this form is not completed and submitted in time, you will not be able to board the bus.

 

Information
Tutor/s	Roberta Bivins, Elise Smith (Convenors); CHMST staff
Term	TBA
Tutorial Day/Time	TBA
Venue	TBA