1. Anglo-Saxon England
2. Medieval England
3. Early Modern Period

English Society and Culture I is a curricular unit shared by the BA in Applied Languages and the BA in European Studies. It contributes to the development of skills in critical analysis, historical and cultural contextualisation, interpretation of social, political, economic, cultural and artistic phenomena, and the production of well-supported reflection on English society and culture within its European context.

Throughout the curricular unit, students are expected to develop skills to:

¾     characterise English society and culture, from the Roman occupation to the pre-industrial period, relating its specific features to the broader European context;

¾     analyse key events, processes of transformation and cultural, social, political, religious and economic phenomena;

¾     relate eras, contexts, works, cultural movements and currents of thought, recognising continuities, ruptures and dynamics of identity, memory and diversity;

¾     interpret the formation of English Modernity, with particular attention to Humanism, the Reformation, the English Renaissance and the dawn of the Scientific Revolution;

¾     discuss the relevance of the processes studied for understanding later transformations in English and British society and culture;

¾     produce syntheses, essays, commentaries and critical reflections, with conceptual rigour, appropriate support and respect for academic conventions;

¾     participate in asynchronous academic discussions in a constructive, well-supported and ethically responsible manner.

By the end of the curricular unit, students are expected to be able to:

LO1. Characterise English society and culture, from the Roman occupation to the pre-industrial period, according to the periodisation, contexts and cultural and social phenomena under study.

LO2. Analyse key events and processes of transformation in English life, society and worldview, considering political, economic, social, religious and cultural dimensions.

LO3. Relate periods, contexts, events and cultural and social phenomena, recognising continuities, ruptures and dynamics of identity, memory and diversity.

LO4. Interpret assumptions, works, cultural movements and currents of thought associated with Humanism, the Reformation, the English Renaissance and the dawn of the Scientific Revolution.

LO5. Discuss the formation of English Modernity as a cultural, social, political and epistemological process, relating English specificity to broader European dynamics.

LO6. Produce syntheses, commentaries and critical reflections based on the core textbook and the curricular unit resources, distinguishing essential from secondary information and supporting the analysis.

LO7. Participate in asynchronous academic discussions in a constructive, well-supported and ethically responsible manner, contributing to critical and plural debate.

LO8. Produce an integrative synthesis of the major transformations studied, with conceptual rigour, critical appropriation of the contents and awareness of continuity with English Society and Culture II.

Theme 1: MEDIEVAL ENGLAND | Early Foundations

Theme 2: MEDIEVAL ENGLAND | The Wars of the Roses

Theme 3: THE TUDORS | The Henrician Reformation

Theme 4: THE TUDORS | The Elizabethan Age

Theme 5: THE STUARTS | Continuities and Ruptures

Leal de Faria, Luísa. Sociedade e Cultura Inglesas. eUAb — Coleção Universitária, Nº 34. Lisboa: U Aberta, 2024. [from the Introductory Note to Chapter II — 8. Do Pré-Industrial à Industrialização] https://repositorioaberto.uab.pt/handle/10400.2/15291

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As Guerras das Rosas (Video 1). A Reforma Henriquina (Video 2). A Era Isabelina (Video 3). Lisboa: U Aberta, 2012. Scripts by Alda Pereira, Maria de Jesus C. Relvas and Susana Fonseca. [available in the virtual classroom]

Black, Jeremy. A History of the British Isles. London: Macmillan, 1997. pp. 1–167.

Bronowski, J., and B. Mazlish. A Tradição Intelectual do Ocidente. 1960. Translated by Joaquim J. Coelho Rosa, Edições 70, 2002.

Elton, G. R. England Under the Tudors. 1955. Routledge, 1991.

Gillingham, John. The Wars of the Roses: Peace and Conflict in 15th Century England. 1981. Phoenix P, 2001.

Kearney, Hugh. The British Isles: A History of Four Nations. 1989. Cambridge UP, 2006. pp. 1–188.

Paiva Correia, Maria Helena de, et al. Literatura Inglesa (Época Renascentista). U Aberta, 1996. pp. 11–111.

Pounds, N. J. G. The Culture of the English People: Iron Age to the Industrial Revolution. Cambridge UP, 1994.

Trevelyan, G. M. England Under the Stuarts. 1904. Nabu P, 2010.

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REFERENCING GUIDE

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 7th ed., Modern Language Association of America, 2009. [available online]

This curricular unit will be delivered through e-learning, combining individual study, guided reading, research, critical analysis, synthesis tasks, participation in forums, formative activities, moments of self-regulation and other activities designed to apply knowledge.

Careful reading and study of the core textbook are mandatory and constitute the starting point for autonomous and in-depth knowledge development. The resources made available in the virtual classroom, together with the methodological guidelines and proposed activities, should be followed regularly throughout the semester.

From a pedagogical point of view, the curricular unit combines guided autonomous work, challenge-based learning, peer learning and the analysis of historical and cultural case studies. The proposed activities invite students to relate periods, contexts, events, historical figures, cultural movements and social transformations, while developing synthesis skills, well-supported argumentation and critical interpretation of the contents.

Interaction will take place mainly asynchronously through Universidade Aberta’s learning platform, with participation in discussion forums, guidance from the teaching team and formative feedback. Students are therefore expected to take an active role in their learning process, organising their study, recording questions, monitoring their progress and gradually consolidating the contents.

The methodologies adopted value autonomy, collaboration, inclusion and flexibility, allowing students to reconcile their studies with personal, family and professional responsibilities.

For further information on Universidade Aberta’s Pedagogical Model, please consult: https://portal.uab.pt/modelo-de-ensino/

Assessment in this curricular unit is designed to support students’ learning throughout the semester, valuing not only the results achieved but also the process through which knowledge is built. Assessment activities aim to promote critical reflection, application of contents, active participation and the development of skills relevant to students’ academic and professional path.

Where applicable, assessment may include different modalities and instruments, such as individual and collaborative activities, written assignments, projects, presentations, participation in forums or assessment tests, according to what is defined in the Curricular Unit Plan.

The assessment criteria, planned activities and corresponding weighting will be presented at the beginning of the curricular unit, ensuring transparency and allowing students to organise their learning path in an informed manner.

For further information on the principles and guidelines for assessment in Universidade Aberta’s Pedagogical Model, please consult: https://portal.uab.pt/modelo-de-ensino/

The bibliography should be obtained before the beginning of the semester.

Students should have: good knowledge/command of the English language; basic knowledge of the historical and cultural context of Europe and England; regular access to a computer with a broadband Internet connection.

Although there is no formal prerequisite system, students are advised to take the curricular units in Society and Culture sequentially.

Language of instruction: Portuguese (PT).