Essays.
Essays submitted by students at the University of Bristol, adapted from questions and ideas taken from courses.
Transgender lives, lesbian histories? The reception of transmasculine figures from the eighteenth century to the twenty-first
AJ presents an excerpt of his dissertation, ‘Transgender lives, lesbian histories? The reception of transmasculine figures from the eighteenth century to the twenty-first’.
Was Britain characterised by division in the twentieth century?
Did conflict define Britain in its entirety? Is the legacy of the 20th century overwhelmingly defined by strife and disagreement? In her essay, Connie Portman considers 20th century Britain and the divisions which existed through the period.
Investigating Relationships Between Women in the Native American Residential School System Using Gale’s Scholarly Resources for Learning and Research
Discussing her dissertation and the use of sources, Ellen highlights the excellent work of Gale Resources in spotlighting histories oft-hidden under the colonial gaze.
How Important was the 1954 Brown vs Board of Education Verdict to Ending Legal Segregation in America?
This is an extended 3,500 word research essay from the third year unit Black Lives Matter: The African American Freedom Struggle (1945-Present), receiving a mark of 70. The Brown vs Board of Education verdict acted as a catalyst for the end of legal segregation and provided a precedent for further litigation against segregation, ensuring its place as a canonised moment in the Civil Rights Movement. This essay succinctly explores the case and its ramifications, providing a useful reference point for those interested in the liberation of African Americans.
To what extent did the Conservatives’ victory at the 1979 general election mark ‘a decisive shift in the national mood, politically, culturally and intellectually’?
A succinct look into the Thatcher election of 1979, that effectively explores differing interpretations of the contemporary national mood.
By Finn Goddard
Was there a ‘sexual revolution’ in the Twentieth Century?
Debating the extent of sexual revolution and sexual evolution in the twentieth century.
By Vanessa Lace.
‘Modernity and violence are inexorably connected.’
Understanding the the rise and culmination of mass violence supported by those peoples within Europe from 1792 to 1945.
By Charlie Standen.
Was the aftermath of war a return to pre-war normality or a break from it?
Exploring the culture of reflection, fear and anxiety in the aftermath of the Second World War.
By Rhea Snaith.
What does the propaganda film ‘Theresienstadt: Ein Dokumentarfilm aus dem judischen Siedlungsgebeit’ reveal about the society from which it emerged?
Understanding the impact of propaganda and its role in aiding political endeavours.
Was the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 26 December 2004 a ‘global disaster’?
Debating the extent to which the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami fits the classification of ‘disaster’.
By Reece Kirby.
To what extent did the nineteenth and twentieth centuries witness a ‘flight to the city’?
An exam answer exploring patterns of migration from rural to urban areas and their motivations in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
By Rachael Clapham.
Were environments ever truly decolonised?
Examining the extent to which all aspects of the colonial experience were removed from the environment of East Africa and what characteristics of colonial conservation remain.
Between 1945 and 1971 what restrictions have been put in place to control immigration to Britain and why?
Understanding to constraints and limitations placed upon immigration in order to control the flow of people into Great Britain from 1945 to 1971.
By Rhea Snaith.
What does The Lais of Marie de France reveal about the society from which it emerged?
Exploring medieval society through the lens of the Lais of Marie de France.
By Kiran Megone.
To what extent did the Black Power movement create an African American cultural identity?
Looking into the origins of the Black Power movement and the cultural impact it inspired.
By Ellie Holmes.
Performative Rhetoric in Native American Protest
Exploring the importance of performance in Native American protest around land rights and sovereignty.
By Susie Emerton.
How radical was the classic Civil Rights Movement?
Evaluating the extent to which the complete social and political change occurred as a result of organised efforts against Black disenfranchisement during the classic Civil Rights Movement.
By Harriet Coombs.
In what ways was punk a rebellion against the social conditions of the 1970s?
Uncovering the ways in which punk was used to rebel against social conditions in 1970s Britain.
By Tom Taylor.
To what extent did Second Wave Feminism in the United States facilitate a broader shift in attitudes towards women?
Exploring the aftermath of the Women’s Rights Movement in 1960’s America.
By Bethany Marris.