Entry requirements

Admission to a magister/master programme within the faculty of arts or a Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish degree of at least 180 credits (i.e. three years of full-time studies), in history studies. Proficiency in English.

Learning outcomes

A student who successfully completed the course will be able to:

• provide an overview and summarise the current state of research on survival strategies, poverty and well-being in the early modern period
• describe, compare, and apply different theoretical perspectives and approaches used in the research
• define research tasks that increase our historical knowledge, and analyse the topic and present the analysis in a concise and understandable way
• use different the different types of primary source material and draw conclusions from this

Content

The purpose of this course is to let students acquaint themselves with the various ways of supporting oneself that existed in early modern Northern Europe, and learn how varying institutional solutions concerning poor relief, labour law and property law affected people's chances of survival and their wellbeing. Different theoretical approaches to the study of welfare and wellbeing are discussed. Throughout the course, attention will be paid to class and gender aspects.

Instruction

The course will consist of seminars and lectures.

Assessment

Assessment will be based upon written and oral assignments. Students that have missed a small number of mandatory assignments may complete them by the end of the term at the latest.