History of Consumer Society

Shop shelves

Shopping and leisure in Britain, from c.1700 to 1914

Module details

  • Offered to 2nd Years
  • Mondays 16.00-18.00
  • Planned delivery: On campus (South Kensington)
  • 2-term module worth 5 ECTS
  • Available to eligible students as part of I-Explore
  • Extra Credit or Degree Credit where your department allows
Degree credit module options by departmentHow to enrol

Why do we go to the seaside on holiday? When did we start to wear ready-made clothing instead of making our own?

This module examines consumption and leisure habits in Britain from the 18th to early 20th century, considering changing tastes and fashions from tea to tobacco, and seaside holidays to soap. It explores networks of distribution, advertising, and sites of consumption as well as contemporary reactions to new goods and leisure opportunities.

We will work with a range of sources, including adverts, novels and cartoons, to chart the growth of modern mass consumer society.

Please note: The information on this module description is indicative. The module may undergo minor modifications before the start of next academic year. 

Information blocks

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:
  • Discuss the history of consumption practices, goods, and networks in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries with reference to primary and secondary sources.
  • Present individual work to fellow students and the module leader.
  • Organize and independently carry out historical research.

Brighton Pier

  • Tea and coffee
  • Sugar and chocolate
  • Alcohol and drinking
  • The Grand Tour
  • Stately homes
  • Going on holiday
  • Reading cultures
  • Clothes, fashion, and shopping
  • Household goods
  • Travel
This module is taught through a weekly lecture/seminar. Short lecture segments throughout the session will provide you with a broad overview of the major historical developments and the respective positions of different historians on key events and developments. The seminar element will involve reviewing and discussing set texts, often analysing these alongside other sources introduced in class such as contemporary adverts, pamphlets, and extracts from novels. Seminars are an opportunity for you to ask questions, discuss ideas with other members of the group, and share your thoughts; in this way you will develop your interpersonal, presentational, and analytical skills in an academic environment. The seminars are also an excellent opportunity to clarify your ideas and arguments ahead of writing your essays.
 
Essays will be submitted through the module VLE two weeks after the final teaching session of each term, with feedback and marks returned through the VLE within two weeks. Feedback on in-class oral presentations will be returned to you within a week of your presentation. Informal feedback will also be provided throughout the module, during in-class discussion and during the analysis of texts in class time.
  • Practical: Individual 5-minute presentation (10%)
  • Coursework: Essay - 2000 words (45%)
  • Coursework: Essay - 2000 words (45%)
  • Requirements: You are expected to attend all classes and undertake approximately 85 hours of independent study in total during the module. Independent study includes reading and preparation for classes, researching and writing coursework assignments and preparing for other assessments.
  • This module is designed as an undergraduate Level 5 module. For an explanation of levels, view the Imperial Horizons Level Descriptors page.‌