History, Power and Identity

In a world threatened by the rise of far-right groups, invigorated by mass protests such as Black Lives Matter or #MeToo, and rocked by political, economic, and cultural crisis, this History, Power and Identity course at University of Essex traces the historical roots of some of today’s most urgent fights for power.

The History, Power and Identity course at University of Essex examines different sites of power, from bodies to institutions, and its multiple workings, from slavery and torture to consumer decisions and food sustainability. The struggle for power can be reflected in racism, sexism, and homophobia – attacks on people's identities to reinforce the dominance of one group or ideology. Yet those identities are also sources of pleasure, celebration, and resistance, whether through conflict or cooperation. Power can also be shared within communities, whether to bolster the dominant group or to provide more social equity.

Your future

We have excellent links with the research community, both in the UK and worldwide, so many of our students have gone on to teach in higher education institutions. Others have found employment in archives, research, managing research funds, other forms of educational provision, the Civil Service, the National Health Service, and management.

Courses include

• Making History, Sharing History: Sources, Methods, and Audiences for Historical Research

• History, Power, and Identity

• Women Filmmakers

• Literature and the First World War

• Queer: Literature, Culture, History