The vehicle ultimately chosen by the majority of British socialists to pursue their political aims was the Labour Party, but as its power grew some became critical of its ideology and strategy. This resulted in a passionate debate, which has arguably never been resolved. Was the Labour Party the only realistic route of advance for British socialists? Did socialists offer a cure for all social ills, or were they as involved in imperialism and patriarchal rule as the rest of British society? This module will examine the foundation and development of the Labour Party in Britain in the period up until the end of the Great War.

On completion of the module a student will be able to:

• demonstrate a critical and systematic knowledge of the early-twentieth century British socialist movement and an understanding of pertinent historical and historiographical ideas.
• critically identify the main features of the British socialist movement and socialist thought in this period.
• demonstrate an in-depth and critical understanding of perspectives and debates within the appropriate secondary literature.
• analyse the activities, roles and influence of the various socialist organisations in the light of relevant historical interpretations of British labour history.
• demonstrate a critical understanding of key primary sources relating to the British socialist and labour movement in this period, including selected socialist texts, newspaper and pamphlet sources and selected archive collections.

The module will be taught and students will learn through:

• A series of formal lectures will introduce students to the main factual and conceptual issues to be discussed and analysed during the course.
• Seminars in which key texts are analysed will enable students to further develop analytic skills.
• Document Workshops in which primary sources are analysed will enable students to develop discipline specific methods of approaching and analysing primary historical sources.
• Presentations through which students will develop their presentation and team work skills and understanding of specific topics.

Upon the completion of the module, the typical student will be able to:

Academic:

• identify the nature and scope of the issues raised by a study of the late-nineteenth and early twentieth century British socialist and labour movement.
• discuss in a critical and informed manner the inter-relationship between socialism, society and politics in Britain in this period.
• summarise and critically evaluate the relative merits and demerits of alternative views and interpretations of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century British socialism, and evaluate their significance.
• identify problems, assess evidence, and reach appropriate and consistent conclusions about the nature of socialism, and its relationship with society and politics in Britain in this period
• devise and sustain arguments about British socialist thought and practice, acknowledging developments in twentieth century British labour historiography.
• present, accurately, succinctly and lucidly, and in written or oral form their arguments in accordance with appropriate scholarly conventions in British labour history.

 Subject-specific:

• express their ideas on, and assessments of, the British socialist and labour movement, 1880-1918.
• discuss in a critical and informed manner the history of British socialism and its relationship to society and politics in Britain, 1880-1918.

• identify strengths, weaknesses, problems, and or peculiarities of alternative historical/historiographical interpretations, including Marxist, Fabian, Labourist and revisionist approaches to the topic.
• apply a critical approach to the nature of primary sources in the assessment of historical interpretations and methodologies relating to the socialist and labour movements in Britain, 1880-1918.
• use and evaluate primary sources and demonstrate an appreciation of  how historians have approached them.

 Generic:

• communicate ideas and arguments effectively, whether in speech or in writing in an accurate, succinct and lucid manner
• formulate and justify their own arguments and conclusions about a range of issues
• demonstrate an ability to modify as well as to defend their own position
• possess a range of information technology resources to assist with information retrieval
• organise their own study methods and workload
• work as part of a team in seminar or tutorial discussions independently organise their own study methods and workload

Summative assessment takes the form of one 3,000 - 4,000 word essay (excluding empirical appendices and references).

1. Socialism and Politics (1): The Labour Representation Committee 1900-1906.
2. Socialism and Politics (2): The Labour Party 1906 – 1914.
3. Debates within British socialism 1900-1914: Socialist critics of the Labour Party.
4. Socialism and Society (1): Socialists, Churches and Chapels.
5. Socialism and Society (2): Socialists and Popular Culture.
6. Socialism and Society (3): Women and socialism.
7. Socialism and Literature (1): The poetic impulse in British socialism.
8. Socialism and Literature (2):  Robert Tressell and The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.
9. British socialism and the question of Britishness.
10. British Socialism and the Great War.

John Callaghan, Socialism in Britain Since 1884 (1990)

Logie Barrow & Ian Bullock, Democratic Ideas and the British Labour Movement 1880-1914 (1996)

June Hannam & Karen Hunt, Socialist Women: Britain 1880s-1920s, (2002_

Keith Laybourn, The Rise of Socialism in Britain c. 1881-1951 (1997)

Henry Pelling, Origins of the Labour Party (1954)

Henry Pelling, Origins of the Labour Party (1954

Stanley Pierson, Marxism and the Origins of British Socialism (1973)

Stanley Pierson, British Socialists: The Journey from Fantasy to Politics (1979)

Duncan Tanner, Political Change and the Labour Party (1990)

Chris Waters, British Socialists and the Politics of Popular Culture (1990