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University of Essex: History, Power and Identity

Institution University of Essex View institution profile
Department History
Web essex.ac.uk
Study type Taught

Summary

What does it mean to be powerful or powerless? Across different times and places, how have people and groups used or abused power, and how have they gained or lost it? 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 MA traces the historical roots of some of today’s most urgent fights for power.

We look at the ways and means by which power has operated in the past to consider who has power, why it might be shared, and how it is resisted. We examine 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.

MA

University of Essex

We Are Essex. Are you? Join the University of Essex, one of the top 30 universities in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2024).

As an Essex postgraduate you’ll have the freedom to challenge, ask the difficult questions and take intellectual risk. You’re taught and supported by world-leading academics in our research-intensive environment that will enable you to make a difference. You’ll be among Nobel Prize-winners, award-winning directors, presidents, astronauts and over 100,000 other alumni who have gone on to shape the world.

Research quality 

We’re dedicated to delivering high-impact research, our pioneering work continues to change the world. During …

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