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Scotland and New Zealand: emigration and settlement

HI501Z/551Z

Credit Points: 15

Course Co-ordinator: Dr Marjory Harper

Pre-requisite(s): Programme Year 5 or above

The course begins with a discussion of sources, with particular references to historiographical debates about diaspora and the strengths and weaknesses of letters, memoirs and oral testimony. It goes on to examine the origins of European settlement in New Zealand, notably through the activities of the New Zealand Company. Subsequent seminars examine themes such as the role of recruitment agents, the transitional experience of the voyage, the impact of gold fever, the challenges of pioneering, and the significance of various manifestations of State-subsidised emigration in the twentieth century. Attention is also paid to significant areas of recruitment, including Orkney and Shetland, to representations of Scottish national and regional identity in locations such as Otago and Waipu, and to return migration. The study of oral testimony forms an integral part of the course, alongside emigrants’ letters and diaries.

10 x 90-minute seminars

Continuous Assessment (100 %): 1 x 3000-word essay (70%); 1 x 1000-word book review (20%); seminar participation (10%)

 

Arts and Humanities Research Council

The AHRC Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies >>

 

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