In 1500, the old order of the feudal system was still firmly in place over large parts of Europe, and the Catholic Church held huge power and authority over many aspects of life. Yet new ideas about learning associated with the Renaissance were spreading across Europe. By 1780, Enlightenment ideas of greater political accountability were taking hold, and some hierarchies were questioned. Towns and cities were playing a growing role in culture, politics and economy, and society had become more mobile and diverse – all before the transformations brought about by the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution at the end of the eighteenth century.
This module takes the approach of social and cultural history, focusing in particular on everyday life. Even major events such as the Reformation are studied mainly through their effects on people and communities. To help you get to grips with this rich history, the module is driven by an expanding scope of study, from individuals to communities to states. While the main focus is on Europe rather than the wider world, you'll be studying human diversity and, in particular, Black people and religious minorities, Muslims and Jews, who lived in Europe. You will explore why and how they travelled, what occupations they took up and how they integrated into or were excluded from communities and society.
Content and themes
In Book 1, you'll examine political, social and cultural processes from the point of view of individuals, families, and households. You'll learn how noble families gained power and prestige and the survival strategies of the poor, ending with a unit on how individuals saw themselves and reflected on their lives.
In Book 2, you'll study the importance of communities of varying sizes, from towns down to parishes, guilds, schools and other institutions, as well as of transient and informal groups such as the rioters who challenged the status quo.
In Book 3, you'll explore developments on the larger scale of states and international commerce, including the growing movement of money, goods, people and ideas across Europe and beyond.
Two main issues will recur in the module: the balance of change and continuity in this history and geographical differences. The early modern period offers examples of rapid and far-reaching change, most notably around the Reformation, but it is also a period characterised by continuity in economic and social life. For example, in large parts of Europe, peasant life continued to be based on subsistence agriculture even when in other areas a growing production of goods initiated consumerism. The population of European cities increased in diversity as overseas trade, colonial expansion and the trans-Atlantic slave trade developed. You'll learn how to assess such complex patterns and the pace of change. As you familiarise yourself with the sources that document early modern life, you'll also engage with historians’ interpretations and some of their most lively debates.
The following five themes run through the module that will help your understanding of the period:
Society and social order
This broad theme covers topics such as social hierarchies, the causes and responses to poverty, and the identity and role of elites. You will examine prescribed gender roles and investigate how men and women behaved in practice, and you will discover the contributions of Black people within early modern societies. You will also study the ways in which identity was provided by institutions such as churches or guilds and the challenges to social order made through popular protests, as well as a range of historians’ interpretations of these events and changes.
Religion: Reformation and Counter-reformation
Religion dominated early modern lives, but the Reformation triggered major changes, including the rise of new Protestant churches and the response by the Catholic Church. The impact of the Reformation is explored in the broadest sense. You will study the changing patterns of individual faith and worship, the new role of Protestant and Catholic churches in the provision of welfare and the political conflicts around the adoption of Protestantism. You will read how historians explain the shift to Protestantism and whether this was as rapid and successful as previously thought. The cross-cultural exchanges with those from religious minorities, such as Jews and Muslims, will also be discussed.
Bodies, health and disease
Diseases and death had a huge impact on early modern families by taking away parents and children and robbing individuals of their ability to earn a living. This theme explores how early modern people understood their bodies, health and diseases and how they experienced the lifecycle. You'll also learn who provided care and how, and which strategies were adopted to control disease, especially the dreaded plague.
Work and trade
This theme examines the world of work at many levels: patterns of work found among individuals – who worked at what occupations, and where and when work was carried out; how work was organised in guilds; changing patterns of consumption and the organisation of banking and finance that underpinned a growing global trade. You will also read about the diverse occupations and status of Black people in this world.
Knowledge and ideas
The early modern period is bookended by intellectual movements – the Renaissance and the Enlightenment – that spread across Europe. The module explores how ideas circulated as access to education and literacy expanded. You'll examine changes in how nature was explained following the Scientific Revolution and the impact of the Enlightenment on social and political life, including ideas about racial differences.
If you are interested in this module and would like to know more, you might like to try the free OpenLearn course Early modern Europe: an introduction, in which you'll explore some of the fundamental characteristics of this fascinating period of history.
By studying this module, you will learn how to:
This module helps you develop the skills required for the study of history. It builds on the reading and writing skills acquired at OU level 1, teaching you how to analyse more complex documents, how to get to grips with historical debates, and to understand why historians differ in their interpretation of the past. The module will also guide you through the rich archive of online documents and information, once limited to scholars but now available to all students through The Open University Library.
Throughout the module, you will have opportunities to practice a number of skills highly valued by employers, such as qualitative analysis and applying evidence from a variety of source materials to support arguments and develop lateral thinking. You will also develop skills such as problem- solving, communication, digital and information literacy, self-management and resilience, and global citizenship.
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Course work includes:
All teaching material for this module is delivered via three printed books and online via the module website, which includes:
You may find it useful to have access to a large public or university library.
Set books:
You can study this module on its own or use the credits you gain towards an Open University qualification.
A223 is a compulsory module in our:
A223 is an option module in our:
Early modern Europe: society and culture c.1500 – 1780 starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2027.
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