Short course
Life on the Home Front in World War II
Course status:
Course ended
Dates:
21/01/2026 - 25/03/2026
Study format:
In-person weekly
Fees:
£300.00
The Second World War disrupted everyday life in Britain in far-reaching and often unexpected ways.
Over ten weeks, you will learn how people on the home front coped with bombing raids, rationing, separation from loved ones, new roles, and constant uncertainty through the chaos of the Blitz to the celebrations of VE Day.
Each week, we will consider a different aspect of life during the war, using case studies such as evacuation, rationing, leisure, and women's work. We will also reflect on how these experiences are remembered today, and how the idea of the 'People's War' has shaped how Britain remembers the conflict.
To examine these themes, you will work with a wide range of illuminating sources, from Mass Observation diaries and oral history recordings to bomb maps, photographs, letters, posters, and personal artefacts.
Alongside these, you will engage with the work of influential historians and contemporary scholars, considering how events in Britain and across the world — and the actions of figures like Churchill and Hitler — shaped public morale, daily routines, and government policy on the home front.
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This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
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Programme details
Courses starts: 21 Jan 2026
Week 1: Introduction: Civilians at War
Week 2: The Blitz: Bombs, Blackouts, and Shelter Life
Week 3: Evacuation and the Wartime Child
Week 4: Women’s Work: Factories, Fields, and Family Life
Week 5: Serving at Home: Defence and Duty
Week 6: Feeding the Nation: Rationing, Queues, and Kitchen Creativity
Week 7: Morale and Messaging: Propaganda and Public Opinion
Week 8: Keeping Spirits Up: Leisure on the Home Front
Week 9: Separation and Silence: Missing Loved Ones and Life Apart
Week 10: The ‘People’s War’? Myth and Memory
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Course aims
To explore the social, emotional, and cultural experience of the British home front during the Second World War.
Course objectives:
- To establish the main themes and events that shaped civilian life in Britain during the Second World War.
- To encourage students to analyse a variety of original sources and to engage critically with different historical interpretations.
- To support students in reflecting on how the home front has been remembered, and how those memories continue to shape British understandings of the war today.
Programme details
Courses starts: 21 Jan 2026
Week 1: Introduction: Civilians at War
Week 2: The Blitz: Bombs, Blackouts, and Shelter Life
Week 3: Evacuation and the Wartime Child
Week 4: Women’s Work: Factories, Fields, and Family Life
Week 5: Serving at Home: Defence and Duty
Week 6: Feeding the Nation: Rationing, Queues, and Kitchen Creativity
Week 7: Morale and Messaging: Propaganda and Public Opinion
Week 8: Keeping Spirits Up: Leisure on the Home Front
Week 9: Separation and Silence: Missing Loved Ones and Life Apart
Week 10: The ‘People’s War’? Myth and Memory
Teaching methods
Each session will combine presentations delivered by the tutor with group discussion, source-based tasks, and a variety of interactive learning activities designed to support different learning styles.
Presentations will introduce key themes using images, videos, and other visual materials, and you will have regular opportunities to ask questions and engage in debate.
Preparation for each class is essential. You will also be encouraged to use the Department’s library and digital resources to explore areas of personal interest in more depth.
Learning outcomes
- Demonstrate a good general understanding of the main developments and themes of life on the British home front during the Second World War.
- Be able to identify and interpret a range of original source materials and consider how these contribute to our understanding of the period.
- Have a good knowledge and understanding of different historical interpretations of life on the home front.
Assessment methods
You will be asked to write one essay (no more than 1500 words) related to one of the topics discussed during the course. You will also be able to submit a 500 word formative assignment during the course.
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation will submit coursework.
Matthew Kidd
Matthew Kidd is an early career researcher whose research focuses on issues of class, identity and ideology in modern Britain. He has published articles and book chapters on wartime socialism and the conceptual framework of labourist ideology, and his first book, The renewal of radicalism: politics, identity and ideology in England, 1867-1924, was published in 2020 by Manchester University Press. Matthew currently works at the University of Oxford where he co-ordinates the follow-up to the award-winning ‘Lest We Forget’ digital archive project.
Assessment methods
You will be asked to write one essay (no more than 1500 words) related to one of the topics discussed during the course. You will also be able to submit a 500 word formative assignment during the course.
Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation will submit coursework.
Level and demands
The Department’s Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course fee (with no assessment) | £300.00 |
| Assessment and Accreditation fee | £60.00 |
To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Please use the ‘Book now’ button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education
Students who do not register for assessment and credit during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.
This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.