Life on the Home Front in World War II



Overview

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.

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

Certification

Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) Points

Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. Please follow this link for more information on Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) points

Digital Certificate of Completion 

Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Please note students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.

Fees

Description Costs
Course fee (with no assessment) £300.00
Assessment and Accreditation fee £60.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Matthew Kidd

Dr Matthew Kidd has taught in the Department since 2019. He has held various positions at the University of Oxford, including leading two major projects that preserved and digitised stories and artefacts from the First and Second World Wars.

His research primarily focuses on nineteenth- and twentieth-century English history, with a particular emphasis on how 'ordinary' people interpreted and articulated political movements, parties, ideas, ideologies, and identities at the local level. Matthew's current research has a sharper focus on memory, oral history, and the use of digital humanities methods.

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.

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

By the end of the course, students will be expected to:
 
  • 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.

Application

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.

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.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support