HIST6110 History and Theory
| Offered By | School of History |
|---|---|
| Academic Career | Graduate Coursework |
| Course Subject | History |
| Offered in | First Semester, 2011 and First Semester, 2012 |
| Unit Value | 6 units |
| Course Description |
This unit is designed to help students to become better historians and better analysts of historical writing. It seeks to illuminate the principles, strategies and assumptions which underlie different forms of history - both today and in the past. And it seeks to acquaint students with current debates about the discipline. This course considers what historians aim to do, and what they actually do. It asks questions such as: How can we know what happened in the past? Why do historians disagree about what happened? What is the relationship between the present and the past, and how does this inform the way we research and write history? How are historical narratives constructed? What literary and rhetorical techniques do they use? How do they employ evidence? The course will consider key developments in historical thought and method, from the classical period to the present day. It will invite students to consider the social functions of historical writing, as well as to critically assess the methods and models employed by different schools and traditions amongst historians. Students will have a chance to examine trends in recent historical practice, and to explore the influence of disciplines such as sociology and anthropology on history, as well as of movements such as postmodernism, feminism and post-colonialism. |
| Learning Outcomes |
The unit introduces issues central to the study of history in any form and important to other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. It seeks to help students to develop their intellectual resources by encouraging critical engagement with the various methods which have been employed by historians in their efforts to understand and write about the past. Students can expect to develop their skills in the following areas:
|
| Indicative Assessment |
First essay of 2,500 words (35%), second essay of 3,500 words (55%) and tutorial participation (10%). |
| Workload |
One lecture (1.5 hours) and one tutorial (1 hour) per week for thirteen weeks. Lectures will be recorded. |
| Course Classification(s) | TransitionalTransitional courses are designed for students from a broad range of backgrounds and learning achievements, which provide for the acquisition of generic skills; or an informed understanding of contemporary issues; or fundamental knowledge for transition to Advanced or Specialist courses. |
| Areas of Interest | History |
|
Assumed Knowledge and Required Skills |
HIST6110 has no specific eligibility requirements beyond those required for entry into the Graduate Diploma or MA history programs. |
| Preliminary Reading |
Curthoys, A. & Docker, J., Is History Fiction? (UNSW Press, 2005). |
| Academic Contact | Dr Cook |
The information published on the Study at ANU 2011 website applies to the 2011 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2010 website.
