This course will help you to become a better historian and a better analyst of historical writing.  It examines the principles, strategies and assumptions underlying different forms of history.  It also introduces current debates about the discipline.  The course will consider key developments in historical thought and method, from the classical period to the present day.  It will invite you to consider the social functions of historical writing, as well as to critically assess the methods and models employed by different schools and traditions of historical thought.  

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1)    Comprehend and constructively debate key philosophical and methodological issues central to the study of history and important to other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences.

2)    Critically analyse the methods which have been employed by different historians and schools of historical thought in their efforts to understand and write about the past 

3)    Detect the underlying premises and assumptions embedded in specific pieces of historical writing and/or other forms of historical media

4)    Construct sustained arguments concerning the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to the study of the past

5)    Reflect on theoretical issues relevant to the practice of different forms of history and their implications for students’ own work

1st Essay 1500 words (35%) [Learning Outcomes 1-4]

2nd Essay 3000 words (55%) [Learning Outcomes 1-5]

Oral and/or written contribution to class activities (10%) [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 5]

One lecture (1.5 hours) and one tutorial (1 hour) per week for thirteen weeks.  Students are expected to commit up to 7.5 hours of independent study per week.  Lectures will be recorded.

At least twelve units at first year level in History (Faculty of Arts) or Asian History (Faculty of Asian Studies). Students entering History IV must have successfully completed this course.

If you believe you have met the prerequisites for this course, but are having difficulty enrolling, please contact the convenor of the course for a permission code.

Curthoys, A and Docker, J. Is History Fiction?, UNSW Press, 2005.