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HIST308 to HIST407

 

HIST308 Historiography                                                                                                                        10 cp

Prerequisites At least two History units at advanced (200/300) level

Teaching Organisation A combination of a one hour lecture and a two hour seminar.

 

This unit covers the development of Western historiography, examines various approaches to the writing of history, and discusses the assumptions about the nature of history in contemporary society.

HIST401 Methods of Historical Research                                                                                              10 cp

Prerequisites Entry into the Honours course

Teaching Organisation Weekly seminar/workshops throughout the semester.

 

This unit consists of a study of the theory and practice of historical research and writing through workshops/seminar sessions that analyse current and recent historical writings. Areas of focus would be negotiated between staff and students, and would be designed to explore the patterns of historical writing, thought and design and the use of particular bodies of evidence. Students will present work–in–progress reports related to their honours theses, and will be introduced to appropriate resources, tools, and techniques of historical research. The following areas of concentration could be considered: non–literate sources (including those from archaeology, biology, botany, linguistics); oral and ethno–historical sources biographical sources, documentary sources (including official documents, newspapers, reports); manuscript sources (including letters, journals, diaries); audio-visual sources; literary sources.

HIST402 Special Studies in Australian Biographical Writings                                                              10 cp

Prerequisites Entry into the Honours course

Teaching Organisation 3 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent.

 

Reading of exemplars of various genres of biography, including individual biographies, biographical dictionaries, autobiographies, memoirs and reminiscences; consideration of the sources of biographies, such as genealogical records, personal papers, media reports, informants, etc; consideration of the role of the biographer in reconstructing and interpreting the life of another person and the social and environmental context in which that life was lived; examination of ways in which historians have incorporated biographical material into historical narratives; researching and writing a brief biography or autobiography.

HIST403 Special Studies in Biographical Writings in Ancient History                                                  10 cp

Prerequisites Entry into the Honours course

Teaching Organisation 3 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent.

 

This unit is a detailed study of at least four texts to be selected from among the writings of Augustus, Josephus, Plutarch, Suetonius, Marcus Aurelius and Eusebius by the lecturer in charge. The focus will be on establishing the purpose of each text, the nature of its contents, the main themes presented and, in turn, the manner in which the text can be used to provide information of historical value.

HIST404 Special Studies in the History of Immigrant Peoples                                                             10 cp

Prerequisites Entry into the Honours course

Teaching Organisation 3 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent.

 

The establishment of a broad global and comparative sense of the spread and the reshaping of new societies and cultures through the movement of immigrant populations, from ancient times to recent history; building a sense of diverse and similar patterns of movement and change from selected regions like: the Middle East (the making of ancient Israel), the Mediterranean (the ‘barbarian invasions’ and the making of Europe), Africa (Bantu–Nguni migrations), the Asia–Pacific (the forming of societies and cultures in Southeast Asia and the Chinese diaspora), the Americas (the slave trade), and the spread of European migrants to settler colonies including Australia; drawing patterns of comparative understanding and argument across case experiences; exploring issues of historical sources and ways of interpretation; specific case studies chosen from the above regions, by negotiation between staff and students.

HIST405 Special Studies in the History of Indigenous Peoples                                                            10 cp

Prerequisites Entry into the Honours course

Teaching Organisation 3 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent.

 

The establishment of a broad global and comparative sense of the spread of settler societies and their interactions with indigenous peoples and cultures from ancient times to recent history. Exploring worldviews, spiritual and social realities and ideological structures: changing indigenous perceptions about persons, relationships, identity and meaning. European ideologies and expressions about ‘savages’, frontiers, the wild. Agricultural production, from subsistence to dependence: indigenous forms of organisation, plantations, cash cropping, immigrant and indentured labour. Political worlds: state formation and structures old and new; colonial experiences and experiments and the emergence of recent political forms of life. Issues of peace and war: from peace and war to ‘pacification’ to the World Wars and new forms of conflict and peacemaking. Major areas of the focus will be negotiated between staff and students. Possible regional areas would include Africa, Asia and the Americas.

HIST406 Special Studies in the History of Pacific Islanders                                                                 10 cp

Prerequisites Entry into the Honours course

Teaching Organisation 3 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent.

 

The material context and environment with specific reference to island cultures, migration and settlement patterns both ancient and modern. Exploring world views, spiritual and social realities and ideological structures: changing indigenous perceptions about persons, relationships, identity and meaning, European ideologies and expressions about ‘savages’, frontiers, the wild. Agricultural production, from subsistence to dependence: indigenous forms of organisation, plantations, cash cropping, immigrant and indentured labour. Political worlds: state formation and structures old and new; colonial experiences and experiments and the emergence of recent political forms of life. Issues of peace and war: from peace and war to ‘pacification’ to the Pacific War and new forms of conflict and peacemaking. Students and lecturers will work within selected areas of the above.

HIST407 Special Studies in the History of Women                                                                               10 cp

Prerequisites Entry into the Honours course

Teaching Organisation 3 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent.

 

The establishment of a broad global and comparative sense of the changing experience and status of women in historical contexts from ancient to recent times; building a sense of women’s experience in different regions such as Africa, Asia, Europe the Americas and Australia; drawing together a comparative feminist critique from these specific case studies; exploring issues of historical sources and ways of interpretation. Selection of specific areas of concentration will depend on negotiation between staff and students.