Year
2020
Units
4.5
Contact
1 x 2-hour seminar weekly
Prerequisites
4.5 units of Second Level HIST topics
Assumed knowledge
This topic assumes a familiarity with the kind of knowledge, conceptual understanding and skills that would be acquired by the completion of at least 9 units of second level topics from the History major sequence
Course context
Associated major: History
Topic description
PB Shelley once wrote that 'poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world', but can the creative works of poets, artists, musicians and novelists tell us anything about the origins and consequences of significant events in European history? This topic investigates the links between culture and history during Europe's long nineteenth century. It studies significant literary and artistic works against the backdrop of events such as the French revolution, the revolutions of 1848, industrialisation, the political emancipation of Jews and women, the Franco-Prussian war, the rise of socialism and the First World War.
Educational aims
  • A strong knowledge of differing perspectives on historical events and agents and how these perspectives contribute to historical discourse within the profession and more broadly
  • A strong knowledge of the disciplinary nature of history, its disciplinary history, its methodology, and its role in the community
  • The ability to undertake historical research and reporting
  • The ability to effectively communicate a nuanced knowledge and understanding of historical events and concepts in written and oral form
  • The ability to work independently and collaboratively
Expected learning outcomes
Students successfully completing this topic should be able to:
  • critically reflect upon the nature of cultural history and how it has been practised
  • appreciate the complexities, characteristics and legacies of cultural production
  • develop their communication skills through discussion and reasoned argument
  • locate, collect, interpret and synthesise a range of historical sources to develop a coherent argument
  • plan, research and write an academic essay