The World That Made Us: 1945 to Today

Subject HIST10008 (2011)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2011.

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 1 (Undergraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2011:

Semester 1, Parkville - Taught on campus.
Pre-teaching Period Start not applicable
Teaching Period not applicable
Assessment Period End not applicable
Last date to Self-Enrol not applicable
Census Date not applicable
Last date to Withdraw without fail not applicable


Timetable can be viewed here. For information about these dates, click here.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: Two 1-hour lectures and a 1-hour tutorial per week
Total Time Commitment: 8 hours per week: total time commitment 96 hours
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Recommended Background Knowledge: None
Non Allowed Subjects: None
Core Participation Requirements: For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Coordinator

Assoc Prof Richard Pennell

Contact

Richard Pennell rpennell@unimelb.edu.au
Subject Overview:

An overview of the history of the world the last two generations have grown up in. The emphasis is on the world - this is not a history of Australia, but of the world beyond our shores. There are two great themes in this the period. The first is the threat and promise of nuclear power, both as a source of energy and a weapon that that underpinned the superpower rivalry of the cold war and was the background to the political independence of Africa and Asia and the economic restructuring of the world in Europe and East Asia. The second is the collapse of the superpower system in the 1980s, culminating with the abolition of the Soviet Union, and the power of popular opposition to authoritarian and tyrannical regimes, the soaring economic power of East Asia and the survival of the United States as the remaining superpower.

Objectives:

Students who successfully complete this subject should...

  • develop an ability to look at history in a critical and plural way, using both primary and secondary materials, and appreciate the existence of different approaches and perspectives.
  • develop a knowledge of the main event and forces that have shaped the world we live in
Assessment:

Essay proposal 500 words 10% (due mid-semester), research essay 1500 words 40% (due late semester), exam 50% (during examination period).

Hurdle requirement: students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject. Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day; after five days, no late assessment will be accepted. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked. All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.


Prescribed Texts:

A subject reader will be available.

Breadth Options:

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:

Students who successfully complete this subject should

  • demonstrate research skills through competent use of the library and other information sources.
  • show critical thinking and analysis through recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion, and by determining the strength of an argument.
  • demonstrate understanding of social, ethical and cultural context through the contextualisation of judgements, developing a critical self-awareness, being open to new ideas and possibilities and by constructing an argument
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: History
History
History
History Major
Media and Communications
Related Breadth Track(s): Economics in History
20th Century History
Middle East and Islam
Europe

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