American Publics

Subject HIST40032 (2011)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2011.

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 4 (Undergraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject is not offered in 2011.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: A 2-hour seminar per week
Total Time Commitment: 10 hours per week: total time commitment 120 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/

Contact

Dr David Goodman d.goodman@unimelb.edu.au
Subject Overview:

The theme of this seminar is the history of public and civic life in the USA from the Revolution to the present. Particular attention will be given to the changing forms of public life and to the hopes and fears held about the impact of successive new media - print, radio and television, the internet - on the quality of public life. Americans have so often had a particular preoccuption with the quality of their civic and public life, and a fear that it was in decline, and these laments form one strand. The seminar also studies the history of challenging the boundaries of American public life and citizenship from the Revolution to the present - high temperature issues about who could vote, about segregation and immigration.

Objectives:

Students who successfully complete this subject should...

  • understand the social, ethical and cultural context of events in the history of the American public sphere, as evidenced by the contextualisation of judgments,
Assessment: A research essay 3000 words 60% (due late in semester) and a reflective essay 1500 words 30% (due in exam period) and a collaborative doc ument exercise 500 words 10% (due late in semester)
Prescribed Texts: A subject reader will be available.
Breadth Options:

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:

Students who successfully complete this subject should

  • be able to show an advanced understanding of the changing knowledge base in the specialist area.
  • be able to evaluate and synthesise the research and professional literature in the discipline.
  • develop an appreciation of the design, conduct and reporting of original research
Related Course(s): Master of Arts in History (Advanced Seminars and Shorter Thesis)
Master of International Studies
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: History
History
History
History

Download PDF version.