Rebels and Revolutionaries

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

8.5 hours per week: total time commitment 102 hours

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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/

Rebels and revolutionaries make history. How do they do so? And with what consequences? This unit surveys the modern history of rebellion over more than 200 years. It is structured around the career of significant rebels, from Lenin to Gandhi, from the Suffragettes to Julian Assange. Attention is directed to three major issues: the historical context that incites rebellion; the political techniques rebels adopt and perfect; and the influence of rebels on later struggles. Because the course is organised chronologically, students engage not only with individual struggles, but also learn about the changing forms of political action over time.

On completion of the subject, students should

• have a detailed knowledge of the history of modern political rebellion
• have an understanding of the context that incites rebellion, of the changing techniques developed by rebels, and of the influence of earlier struggles on later movements
• understand the views and actions of those who lived in earlier times
• develop an aptitude in building historical explanations
• develop the ability to use historical knowledge to illuminate the conflicts and possibilities of the present

Research Essay (2,500 words, due mid semester) (55%). Reflective Essay (1,500 words, due at end of semester) (35%). Tutorial Participation and Presentation (10%).

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.

Subject readings will be available online

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

• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

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.

Students who complete this subject will

• research through competent use of the library and other information sources, and the definition of areas of inquiry and methods of research
• critical thinking and analysis through recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion, and by determining the strength of an argument
• thinking in theoretical terms through lectures, tutorial discussion, essay writing and engagement in the methodologies of the humanities and social sciences
• 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
• communicating knowledge intelligibly and economically through essay writing and tutorial discussion
• written communication through essay preparation and writing