A History of Violence

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 hours

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/

Every act of violence has a history. In order to more fully understand how and why violence recurs, how it has changed over time, and how it has been a driving force in history, we need to develop a more sophisticated and complex understanding of its historical origins. This subject will explore the manner in which violence has been used by individuals, communities and the state over time, as well as the way in which that use has been perceived and portrayed in the modern world, from the sixteenth century to the present. It will be organised around three key themes. First, the power and practice of violence will explore the origins, causes, and experience of violence through changing technologies – from the rifle to the smart bomb, to drones. Second, the images of violence will be explored through the spectacle and representation of violence through different media over time. Finally, an analysis of the legacies and aftermaths explores how violence is remembered and how it is forgotten. A violent act, in other words, is never erased; it continues to resonate and has an impact on contemporary society in ways that we do not always fully comprehend.

Students who successfully complete this subject should be able to:

• demonstrate a critical understanding of the types of violence that has occurred in the past; how it has been represented; and remembered;
• demonstrate a critical understanding of how scholars have theorised violence;
• understand and reflect upon theoretical and methodological issues involved with writing a history of violence; and
• improve research and interpretative skills by developing a research project which is theoretically informed.

A research essay 2500 words, 55 % (due mid semester), a reflective essay 1500 words, 40% (due in examination period) and tutorial participation 5% (throughout semester).

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

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 successfully complete this subject should be able to:

• think critically and analyse material and determine the strength of an argument through completing recommended reading, essay writing and tutorial discussion;
• demonstrate research skills through competent use of the library and other information sources;
• demonstrate an understanding of social, ethical and cultural contexts through the contextualisation of judgments, and also being open to new ideas and possibilities and expressing responses to them by constructing an argument;
• be able to communicate knowledge intelligibly and economically through essay writing and tutorial discussion;
• attention to detail, time management and planning through organising their workload and completing assessment tasks.