Australia in the World 1914 to 2014

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/

What is Australia’s place in the world? Has it shifted over time? If so, how? And why? This subject seeks answers to these questions. If offers a broad overview of Australia’s place in the world in the twentieth century. The subject will be of interest not only to students drawn to Australian history, but also to those concerned with the power of transnational relationships and their influence on domestic events. With these general questions in mind, we traverse key moments in the twentieth century: World War I; the Great Depression; World War II; the Cold War; mass immigration and multiculturalism; the protest movements of the sixties; the changing relationships between Australia and Asia; the attempt to market Australia to the world, through the Bicentenary and the Sydney Olympics; the quest for reconciliation and the republic; the recent spread of neo-liberalism; the allegedly growing importance of American culture and politics; the impact of events such as the rise of Pauline Hanson and the Tampa maritime incident; and the Global Financial Crisis.

Students who successfully complete this subject will:

• demonstrate a general understanding of the history of transnational relationships;
• demonstrate a general understanding of Australian history from WWI to the present;
• demonstrate a critical understanding of the historiography of Australian history;
• develop a critical understanding of analytical concepts, particularly, colonialism, racism, gender and class;
• improve research and interpretative skills through set tasks.

A tutorial presentation (due date selected in week 2) 10%, a document Exercise, 500 words (due early semester) 10%, a research essay, 2000 words (due mid semester) 40% and a reflective essay, 1500 words (due during the examination perio) 40%.

Hurdle requirement: students must attend 80% 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.