A History of Violence

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://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 2500 word research essay due mid semester (55%)
• A 1500 word reflective essay due in the examination period (40%)
• Tutorial participation (5%)

Hurdle requirement:

• Students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject.
• All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.

Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day. After five days late assessment will not be marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

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; and
• demonstrate attention to detail, time management and planning through organising their workload and completing assessment tasks.