Semester 1, 2023 Online | |
Units : | 1 |
School or Department : | School of Humanities & Communication |
Grading basis : | Graded |
Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator:
Overview
The age of revolution and the seeds of modern democracy are traceable back to the fifteenth-century Renaissance when the works of classical-age scholars were rediscovered. This course follows the trajectory of popular sovereignty as Europe transitioned from the early modern period, 1400s-1600s, to the foundations of the modern era, 1700s-1800s. It facilitates a critical level of knowledge and the application of academic and professional skills for you to engage with the history of both power structures and forms of opposition, relevant to today鈥檚 world. You will explore the tensions between ideologies and popular resistance over a series of turbulent episodes from peasant revolts to the French and industrial revolutions. The course conceptualises deepening insights into social criticism and reflects patterns from global and twentieth and twenty-first century histories germane to students studying in the History major and minor, those studying in the Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSED), as well as in other disciplines.
In this course you will explore the history of Europe through a lens of radical change. Between the Renaissance and rise of nationalism - an epoch when events and new ideas could not be contained - Europeans increasingly resisted the constraints enforced by traditional elites and power structures. This course is framed by the concept of popular sovereignty and punctuated by the overarching themes of transformation, resistance, revolution and divergence through which students explore the nature and impact of the `voice' of the people. While encompassing political and economic pressures this history content invites discussion about the roles of semi-literate and educated men and women, who thought outside the paradigm and took advantage of the printing press. Of significance is the power of illiterate and semi-literate folk who contested injustices under Church, states and nations. You will engage in archival and scholarly research to develop knowledge, academic competencies and practical professional skills.
Course learning outcomes
On completion of this course students should be able to:
- discuss the main events and ideas influencing social forces over Europe鈥檚 transformations from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries;
- describe the concepts of popular sovereignty and social criticism, and explain critically the impact of power, gender and class relations over time;
- investigate specific case studies through scholarly research and primary source analysis within the context of providing a coherent argument;
- express critical and creative ideas meaningfully in oral and written work and ensure documentation meets History-discipline standards;
- participate in the course both independently and collaboratively by communicating insights with professional integrity and inclusivity.
Topics
Description | Weighting(%) | |
---|---|---|
1. | Interruption and transformation: Medicine, Humanism, the printing press | 25.00 |
2. | Resistance: Science, gender, contesting the law | 25.00 |
3. | Awakening and revolution: Enlightenment, politics, trauma | 25.00 |
4. | Divergence: Ideology, human rights and citizenship | 25.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
---|---|---|---|
Case Study | No | 15 | 1,2,3 |
Presentation (ind, grp, mltmd) | Yes | 25 | 1,2,3 |
Essay | No | 30 | 1,2,5 |
Time limited online examinatn | No | 30 | 1,2,3,4,5 |