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The History Matrix: The Making of the Modern World - ARTS1271
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Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Undergraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 6
 
 
EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)
 
 
Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 3
 
 
Excluded: HIST1019, HIST1021, HIST2000, INST1004, INST2000, INST2001, SPAN2432
 
 
Fee Band:   (more info)
 
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
  

Description

The History Matrix focuses on the major forces and features of modern world history, departing from the narrative and skills imparted in the History Gateway course, World History: the Big Picture. Taking the late industrial revolution as a starting point (c.1850s), the course aims to explain the primary processes that have shaped the twentieth century in particular, as a means of understanding the world we now live in. We do not attempt to achieve complete global coverage in twelve weeks, rather we focus on themes and occurrences which had repercussions for all regions of the world. In particular, a focus of the course will be to determine the linkages and connections between east and west, in the interests of retrieving, as far as this is possible, a global history which is not dictated primarily by events in ‘Euro-America’. The main themes that will be examined include colonialism, modernity, nationalism, decolonisation, communism, fascism, total war, genocide, communications, development, feminisms, cold war, consumerism, globalisation and environment.

Chief Concepts to be covered include: Marxism in the interpretation of history; Orientalism; Modernity; Cultural History; Transnational history; Historicism, Race, Revisionism; Eurocentrism; Postmodernism; End of history. These topics act as a matrix for historical understanding at upper levels of study in the humanities.

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© The University of New South Wales (CRICOS Provider No.: 00098G), 2004-2011. The information contained in this Handbook is indicative only. While every effort is made to keep this information up-to-date, the University reserves the right to discontinue or vary arrangements, programs and courses at any time without notice and at its discretion. While the University will try to avoid or minimise any inconvenience, changes may also be made to programs, courses and staff after enrolment. The University may also set limits on the number of students in a course.