52671 Histories of the Present
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Anti-requisite(s): 54082 Sex, Race and Empire
Description
This subject introduces students to the histories of contemporary political, economic and social issues confronting the world. Taking a historical perspective enables a deeper understanding of the key challenges of our time, including global inequality, racism, climate change, and immigration. Drawing on historical method, students develop skills in broad contextualisation, long-term thinking, document analysis and archival research. By engaging first-hand with archives and close reading of texts, students emerge with the ability to critically interpret the past and how it continues to shape present social structures.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Contextualise contemporary problems and policy issues within broader global historical developments |
|---|---|
| b. | Formulate arguments and justify them with support from both archival sources and academic scholarship |
| c. | Reflect critically on different perspectives and experiences across transnational contexts |
| d. | Communicate effectively and professionally in both oral and written formats |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
- Apply theoretically informed understandings of communication industries to independent and collaborative projects across a range of media (1.2)
- Employ appropriate research and inquiry skills to independently gather, organise and analyse information across diverse platforms (2.1)
- Act as reflexive critical thinkers and innovative creative practitioners who evaluate their own and others' work (2.2)
- Demonstrate a strong awareness, knowledge of, and sensitivity to, diversity, equity and global contexts (3.1)
- Analyse and act ethically in the personal, political and professional contexts of civil society (5.1)
- Exemplify effective and appropriate communication in different communication industry contexts (6.1)
Teaching and learning strategies
Teaching in this subject will involve a blended learning approach, combining synchronous and asynchronous activities. Synchronous activities may include seminar-style discussion and collaborative learning exercises. Asynchronous activities may include pre-recorded lectures, quizzes, source analysis exercises or other online activities. Early formative feedback is provided through the completion of hands-on learning activities designed to test and support students’ conceptual knowledge and critical analysis. The three assessment tasks in the subject each link and build on each other, so that summative feedback from one assessment can be directly applied to the next and students engage in an authentic experience of the iterative nature of developing research projects.
Content (topics)
This subject explores the development of the modern world by examining how important global political, economic and social structures and institutions came into existence across transnational contexts. A variety of historical theories and approaches, in particular the principles and methodologies of archival research, are introduced in order to empower students with the skills necessary to understand the past as a way of making sense of the present. Students formulate nuanced perspectives on contemporary challenges and problems through the processes of historical contextualisation and archival research.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Oral Presentation – My Archive
| Objective(s): | a, b, c and d | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 4 minutes | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Literature Review – Situating the Archive
| Objective(s): | a, b, c and d | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 750 words including in-text referencing | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Policy Background Paper
| Objective(s): | a, b, c and d | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 1500 words | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
Attendance at classes is essential in this subject. Classes are based on a collaborative approach that involves essential work-shopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor. A roll will be taken at each class. Students who have more than two absences from class will be refused final assessment (see Rule 3.8).
Required texts
There are no required textbooks for this subject. Required readings will be available via UTS Library and the Canvas subject site.
Recommended texts
A list of additional resources for each week wil be available via UTS Library and the Canvas subject site.