131-130 Approaches to Social History

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Subject Description

The term 'social history' was initially used to describe history which concerned itself with those social groups and dimensions of life outside the world of élite institutional politics. But what are the most useful ways of approaching the history of those people about whom the 'historical record', until recently, has usually been silent? This subject considers debates about the nature of social history and examples of approaches to it, including studies of urban and rural history, ethnicity and gender, popular protest and the social history of ideas. Case-studies of recent social history are used, ranging from eighteenth-century France and nineteenth-century Russia to twentieth-century Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Assessment

Written work totalling 5000 words.