ATS3080 - Remembering the past - 2017

Why and how do individuals and communities such as nations remember and forget the past? How are individual and collective representations of the past produced and transmitted, and received or rejected? What determines why some representations of the past triumph while others fail, and what are the implications of this for relationships of power within a society? Why has there been a boom in the phenomenon of memory in recent times as well as a surge in scholarly interest in the study of it? How has memory contributed to our historical knowledge? What have been the main approaches, key concepts and principal methods utilised in the study of memory? How has memory contributed to our historical knowledge, and what is the relationship between memory and history? In this unit we will explore the expanding field of memory studies by considering a series of case studies of how communities and individuals remember the past, from the medieval period to the present.

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the field of Memory Studies and be able to identify some of the key approaches used by scholars in the field
2. Gain an understanding of the relationship between memory and history
3. Demonstrate an understanding of how and why individuals and groups construct collective representations of their pasts, and how these are circulated, received or rejected
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the field's major approaches and methods, and the problems of these
5. Gain an understanding of the reasons why memory has exploded as a topic of popular interest and scholarly consideration
6. Demonstrate oral and written skills in constructing evidence-based arguments using a variety of primary and secondary sources
7. Demonstrate an ability to reflect critically on what they have learned

Within semester assessment: 100%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Associate Professor Megan Cassidy-Welch

History

Twelve credit points of second-year Arts units.