Students

MHIS211 – War and Peace in World History

2015 – S2 External

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Leigh Boucher
Contact via leigh.boucher@mq.edu.au
W6A 405
Thur 3-4
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
12cp or (3cp in HIST or MHIS or POL units)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit looks at the ways in which issues of war and peace are shaped by specific cultural and historical conditions that can only be understood in broader international context. While war can be viewed purely in terms of military strategy and through the lens of advancing armies, it also has wider social, economic and cultural meanings that situate men and women as historical actors in the formation of cultures and societies and the construction of new world orders. By looking at the many situations in which wars have been fought across the world under the banner of political cause, national freedom, dynastic and religious crusade, we ponder the ways in which war is the arena in which national and imperial memory has been forged. Our travels will take us to Britain, India, Germany, the United States of America, South Africa, Japan, Algeria, Vietnam, New Zealand and Australia to look at the role of war in the construction of historical memory. We also pay particular attention to the experiences of women in war, to the colonial context of much international conflict and to the moral questions that arise from notions such as winning and losing.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • A schematic knowledge of major conflicts and efforts to make peace in modern history
  • An understanding of how empirical research and methodological debate has expanded and challenged existing historiography.
  • The ability to locate, identify, read and analyse original documents from a variety of sources and perspectives with some guidance; to summarise, transcribe and catalogue information as appropriate.
  • An ability to critically evaluate the arguments of other historians (both theoretically and empirically).
  • An ability to locate, identify, read and analyze existing historical research with some guidance
  • The ability to clearly communicate a point of view about the past using the terminology and techniques accepted in the historical profession in oral form.
  • The ability to clearly communicate a point of view about the past using the terminology and techniques accepted in the historical profession in oral form.
  • Understand the ways in which war and peace are experienced differently (according to gender, race, class, sexuality and historical location)
  • An ability to consider how practices of remembrance are shaped by political contexts

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Online Forum Participation 20% Throughout Semester
Prelm Research Essay 15% 31 Aug, 5pm
Research Essay 35% 16 Oct 5pm
Final Exam 30% Examination Period

Online Forum Participation

Due: Throughout Semester
Weighting: 20%

Online students must contirbute to at east 70% of the online discussions, at the end of semester, students will collate and submit their 5 best posts for marking.

Students will be assessed according to the following criteria (across the semester)

  • demonstrated knowledge of required material
  • critical engagement with required material
  • ethical and sensitive engagement with classmates

On successful completion you will be able to:
  • An ability to critically evaluate the arguments of other historians (both theoretically and empirically).
  • The ability to clearly communicate a point of view about the past using the terminology and techniques accepted in the historical profession in oral form.
  • Understand the ways in which war and peace are experienced differently (according to gender, race, class, sexuality and historical location)
  • An ability to consider how practices of remembrance are shaped by political contexts

Prelm Research Essay

Due: 31 Aug, 5pm
Weighting: 15%

In this task you will follow an intellectual conversation backwards (via a footnote) and forwards (via a citation search) from one supplied secondary source.  You will demonstrate an understanding of the historical interpretations offered in each, and, consider how they relate to the topic of your research essay. A full assessment guide will be available via ilearn.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • An understanding of how empirical research and methodological debate has expanded and challenged existing historiography.
  • The ability to locate, identify, read and analyse original documents from a variety of sources and perspectives with some guidance; to summarise, transcribe and catalogue information as appropriate.
  • An ability to critically evaluate the arguments of other historians (both theoretically and empirically).
  • An ability to locate, identify, read and analyze existing historical research with some guidance
  • The ability to clearly communicate a point of view about the past using the terminology and techniques accepted in the historical profession in oral form.

Research Essay

Due: 16 Oct 5pm
Weighting: 35%

In this task you will write an academic research paper answering one question from the list supplied, building on the feedback from your preliminary exercise and augmenting it with further research.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • A schematic knowledge of major conflicts and efforts to make peace in modern history
  • An understanding of how empirical research and methodological debate has expanded and challenged existing historiography.
  • The ability to locate, identify, read and analyse original documents from a variety of sources and perspectives with some guidance; to summarise, transcribe and catalogue information as appropriate.
  • An ability to critically evaluate the arguments of other historians (both theoretically and empirically).
  • An ability to locate, identify, read and analyze existing historical research with some guidance
  • The ability to clearly communicate a point of view about the past using the terminology and techniques accepted in the historical profession in oral form.

Final Exam

Due: Examination Period
Weighting: 30%

The exam will consist of 5 short answer questions and a long essay (students will be given a list of 10) and an essay.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • A schematic knowledge of major conflicts and efforts to make peace in modern history
  • An understanding of how empirical research and methodological debate has expanded and challenged existing historiography.
  • An ability to critically evaluate the arguments of other historians (both theoretically and empirically).
  • The ability to clearly communicate a point of view about the past using the terminology and techniques accepted in the historical profession in oral form.
  • Understand the ways in which war and peace are experienced differently (according to gender, race, class, sexuality and historical location)
  • An ability to consider how practices of remembrance are shaped by political contexts

Delivery and Resources

This unit will work a little differently to units you may have completed before.  Each week, students will need to complete 3 hours of prep work (a mixture of audio lectures and readings).  On campus students will then participate in a 2 hour seminar that combines short lectures, small group work and critical discussion.  External students will participate in an online forum that replicates these activities.

Unit Schedule

Please consult 'ilearn' for a detailed outline of lectures, tutorials and reading materials.  

Week 1: Introduction – Historical Contingency, War and Peace

Week 2: The Military Revolution, Peace and Religious Dissent

Week 3: Nation Peace and War in the 18th C

Week 4: Imperial Conflicts and Rebellion

Week 5: Nation Peace and War in the 19th C

Week 6: WWI and the Invitation to Manliness

Week 7: The Affects of WWI

Week 8: WWII and Women

Week 9: Cold and Hot War

Week 10: Anti-colonial wars

Week 11: Reading Week

Week 12: Peacekeeping and Peacemaking

Week 13: Conclusion – Insecurity, Terror and the Language of War

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/

Results

Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au.

Extensions

If you face illness or serious misadventure, you should lodge a "Disruption to Studies" application via the Student Services desk, ground floor, W6A.  If you have legitimate grounds to seek an extension or alternative form of assessment, this will only occur through this process.  Please ensure you notify your seminar leader of your intention to do so.  Late submissions will be penalised 2% of the available mark per day.  There will be no extensions granted for the take home paper (on campus students).

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Graduate Capabilities

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment task

  • Final Exam

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment task

  • Research Essay

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment task

  • Online Forum Participation

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • A schematic knowledge of major conflicts and efforts to make peace in modern history
  • An understanding of how empirical research and methodological debate has expanded and challenged existing historiography.
  • The ability to locate, identify, read and analyse original documents from a variety of sources and perspectives with some guidance; to summarise, transcribe and catalogue information as appropriate.

Assessment tasks

  • Prelm Research Essay
  • Research Essay

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • An ability to critically evaluate the arguments of other historians (both theoretically and empirically).

Assessment tasks

  • Online Forum Participation
  • Prelm Research Essay
  • Research Essay
  • Final Exam

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • An ability to locate, identify, read and analyze existing historical research with some guidance

Assessment tasks

  • Prelm Research Essay
  • Research Essay

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • The ability to clearly communicate a point of view about the past using the terminology and techniques accepted in the historical profession in oral form.
  • The ability to clearly communicate a point of view about the past using the terminology and techniques accepted in the historical profession in oral form.

Assessment tasks

  • Online Forum Participation
  • Prelm Research Essay
  • Research Essay
  • Final Exam

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Assessment tasks

  • Online Forum Participation
  • Final Exam

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the ways in which war and peace are experienced differently (according to gender, race, class, sexuality and historical location)
  • An ability to consider how practices of remembrance are shaped by political contexts

Assessment task

  • Final Exam

Changes from Previous Offering

The unit structure has been redesigned in order to maximise student participation.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
23/07/2015 In the initial unit guide, the submission date for the research essay was incorrectly set as 16 May, this has been corrected.