Whose History? Dr Paul Sendziuk School of History and Politics The University of Adelaide

Session Aims   to consider the different view points from which history is presented and contemplate whose stories get left out   to challenge the primacy of ‘Great Man’ history   to understand the revolution that has taken place in the way in which history is written (and whose stories are told)   to suggest ways in which the teaching of history can be combined with other disciplines (and incorporated into other lesson plans)

For your assigned ‘historiographical’ approach:   Whose stories are privileged?   When and why did your particular historiographical school emerge?   What were the practitioners of your historiographical school reacting against? Can you name any practitioners?   Identify things that characterise your historiographical school   Identify some 'pros' and 'cons' with employing your particular approach to writing history

‘Great Man’ History   the history of monarchs, emperors, politicians and military leaders that apportions achievement to individual talents   the history of extraordinary achievers – scientists, explorers, inventors - that focuses on individual genius   dominant narrative from 19thC until 1960s

Marxist History   emerges as a discipline in Western universities in 1960s “Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past.” - Karl Marx, The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, 1852   posits that historical factors, and structural conditions, conspire against our best intentions – they are inescapable and constrain our choices and course of action   class is paramount, and class conflict drives history   individual genius or agency is downplayed

Feminist History   emerges out of fight for women’s rights and recognition in 1960s and 1970s   gender becomes a key analytical tool   the construction of ‘femininity’ and ‘masculinity’ at different points in time explains the way in which society works   oppression/exploitation of women drives the economy   argues for the need to (a) write women back into historical narratives; (b) explain the consequences of their subordination   problem of sources and language

Histories of Race   emerges out of civil rights movement in 1960s and 1970s   race becomes a key analytical tool   the construction of racial superiority and inferiority at different points in time explains the way that society works   oppression/exploitation of people of subordinated races drives the economy   argues for the need to explain the consequences of racist discourses and the subordination of people of different races

Environmental History   emerges out of ecology movement in 1960s and 1970s (but was practiced by Annales historians in France in 1940s and 50s)   views humans as insignificant compared to the elements of nature – major challenge to ‘Great Man’ history   element forces of climate, topography and disease are powerful agents of change – any historical account must take into consideration how they influence human events - -Aboriginal-European conflict exacerbated by drought - -Colonisation of ‘New World’ - -‘Spanish Flu’ > WW1

History on Film   Use of film to teach and learn about history remains more influential than other ICT-based methods (ICT = information & computer technology)   Is film an effective medium to convey history? Can the roles of film-maker and historian be effectively combined?   Are there characteristics of the film-making process (such as the need to attract a wide audience to justify the production costs), which compromise the integrity of the story (i.e. history)?