Module HIST2691: EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT OF AUSTRALIA 1788-1901

Department: HISTORY

HIST2691: EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT OF AUSTRALIA 1788-1901

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To enable students to develop an understanding of the impact of European settlement on Australia 1788-1901, economically, socially and culturally.
• To encourage students at level 2 to appreciate broader historical perspectives by examining a former British 'colony of settlement' of the Southern hemisphere.
• To fulfil the generic aims of a level-2 module in History.

Content

• To gain an understanding of the impact of European settlement on Australia between 1788 and 1901.
• It considers colonisation in the context of Australia's advance from a penal colony to a self-governing nation.
• Social, economic and cultural aspects of settlement are given prominence, and issues are examined through the conceptual frameworks of imperialism, gender, race and class.
• Important underlying themes are the internal tensions generated by the evolution of a settler society, the changing character of British/-Australian relations over the period, and the emergence of notions of Australian 'identity' and 'nationhood'.

Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge and understanding of the impact of European settlement on Australia and the changing character of British/Australian relations between 1788 and 1900.
• Understanding of the various interpretations offered by historians to explain Australia's transition from a British penal colony to a self-governing nation.

• Subject specific skills for this module can be viewed at: http://www.dur.ac.uk/History/ugrads/ModuleProformaMap/;

• Key skills for this module can be viewed at: http://www.dur.ac.uk/History/ugrads/ModuleProformaMap/

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures will provide an overview and an examination of the interpretative themes of European settlement of Australia from its penal origins until federation in 1901.
• These themes will be explored through the conceptual frameworks of imperialism, race, class and gender.
• Seminars will examine significant themes and interpretations in greater depth.
• As part of the formative assessment, each student will make two seminar presentations.
• Written papers will be submitted and returned with comments and an assessed mark.
• One summative essay in each term will require students to present a longer structured argument on a chosen topic.
• Tutorials will provide opportunities to discuss students' written work and provide guidance for developing essays skills.
• Essay questions in the final examination test the student's knowledge and understanding of European settlement of Australia, their appreciation of historical explanation and analysis, and their attainment of the generic learning outcomes for a level-2 module.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

One or more short assignments submitted in writing or delivered orally and discussed either 1:1 or in a group context.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University