Courses - Faculty of Arts
History
Stage I
Global History
It is only since the fifteenth century that a truly global dimension to history can be identified. This course examines key determinants that have bound the fate of peoples together including the emergence of world trade networks, the growth of world religions, the spread of epidemic diseases, the formation of empires, and the migration of peoples across continents.
Pacific History: An Introduction
Through analysing cross-cultural interactions and the agency of Pacific peoples, this course examines major periods of change in Pacific history from the Indigenous settlement of the Pacific to the post-WWII world.
Titiro Whakamuri
Explores Aotearoa New Zealand history by asking ‘ko wai tātou’? Who are we? Where are we? What – and who – is “Aotearoa New Zealand”? What does it mean to belong to this place, and how has this belonging changed over time? Who have been included and excluded in this history?
Restriction: HISTORY 122, 123
Rise and Fall of the USA
Examines the major themes and events in the history of the United States from the colonial period to the present. It focuses on the making and remaking of American identity, the promises and paradoxes of American freedom, struggles for justice, and the sources and implications of US power in global perspective.
Restriction: HISTORY 105
Stage II
Special Topic
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History and 30 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 318
Bloodlands: Global Warfare
Asks historical questions about warfare in the modern era. Analyses conflicts and state violence and their impacts on people and their governments in a global setting. Themes include: the causes, course and consequences of warfare; restraint in warfare; ideologies of war and peace; civil war and revolution; imperial warfare; genocide; the human impact and context of war.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History and 30 points passed or 30 points at Stage I in Global Politics and Human Rights
Restriction: HISTORY 309
African-American Freedom Struggles: USA 1900-2000
An examination of the experience of African Americans during the 'long civil rights movement' of the twentieth century, emphasising the depth and breadth of Black oppositional spirit and activity, the achievements, and remaining challenges.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History and 30 points passed, or HISTORY 103 and 30 points passed in Global Politics and Human Rights
Restriction: HISTORY 308
Health, Medicine and Society
Examines the rise of modern Western medicine since 1850 and its impact, with a particular emphasis on Britain and its colonies. Topics include public health, hospitals, nursing, psychiatry, sexual health, reproductive health, child health, tuberculosis, medicine and war, and alternative medicines.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History and 30 points passed at Stage I, or HLTHSOC 100 and 30 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 367
Mao Zedong, Revolution and China
An overview of modern Chinese history (late nineteenth century to around 1980), using the life of Mao Zedong (1893-1976) as a jumping-off point for discussions of Chinese political and cultural history. Topics include: the fall of the Qing dynasty, Western imperialism, World War II, the Cultural Revolution, economic reforms since 1976, women’s history, and religions in China.
Prerequisite: 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 313
Nazi Germany and its Legacies
An in-depth look into a period of history that has simultaneously fascinated and horrified generations of people around the world. Topics include: the origins of Nazism, Adolf Hitler and the rise of the NSDAP, life in Nazi Germany in peace and war, Hitler's foreign policy, the Second World War, the Holocaust and its myriad legacies in history and popular culture.
Prerequisite: 45 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 317
Old Regime and Revolution: France, 1750-1815
The French Revolution is recognised as a founding event of modern history. Revolutionaries reinvented political liberty, civic equality, democratic suffrage, human rights; but also reinvented gender discrimination, political terror, ideological war, dictatorship. We explore this through readings and discussions that examine the origins of the Revolution, the collapse of the monarchy, the experiment of mass democracy, and the Revolution's disputed legacies.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History and 30 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 324
Samurai and Scholars: Early Modern China and Japan
Early modern China and Japan shared not only geographical space in East Asia but also a history of cultural interaction, trade, and an enduring interest in Confucianism as a moral, philosophical, and social framework. This course explores and compares the government, trade, and culture of these two societies with a focus on the structures and patterns of everyday life.
Prerequisite: 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 222, 242, 322, 335, 342
Waitangi: Treaty to Tribunal
A history of the Treaty of Waitangi and the Waitangi Tribunal. The course explores changing understandings of the Treaty and its role in New Zealand society and history since 1840. The establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal in 1975, the development of its work, and the historical and contemporary claims brought before it will also be studied.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History, Health and Society or Politics and International Relations, or MĀORI 130 and 30 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 327
Australian History Since 1788
A survey of the history of Australia from European occupation to the present. It focuses on the lives and experiences of ordinary Australians, as well as providing an overview of the major political and economic developments across two centuries.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History and 30 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 333
Medieval Cultures: Faith, Power, Identities
Explores the social, cultural, religious and political histories of medieval Europe and its relations with wider worlds. Topics covered may vary from year to year, but will likely include social structures, the place of religious faith, gender relations, power and authority, ethnic identities, conflict and dissent, migrations, literary and artistic expressions, and responses to crises.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History and 30 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 219, 254, 268, 319, 339, 354, 368
Making Sense of the Sixties: the USA 1954-1974
An examination of the social, cultural and political history of the US in the 'long sixties', analysing the interplay of radicalism, liberalism and conservatism in this pivotal decade and giving attention to the sixties in historiography and popular memory.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History and 30 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 341
Body and Blood: Religious Cultures and Conflicts c. 50-1650
An introduction to Christianity, Islam and Judaism in the late antique and medieval periods and the conflicts which shaped them. It examines the roots of Christian and Muslim religious thinking, their interaction with Jewish and Pagan traditions, the Crusades, anti-Semitism, heresy, schisms within Christianity and the Reformation.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History and 30 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 356
New Zealand Cultural History
An introduction to changing ideas about New Zealand and New Zealand culture from colonial times to the present considering, among other topics, the history of exploration and travel, the iconography of the nation, public and private commemorations and celebrations, the history of the body and the commercialisation of leisure.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History and 30 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 352
Making Modern America 1865-1919
A survey of the United States from the end of Reconstruction through the First World War that evaluates the role of ordinary people as well as influential figures. Themes include industrialisation; labour conflict and organisation; segregation; reform; literary and intellectual movements; popular culture; imperialism; politics and the state.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History and 30 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 357
Ireland since 1798
Examines the history of Ireland from 1798 to the present. It investigates major developments in the social, cultural, political and economic history of the island from the United Irish Rising at the end of the eighteenth century to the early twenty-first century, including the creation of the state of Northern Ireland and ongoing attempts to secure a lasting peace there.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage I in History and 30 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 265, 365, 370
Atlantic Revolutions
Introduces students to early modern Atlantic history. From the mid-16th to the early 19th centuries, revolutionary upheavals in the Netherlands, England, the Americas and France made the Atlantic basin a crucible of global change. Topics include state power and imperial competition; commercial and cultural interconnections; colonisation and conflict; local and transoceanic communication networks; and the experiences of revolutionary change.
Prerequisite: 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 371
Stage III
Thinking History: Approaches to the Past
Focuses on the study of history and how historians have understood and explained the past as well as the challenges facing the discipline today. Topics include post-structuralism and history, gender and history, the nature of historical memory and the impact of non-Western perspectives on the discipline.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed
African-American Freedom Struggles: USA 1900-2000
An examination of the experience of African Americans during the 'long civil rights movement' of the twentieth century, emphasising the depth and breadth of Black oppositional spirit and activity, the achievements, and remaining challenges. Attention will also be given to the 'long civil rights movement' in historiography and popular memory.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed, or HISTORY 103 and 30 points at Stage II in Global Politics and Human Rights
Restriction: HISTORY 208
Bloodlands: Global Warfare
Asks historical questions about warfare in the modern era. Analyses conflicts and state violence and their impacts on people and their governments in a global setting. Themes include: the causes, course and consequences of warfare; restraint in warfare; ideologies of war and peace; civil war and revolution; imperial warfare; genocide; the human impact and context of war.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed or 30 points at Stage II in Global Politics and Human Rights
Restriction: HISTORY 205
Mao Zedong, Revolution and China
An overview of modern Chinese history (late nineteenth century to around 1980), using the life of Mao Zedong (1893-1976) as a jumping-off point for discussions of Chinese political and cultural history. Topics include: the fall of the Qing dynasty, Western imperialism, World War II, the Cultural Revolution, economic reforms since 1976, women’s history, and religions in China.
Prerequisite: 90 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 213
Nazi Germany and its Legacies
An in-depth look into a period of history that has simultaneously fascinated and horrified generations of people around the world. Topics include: the origins of Nazism, Adolf Hitler and the rise of the NSDAP, life in Nazi Germany in peace and war, Hitler's foreign policy, the Second World War, the Holocaust and its myriad legacies in history and popular culture.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II and 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 217
Special Topic
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 201
Old Regime and Revolution in France c.1750-1815
The French Revolution is recognised as a founding event of modern history. Revolutionaries reinvented political liberty, civic equality, democratic suffrage, human rights but also reinvented gender discrimination, political terror, ideological war, dictatorship. We explore this through readings and discussions that examine the origins of the Revolution, the collapse of the monarchy, the experiment of mass democracy, and the Revolution's disputed legacies.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 224
Waitangi: Treaty to Tribunal
A history of the Treaty of Waitangi and the Waitangi Tribunal. The course explores changing understandings of the Treaty and its role in New Zealand society and history since 1840. The establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal in 1975, the development of its work, and the historical and contemporary claims brought before it will also be studied.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed, or HISTORY 103 and 30 points at Stage II in BGlobalSt courses or Health and Society
Restriction: HISTORY 227
Australian History Since 1788
A survey of the history of Australia from European occupation to the present. It focuses on the lives and experiences of ordinary Australians, as well as providing an overview of the major political and economic developments across two centuries.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 233
Samurai and Scholars: Early Modern China and Japan
Early modern China and Japan shared not only geographical space in East Asia but also a history of cultural interaction, trade, and an enduring interest in Confucianism as a moral, philosophical, and social framework. This course explores and compares the government, trade, and culture of these two societies with a focus on the structures and patterns of everyday life.
Prerequisite: 90 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 222, 225, 242, 322, 342
Medieval Cultures: Faith, Power, Identities
Explores the social, cultural, religious and political histories of medieval Europe and its relations with wider worlds. Topics covered may vary from year to year, but will likely include social structures, the place of religious faith, gender relations, power and authority, ethnic identities, conflict and dissent, migrations, literary and artistic expressions, and responses to crises.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 219, 239, 254, 268, 319, 354, 368
Making Sense of the Sixties: the USA 1954-1974
An examination of the social, cultural and political history of the US in the 'long sixties', analysing the interplay of radicalism, liberalism and conservatism in this pivotal decade and giving attention to the sixties in historiography and popular memory.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 241
New Zealand Cultural History
An in-depth examination of the cultural history of nineteenth and twentieth century New Zealand considering, among other topics, the history of exploration and travel, the iconography of the nation, public and private commemorations and celebrations, the history of the body and the commercialisation of leisure.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 252
Body and Blood: Religious Cultures and Conflicts c.50-1650
An in-depth analysis of Christianity, Islam and Judaism in the late antique and medieval periods and the conflicts which shaped them. It examines the roots of Christian and Muslim religious thinking, their interaction with Jewish and Pagan traditions, the Crusades, anti-Semitism, heresy, schisms within Christianity and the Reformation.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 243
Making Modern America 1865-1919
An advanced survey of the United States from the end of Reconstruction through the First World War that evaluates the role of ordinary people as well as influential figures. Themes include industrialisation; labour conflict and organisation; segregation; reform; literary and intellectual movements; popular culture; imperialism; politics and the state.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 257
Health, Medicine and Society
Examines the rise of modern Western medicine since 1850 and its impact, with a particular emphasis on Britain and its colonies. Topics include public health, hospitals, nursing, psychiatry, sexual health, reproductive health, child health, tuberculosis, medicine and war, and alternative medicines.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 30 points passed, or HLTHSOC 201 and 30 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 210
Ireland since 1798
Examines the history of Ireland from 1798 to the present. It investigates major developments in the social, cultural, political and economic history of the island from the United Irish Rising at the end of the eighteenth century to the early twenty-first century, including the creation of the state of Northern Ireland and ongoing attempts to secure a lasting peace there.
Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 265, 270, 365
Atlantic Revolutions
Examines early modern Atlantic history. From the mid-16th to the early 19th centuries, revolutionary upheavals in the Netherlands, England, the Americas, and France made the Atlantic basin a crucible of global change. Topics include state power and imperial competition; commercial and cultural interconnections; colonisation and conflict; local and transoceanic communication networks; and the experiences of revolutionary change.
Prerequisite: 90 points passed
Restriction: HISTORY 271
Postgraduate 700 Level Courses
Settlers and Empire
Explores the histories of nineteenth and twentieth century British settler societies, with a particular focus on New Zealand, Australia and Canada. Examines the key conceptual frameworks and major themes for thinking about the comparative and transnational pasts of these settler societies.
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 700 A and B
Writing New Zealand
A study of the writing of New Zealand history from nineteenth century accounts through to more recent, revisionist undertakings. Considers general and overview histories, as well as key texts and the debates generated by such works. Students will have an opportunity to undertake research on a topic of their own choosing.
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 705 A and B
Topics in European Cultural History
An historical introduction to the relationship between ideologies, cultural practices, social structures and political institutions in Europe. Topics include: the political history of manners and court culture; public opinion and print culture; gender and consumerism; the history of the senses and the human body.
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 706 A and B
Texts and Contexts
Takes a broad view of the histories of culture and of communication. It links aspects of the history of ideas (historical, political, religious, scientific, legal, cultural) to the modes of their transmission (objects, performances, languages, spoken, manuscript and printed texts). It relates a wide variety of texts to the historical circumstances of their generation and reception.
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 711 A and B
Insider Histories
Considers histories from 'the inside', related debates about oral histories and oral history practice. Uses Māori histories as case studies to explore the use of oral sources and issues of subjectivity, offering practical historical research and analytical skills. Topics include: the nature of and problems with oral and other sources, balancing textual and oral sources, writing from a subject position.
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 712 A and B
Empire and Insurgency, 1840-1950
Investigates insurgency within the British Empire between 1840 and 1950. Drawing upon examples including the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the Irish Revolution, it explores how we can establish a framework for studying insurgencies, the challenges that arise for historians in comparing acts of rebellion, and how nationalist movements drew upon an empire-wide repertoire of insurgency to advance their objectives.
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 713 A and B
Topics in the History of War and Peace
An exploration of the history and historiography of war, peace and state violence from a variety of perspectives, focusing on the modern period. Topics could include the course, conduct and consequences of inter-state, civil, revolutionary and imperial warfare as well as of peace-making, internationalism, humanitarianism and the regulation of warfare in international law. Integrates a range of approaches to the study of the past, including international, military, economic, cultural, legal and social histories.
Restriction: HISTORY 716
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 715 A and B
Topics in the History of War and Peace
An exploration of the history and historiography of war, peace and state violence from a variety of perspectives, focusing on the modern period. Topics could include the course, conduct and consequences of inter-state, civil, revolutionary and imperial warfare as well as of peace-making, internationalism, humanitarianism and the regulation of warfare in international law. Integrates a range of approaches to the study of the past, including international, military, economic, cultural, legal and social histories.
Restriction: HISTORY 715
Special Topic
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 721 A and B
Health, Medicine and Society
Health and medicine within the context of the society of which they are part, with a special emphasis on New Zealand from 1840 to the present day. Various public health topics will be investigated including mental health, infant health and maternity, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, and the politics of health care.
Restriction: HISTORY 702
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 725 A and B
Uncovering United States History
Explores the arguments, assumptions, and points of view that have created and continue to create historical knowledge of the United States. The course engages with the practice of United States history and historiography, emphasising historians' ways of doing, thinking, valuing, and writing about the past.
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 734 A and B
Medieval Women, c.1100-1500
A study of the history and historiography of medieval women, this course considers what medieval women's history consists of, how it can or should be written, and why it is worth writing.
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 736 A and B
Rethinking History
An examination of key issues in the theory and practice of history, with a focus on the controversies and consequences of the so-called “poststructuralist (or linguistic) turn” of the 1980s, as well as more recent challenges. The aim is to provide a self-reflexive approach to historians' representations and interpretations of the past.
Restriction: HISTORY 710
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 737 A and B
Special Topic
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 742 A and B
Special Study
Individual research, normally related to one of the courses HISTORY 706 to HISTORY 736, selected in consultation with one or more staff members and approved by the Academic Head or nominee.
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 760 A and B, or HISTORY 760
Special Study
Individual research, normally related to one of the courses HISTORY 706 to HISTORY 736, selected in consultation with one or more staff members and approved by the Academic Head or nominee.
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 761 A and B, or HISTORY 761
Research Project - Level 9
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 780 A and B, or HISTORY 780
Dissertation - Level 9
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 793 A and B, or HISTORY 793
Thesis - Level 9
Prerequisite: A BA(Hons) in History with at least Second Class Honours, First Division, or equivalent
To complete this course students must enrol in HISTORY 796 A and B