HIS4235 – Modern Global Society: Its History and Historiography
Course content
Modern global society is the world we live in. Yet different societies arrived at this modern world via different trajectories. To study it, some scholars segment it into social realms, distinguishing the state, the economy, the public, and the private sphere. Others question the very premise of a singularmodern global society, arguing that the concept is shaped by the legacies of European colonialism. Some take modern principles of governance into view, focusing on formal laws, informal conventions, or internalised norms (‘governmentality’). Still others start with different kinds of actors populating society with different levels of power and influence, including organisations (companies, clubs, etc.), individuals, and non-human actors like animals and machines.
Historians and social scientists focusing on actors point out that relations between them are marked by differences in wealth, status, identity, and belief. They ask how social actors connect nevertheless and find shared cultures, common interests, or engage with other actors with whom they come into contact in expected and unexpected ways. Pointing out that actors migrate, communicate, and trade around the globe, scholars will agree that modern society is both global in its geographical scope and diverse in the political and cultural meanings it produces. At the same time, they will acknowledge the continuous importance of the nation as a key component of modern society.
The course pursues two major aims. Firstly, it encourages students to look at modern global society from a historical perspective. Since historical reflection is able to put current issues into fresh perspective, it will zoom in on central aspects of modern society from work to play, from knowledge to consumption to see how these have developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to shape the world we live in. Secondly and in addition to histories of modern global society, the course introduces students to important debates in the historiography of modern society. We ask why historians have turned to certain questions and how they conducted their research and built arguments. Reading pivotal texts on concepts like class and gender, structure and agency, the public and the private sphere, the course intends to deepen students’ understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of historical research on the topic.
Learning outcome
Upon completion of this course, students are expected to
- be familiar with recent and pertinent trends in historiographical research on the history of modern society
- have knowledge and experience on how to critically engage with historiographical research
- have insight into influential concepts that inform historiographical interpretations of key topics in the history of modern society
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Competencies:
After taking this course, a student will be able to:
- know how to design and implement an independent paper project on a topic in the history of modern society
- initiate and participate in discussions of texts and research in the history of modern society
- read different types of academic texts in a critical and independent manner
- work with others in small groups and give feedback on others’ work.
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
The course is available to students admitted to the master's programmes in History, European History, and master`s specialization in history at the Teacher Education Programme.
Students enrolled in other Master`s Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Recommended previous knowledge
To take this course students have to have a basic understanding of the historian’s craft, which includes the ability to find and read research relevant historiographical literature and to identify and analyse primary sources. A good ability to read and understand English is also required.
Teaching
The course is taught in seminars, where the students will be active partakers. Students are expected to prepare the seminar readings for discussion and to contribute orally to the course.?
Compulsory assignments
- a proposal and a draft on the topic of the course paper (individual work)
- give feedback on other students’ proposals and drafts (group work)
Specific information about mandatory activities will be given in class and in Canvas. Absence of up to two seminars can be approved by agreement with the teacher(s).
Examination
The course is assessed by term paper of maximum 5000 words on a relevant topic, chosen by the student and developed in communication with the teachers of the course.
Detailed information will be given in class and in Canvas.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- How to use AI as a student
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.