HISTORY 324 : Old Regime and Revolution in France c.1750-1815

Arts

2020 Semester Two (1205) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

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.

Course Overview

Two centuries after the collapse and destruction of what revolutionaries called the ‘Old Regime’, the French Revolution continues to be recognised as one of the founding events of modern history. Yet it remains a deeply enigmatic and controversial event. Revolutionaries seemingly invented (or re-invented) political liberty and civic equality, democratic suffrage and human rights; but they also invented (or re-invented) gender discrimination and political terror, ideological war and modern dictatorship. Given this rich blend of tragedy and farce, it is no surprise that the Revolution continues to feature in our discussions of politics, society, and culture as well as our understanding of the ‘modern’ world.

This course offers an introduction to the French Revolution as both European crisis and world-historical event. A background in European or French history, while helpful, is not required. The weekly lectures offer basic historical orientation, while seminar readings, discussions, and coursework go beyond the lectures to explore major problems of interpretation. Topics for the semester include the origins of the Revolution, the collapse of the ‘absolute’ monarchy, the radical experiment of mass democracy, the global contexts of slavery and emancipation, and the Revolution’s modern legacies and disputed meanings. The course will explore various approaches—the ‘social history of ideas’, gender analysis, political culture, public opinion, universal rights theory—that have influenced the historiography of the French Revolution and are relevant to other fields of history.

History 324 may share lecture time with the Stage II version of this course (History 224), but the assessment schedule, reading load, and participation expectations for History 324 are considerably more rigorous. In keeping with expectations for History Stage III courses, History 324 offers students an in-depth exposure to current historiographical debates and problems, while also encouraging students to develop higher-order skills in historical research, analysis, and argument.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 15 points at Stage II in History and 60 points passed Restriction: HISTORY 224

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand key issues and debates in French history c. 1750-1815, especially debates around the origins and consequences of societal transformations (Capability 1.1)
  2. Demonstrate fluency in historiographical debates concerning the origins, course, and consequences of the French Revolution (Capability 1.3 and 2.2)
  3. Develop skills in both primary and secondary source interpretation, and apply those skills to defined historical problems (Capability 2.2 and 3.1)
  4. Identify and evaluate the value of different historical methods and theories (Capability 2.1 and 5.2)
  5. Develop and refine students' ability to offer reasoned historical arguments in written and oral formats (Capability 4.1 and 4.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Quizzes 15% Individual Coursework
Essay (primary source or film review) 25% Individual Coursework
Tutorials 10% Individual Coursework
Essay (historiographical) 50% Individual Coursework

Next offered

2022

Learning Resources

All required readings will be accessible via Canvas. No textbook purchase is required for this course.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course in which they are enrolled, including class time, personal study, group work, and assignment preparation.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

All lecture recordings will be made available to students via Canvas, normally within 24-48 hours of the class session. Tutorial discussions are not recorded.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page (https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894), which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 07/07/2020 06:12 p.m.