Q. about Major Work (1 Viewer)

[youngminii]

What is it?
I looked around in the Syllabus but what am I supposed to do in the Major Work?

 

[omgd.]

oh you're meant to find a ' controversial issue ' in history, or basically any controversial issue & then write a thesis on the different perspectives & the bias & the reliability of the sources and stuff like that. But mainly its about having more than one perspective.

Some done in the past were

Princess Diana : Queen of hearts or Psycho ( perspectives from prince charles who claims shes a psycho and charities who call her the queen of hearts )

Tupac: Is he dead or alive ( this one didnt get good marks but you see the controversy )

Who killed Maralyn Monroe ?

And yeah stuff like that.
Hope that helps.
=)

 

[xeuyrawp]

What is it?
I looked around in the Syllabus but what am I supposed to do in the Major Work?

There's a whole subforum dedicated to it.

Basically, you're supposed to write about a historiographical topic. This means not just a historical issue (ie, figuring out what happened) but really investigating why certain people have written certain ways about what happened.

Check out the subforum, and even look up historiography on wikipedia for an okay introduction to it.

 

[xeuyrawp]

Princess Diana : Queen of hearts or Psycho ( perspectives from prince charles who claims shes a psycho and charities who call her the queen of hearts )

As far as I know, Charles doesn't claim she was a psycho. :-/

Deciding whether someone's a psycho or not isn't really a historical issue, let alone a historiographical issue. :-/

Tupac: Is he dead or alive ( this one didnt get good marks but you see the controversy )

As above. Furthermore, what evidence is there that he's still alive?

Who killed Maralyn Monroe ?

What's it with all the conspiracy theories? Apart from all the problems mentioned above, that's a really loaded question. Marilyn Monroe's death is usually blamed on a suicide. Sure there are ways to argue, but you can't put such an assertion in your topic.

So I'm not sure if these are really good examples of history extension topics.

 

[tpeet]

The major work invites u to select a topic that is surrounded by historiographical issues. You are then required to research ur topic (keeping a journal): read a variety of historians takes on ur chosen topic. ur job is not to decide which historian is right and which is wrong but to analyse why there is such a debate surrounding the issue. By sticking to 5 syllabus questions u can gain an understanding of what u r do to. E.g. assess why and how interpretations of ur topic has changed over time.

Topics could include:
- Attila the Hun
- Russian Revolution: the way in which historians dispute what really contributed to the success of the 1917 Revolutions
- Communism: West vs East (would have to narrow down topic a lot!!!!)
- Holocaust
etc... there are a lot of possibilities out there, u just have to be interested in the topic.

 

[sonyaleeisapixi]

As far as I know, Charles doesn't claim she was a psycho. :-/

Deciding whether someone's a psycho or not isn't really a historical issue, let alone a historiographical issue. :-/



As above. Furthermore, what evidence is there that he's still alive?



What's it with all the conspiracy theories? Apart from all the problems mentioned above, that's a really loaded question. Marilyn Monroe's death is usually blamed on a suicide. Sure there are ways to argue, but you can't put such an assertion in your topic.

So I'm not sure if these are really good examples of history extension topics.

They're not, haha.

The only examples I can think of at 9 in the morning are ones from my lovely class of four (so, go ahead, call me an arrogant bitch).


In my class we hadddd
-Mine was on the impact of postmodernism upon representations of the Vietnam war. I could speil on for hours, but thats in in a nutshell.
- one on the History Wars, focussed specifically on the Australian National Museum (It had some sort of twist to it, a different perspective. I feel like a terrible friend but I can't remember what it was)
- On the claim by Gavin Menzies that China discovered the world. Arguments aurrounding the historical sources that prove and disprove.
- Annd on the role of feminism in modern interpretations of Hatshepsut (or something, again I feel terrible friend for not being able to remember)



You can see how narrow, OP, these areas become. Make it something you love live and breath, and have passion for, otherwise it'll become tedious.

 

[brad616]

They're not, haha.

The only examples I can think of at 9 in the morning are ones from my lovely class of four (so, go ahead, call me an arrogant bitch).


In my class we hadddd
-Mine was on the impact of postmodernism upon representations of the Vietnam war. I could speil on for hours, but thats in in a nutshell.
- one on the History Wars, focussed specifically on the Australian National Museum (It had some sort of twist to it, a different perspective. I feel like a terrible friend but I can't remember what it was)
- On the claim by Gavin Menzies that China discovered the world. Arguments aurrounding the historical sources that prove and disprove.
- Annd on the role of feminism in modern interpretations of Hatshepsut (or something, again I feel terrible friend for not being able to remember)



You can see how narrow, OP, these areas become. Make it something you love live and breath, and have passion for, otherwise it'll become tedious.

Is it just me or does any one else that History Extension is WAY TOO MUCH WORK FOR 1U. It is double English Extension 1 and more than Mathematics Extension it should be a major work OR a 2 hour paper but not BOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sonyaleeisapixi]

Is it just me or does any one else that History Extension is WAY TOO MUCH WORK FOR 1U. It is double English Extension 1 and more than Mathematics Extension it should be a major work OR a 2 hour paper but not BOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I remember my teacher correctly, this was one of main arguments against the course when it was first developed. He attended alot of the arguments about it and said he distinctly remembers some representitive from some uni I can't remember being asked her thoughts on it, and she said it was third year honours work.

Of course its entirely possible thats just my teacher trying to assure me when I freak out that I'm doing very well.

But my teacher did refuse to teach it the first few years after it came out as he thought students would be unable to handle it. It took him a while to realise they could.


But, I love the course as it is (Though I think ideally it should be spread over 11 and 12. This is because I love it and one year isnt enough =[) I think the physical process of doing what a historian does really drives home the course in terms of understanding. Its duality is brilliant.

I heard somewhere they were going to change the course though?

 

[brad616]

If I remember my teacher correctly, this was one of main arguments against the course when it was first developed. He attended alot of the arguments about it and said he distinctly remembers some representitive from some uni I can't remember being asked her thoughts on it, and she said it was third year honours work.

Of course its entirely possible thats just my teacher trying to assure me when I freak out that I'm doing very well.

But my teacher did refuse to teach it the first few years after it came out as he thought students would be unable to handle it. It took him a while to realise they could.


But, I love the course as it is (Though I think ideally it should be spread over 11 and 12. This is because I love it and one year isnt enough =[) I think the physical process of doing what a historian does really drives home the course in terms of understanding. Its duality is brilliant.

I heard somewhere they were going to change the course though?

Yes I also love the course and love history and English with a pasasion! However, I dont understand why its so much. I think its good that they might be changing it however its a little late for us

 

[omgd.]

As far as I know, Charles doesn't claim she was a psycho. :-/

Deciding whether someone's a psycho or not isn't really a historical issue, let alone a historiographical issue. :-/



As above. Furthermore, what evidence is there that he's still alive?



What's it with all the conspiracy theories? Apart from all the problems mentioned above, that's a really loaded question. Marilyn Monroe's death is usually blamed on a suicide. Sure there are ways to argue, but you can't put such an assertion in your topic.

So I'm not sure if these are really good examples of history extension topics.

yeah i know theyre not good topics... i think i mentioned that in my response ><"
but theyre the only examples that ive been told of
so thats all i could say.....
its better to offer some help than none
at least they get an idea....

 

[Kimia2409]

yeah i think it definitely should be spread over 2 years. great course. but i agree with sonyalee, do something you're into because the amount of work involved will KILL YOU if you aren't interested in it

 

[youngminii]

I see I see
(Oh yeah, this subject IS heaps of work for 1u..)
My primary motive of choosing this subject was to help me gain a better understanding of history and writing about history in order to help me gain marks in Modern History

Anyways, this major work sounds like fun
I'll probably tie it in with what we're gonna learn in Modern History (Russia/Trotsky)

 

[sonyaleeisapixi]

I see I see
(Oh yeah, this subject IS heaps of work for 1u..)
My primary motive of choosing this subject was to help me gain a better understanding of history and writing about history in order to help me gain marks in Modern History

Anyways, this major work sounds like fun
I'll probably tie it in with what we're gonna learn in Modern History (Russia/Trotsky)

You'll find this subject becomes really helpful in your Core study's last question and when you integrate historians arguments into your other modules.

 

[sonyaleeisapixi]

And the MW is a tonne of fun!

 

[youngminii]

You'll find this subject becomes really helpful in your Core study's last question and when you integrate historians arguments into your other modules.

We have to do that? Yay, advantage for me
My Modern History is weird.. It's like, our class is in direct competition with the other Modern class, and the teacher's don't hide that fact
They're constantly sneaking behind each other's backs to give us more information than the other class
And my History Extension class is taught by the other class's teacher.. So I'm kinda cut off from using my peers as a resource in the Extension class ==;;
Except that one guy who does Ancient, but he's weird

Anyways, if I find the MW to be too much to handle, I'm simply gonna drop this subject the day before it's due

 

[Kujah]

Aren't you not allowed to do investigations based on topics from the Ancient/Modern syllabus?

 

[sonyaleeisapixi]

Aren't you not allowed to do investigations based on topics from the Ancient/Modern syllabus?

Technically yes, but because they're marked internally there alot of leniency.

 

[youngminii]

Aren't you not allowed to do investigations based on topics from the Ancient/Modern syllabus?

What the fock
Really?
Damn.

 

[sonyaleeisapixi]

What the fock
Really?
Damn.

Really
But see with mine on Vietnam, technically it was a focus on post modernism examplified by Vietnam. It wasnt a study on the conflict, it was a study on postmodernism impact on the representation of conflicts as a whole examplified by Vietnam.
Soyeah. Loopholeish.

 

[youngminii]

Hmm, well if it's gotta be on something I haven't done in class(directly) and something I want to enjoy..
I might do something along the lines of.. World War II, something to do with them
I love wars. The bigger, the better(that's what she said )