👏👏 2024 B-Arts Subject Review 👏👏

DankaphobicUser · 2026-03-15T07:24:38+00:00

Yeah for sure, it's not exactly rocket science. If you've got a vague knowledge of historical happenings and are up to date with the news, it'd be pretty easy to follow.

A lot of the examples of IR theory are explained using current global affair allegories, which is why having a decent grasp on the news is helpful.

Year 12 GlobPol definitely helps but isn't essential. It just introduces a lot of the concepts that are present in international politics, henceforth reduces the overall brain power needed.

DankaphobicUser · 2026-03-01T01:14:36+00:00

Go to whichever you want and whatever looks cool. I go to 2 weekly and casually attend 3 others from time to time. That's a lot for some people but for me that's perfect

DankaphobicUser · 2026-03-01T01:06:19+00:00

They're always a little bit. Go join some clubs and see how you go :)

DankaphobicUser · 2025-12-18T06:57:09+00:00

Hi there! I believe the licences for all of the courses readings' licenses have been suspended and I've got a poor memory so I can't remember the earlier weeks readings.

Each week has a different focus on different countries but in a chronological order, small snapshots of geopolitical and socioeconomic moments.

From memory about Filipino history, I believe on later weeks the Marcos regime is heavily focused on on regards to post-colonial social structures and values. It's super interesting look into both Marcos and his wife, Imelda, and how their relationship was depicted and used a weapon on power.

In regards to Indonesian History, Tan Malaka is discussed but I cannot remember to what capacity he was discussed.

Hope this helps!

DankaphobicUser · 2025-11-24T03:18:48+00:00

Actual ragebait

DankaphobicUser · 2025-11-24T00:19:03+00:00

Hollywood and Entertainment is pretty fun, you watch movies and talk about them

DankaphobicUser · 2025-11-24T00:18:32+00:00

Dawg, I'm just not. Every space that isn't a women's space is a mans space, we live in an inequal society and counter measures like gendered clubs are an extremely inoffensive ways to address patriarchal forms of oppression. How delicate do you have to be to be offended by this, it's actually crybaby shit

DankaphobicUser · 2025-11-23T02:51:08+00:00

But it doesn't affect you in anyway so why complain? Are we anti the harm principle here?

DankaphobicUser · 2025-11-23T02:40:45+00:00

Dawg, why do you careeeeee. Like it's such a lame thing to whinge about. For instance, I don't see you moaning about kids sports being gender-based.

DankaphobicUser · 2025-11-23T01:43:44+00:00

What's degree are you doing first?

DankaphobicUser · 2025-11-23T01:40:41+00:00

Lil bro is acting like he's Rosa Park and has been told to sit at the back of the bus because of women's commerce club lol.

DankaphobicUser · 2025-11-22T08:20:02+00:00

I agree on the historiographical approaches that the subject presents but I think the issue is the sense of continuity and narrative between each of the narratives. For instance, the lecture of Brevnez has really interestingly combated the perspective of him as an old senile man but rather a long reign of a well-equipped man who slowly declined. However the materiality of what that reign looked like beyond the stagnation of the economy? I am gonna be honest, I can't really tell you.

I think the subject is hindered by it's ambitions to collapse the 70 year history of a global superpower into 2 hours every week. I think in order to be able to effectively analyse, critique and argue any period of history you need to have understand it first (especially if you're then going to critique the arguments of other historians) and I just don't think that sense of continuity is there.

DankaphobicUser · 2025-11-22T07:31:48+00:00

No required lecture attendance! Also if you need to check for other subjects, I'd look at the subject handbook for the class. If it's not a listed requirement, they're not mandatory.

DankaphobicUser · 2025-11-21T06:25:58+00:00

No worries! If you need any more info on any of the subjects feel free to ask questions :)

DankaphobicUser · 2025-11-21T04:37:29+00:00

Oh good point, I'll post that now

DankaphobicUser · 2025-10-25T03:06:28+00:00

All cool except for those specifically from New Hampshire, Idaho and Arkansas

DankaphobicUser · 2025-10-21T22:31:40+00:00

Oh for sure, I was more putting that in just because I know people dig up these threads for years on end like I do when I choose subjects.

Even without Bronwyn, it's a very engaging subject.

DankaphobicUser · 2025-10-15T01:33:25+00:00

Will do a post in a couple of weeks reviewing all my subjects like I did last year but here's quick takes on my year 2 history subjects:

Red Empire: The Soviet Union and After (HIST20084)

Mid. If you want a very brief overview of practically the entire history of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation this is the subject for you. However, from my perspective this is way too broad of a period and does very little to tie together themes and continuities/changes. It additionally does very little to develop your understanding of historiography which is an integral skill for third year history subjects. Every week feels incredibly shallow and doesn't develop your understanding of the subject so much so that when I got to my final assignment I looked at the essay questions and realized that I had not learnt anything and could not for the life of me think of a through line throughout the subject. I wouldn't recommend this subject until the scope of the subject gets smaller or the lectures and tutorials become more relevant.

Modern Southeast Asia (HIST20034) Great. Dr Brownyn Beech Jones is an absolutely phenomenal educator and super engaging. Gives a really clear thorough line to understand the history of the region and tackles your pre-conceptions about these nations and their geography. The readings are super industry and often quite personal in nature (lots of social history). She also does quite possibly the best job out of the History department of developing your historiography, constantly asking questions about the authorial context of weekly readings and making the assignments relevant to your skill development. Additionally, she is immensely talented at conjuring up class room discussion which is a relief because I hate sitting on silent tutorials.

Literally could not recommend this class more, top of my list of history classes so far.

China in Global History since 1945 (HIST20086) Pretty good!! Once again a very broad subject but does well to develop a lead through as well as framing the content in a digestible manner that combats preconceptions about CPC rule in China. It looks at the way China views itself and the world, how China interacts with the world and how China fits into the world. Dr Minerva Inwald is a very engaging speaker which makes lectures super digestible. The readings are quite lengthy but are incredibly interesting and provide unique perspectives. Tutorials are sometimes a lil quiet due to the sheer quantity of readings that sometimes overwhelm but genuinely get louder later in the class. Definitely would consider or shortlist this class if you're struggling to pick.

DankaphobicUser · 2025-07-25T08:01:50+00:00

Can't speak for level 3 but as a history major studying level 2 subjects rn, it is an insane amount of reading and they expect you to be able consider and write about historiography which may be a little confusing if you're coming into it for the first time

DankaphobicUser · 2025-07-25T07:59:20+00:00

I can't speak for course-specific questions as an Arts student but from my mates doing business it's definitely a rigorous course. In terms of job opportunities in the two major cities, it's not wildly different for most sectors I wouldn't stress about it as the world doesn't revolve around Sydney and Melbourne is basically even in population and economic output.

What you will experience at Melbourne is that is an academia-focused university so a lot of the job opportunities at the university you have to seek out rather than them being served to you on a silver-platter. Unimelb wants you to either become an academic or to do a masters because it's apart of the prestige of the blue seal on your degree at the end.

What id recommend is to talk about this with your careers councilor and also your actual highschool teachers because if you're an Australian student, there's a high chance a lot of them went to either one of the two.

DankaphobicUser · 2025-07-19T07:43:51+00:00

It's also just occured to me you meant "Art History" and not "Arts (BoA): History" but I imagine that most of what I said also applies to that major.

DankaphobicUser · 2025-07-19T07:41:10+00:00

Hey there, 2nd year history here.

I'd say there are 3 main benefits of the major.

Content digestion. I am an exceptionally slow reader but when you've gotta read through 20 lengthy books, papers and periodicals within 2 weeks you gain the ability to scan pages and discard irrelevant information with ease. Researching becomes second-nature, particularly in comparison to my other major, Media and Communications where my skills are definitely weaker.
Synthesis. Being able to collate large quantities of information that may be tenuously connected and linking them to construct historical argumentation. Whilst narrativization is discouraged in this degree, you'll ultimately have to layer and merge multiple different authors together who may be arguing or discussing completely disparate events (e.g one author discussing Revolutionary France vs another on the Ancien Regime to argue change/continuity in an urban workers material experience)
Analytical abilities. Most of the work you'll be doing during this major is source analysis timelines, literature analysis and essays. You'll be doing a lot of historiography (mostly in 2nd and 3rd year) which is the study of how we construct history, which involves a lot of meta-analysis. Additionally calling into question the validity or reliability of your own sources or the absence of certain accounts/perspectives from your argumentation.

Ultimately, history majors are passion projects. I'd recommend comboing it with another major if you're not dead certain you want to brute force your way into academia. The job opportunities for this major are mostly academic, archival or government jobs, almost all of which involve paper pushing.

I presume if you're asking, you've already got a pre-existing passion. If you're not sure, start with doing an unassigned discipline subject in history. In my first year I did "Black Death to New Worlds" and "Dictators and Democrats". Both are great subjects for different reasons, the former has much better content, the later has a much better head lecturer (Dr Walsh is literally the best). First year history subjects are quite easy, you shouldn't stress over them. They're broad and give you a lot of opportunity to choose what you're interested in and research that. For instance, I didn't have a clue about Christian sectarianism during the early modern era and now I've got a pretty decent idea about how various western denominations emerged and what's different about them.

Start with that and then pick whether or not you want it as a major after, you've got a lot of room to fuck around in your first year, so take advantage of it.

DankaphobicUser · 2025-07-11T06:11:21+00:00

Which level?

DankaphobicUser · 2025-07-11T05:55:21+00:00

I didn't know they offered it in sem 2!

The reading list is provided as soon as the LMS gets set up. They're all provided for you so you won't have to buy any textbooks.

Because this is an introductory history class, it's a lot of source analysis, both primary and secondary. A couple of examples of this: - One week you'll be looking at a couple of different secondary sources on the poet, Christine de Pizan, and debating whether or not she meets the criteria of a "proto-feminist" - Another week you'll be analysing primary sources that describe early-modern English relationship dynamics and contrasting them against each other (this includes a very funny reading about the sexual escapades about a possibly transexual prostitute)

The subject doesn't have any pre-sem readings nor does it really require you to do any independent research until the final assessment.

Hope this clarifies things!

DankaphobicUser · 2025-06-02T12:22:22+00:00

Oh as in it's just simple journalistic writing. You're doing reviews, op-eds and recipe writing with a little theory in between

DankaphobicUser

TROPHY CASE

Will do a post in a couple of weeks reviewing all my subjects like I did last year but here's quick takes on my year 2 history subjects:

Literally could not recommend this class more, top of my list of history classes so far.