Current course offerings

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Course description

From ancient Athens and Rome to Chang'an (Xian) in China, Edo (Tokyo) in Japan and Paris and New York, cities have been the stage for the great dramas of human history. Whether as seats of monarchies and political power, seedbeds of subversion and revolution, or centres of trade and innovation and culture, cities have punctuated human history - they might even be humankind¿s greatest achievement. HIST3302 The City in History is a broad-ranging thematic course that seeks to explore the essence of urbanism and the urban experience through time via a wide set of case studies. Major cities from the ancient world to the present day are examined through developments in politics, social life, religion, urban reform and culture. We explore the urban spectacles of power, creativity, conflict and innovation from ancient Europe to Asia, the Americas and contemporary Australia. The course is thus concerned with the interconnections between urban places and human culture throughout recorded history. It suggests that the built fabric of cities is a material embodiment of historical developments in human society, economics, politics and culture. Particular cities and moments in time can be viewed as focal points to exemplify major patterns in human history. More broadly, the symbolic and iconic qualities of urban imagery (as in `the holy city¿, `the city of light¿, etc) appear as recurring motifs in the history of human culture. HIST3302 emphasises the value of diverse perspectives, and accordingly does not use a single theoretical framework. Students are encouraged to use multiple historical sources including text, images and sound. They are encouraged to draw on a variety of insights and perspectives not only from history but also from urban studies, cultural studies, literary criticism and art history. They will be discussed and used as tools to further our understanding of cities¿ historical roles and functions.

Archived offerings