History 114/144
Our first-year modules are designed to broaden your understanding of key events, cultures, and trends that have shaped human history, this foundational course introduces you to historical inquiry, helping you develop skills in analysis, critical thinking, and effective communication.
History 114: Introduction to the Main Global Patterns and Developments in History
We study: Nomadic societies; the agricultural revolution and the emergence and development of complex societies; the emergence of modernity and the industrial revolution; and the historical construction of the modern globalising world. History 144: Survey of South African History
This module investigates: debates on the settlement of population groups in South Africa; the historical significance of 19th-century migrations; the mineral revolution and its impact on modern South Africa; Afrikaner nationalism; segregation and apartheid; black nationalism and politics in the 20th century, and South Africa and the outside world.
History 214/244
Our intermediate courses are perfect for students with interdisciplinary interests. As the courses delve into some of the key historical processes that have shaped our present, students can combine history with other humanities subjects, providing a well-rounded academic experience.
History 214: Key Processes in the Making of Western History
This module first looks at state formation, the Renaissance and revolutions: the origins of the modern state; the Renaissance as cultural phenomenon; the origins, dynamics and impact of historical revolutions. It also investigates wealth and poverty in Western history: changing views and attitudes; perspectives on systems such as socialism, capitalism and communism; dimensions of the culture of wealth and poverty.
History 244: Africa and South Africa: Colonisation and the Rearrangement of Societies
The first theme we address is Africa and the West in the 19th century: colonial policies in Africa; the political, cultural and economic impact of the colonisation of Africa in the 19th century. We them move onto South Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries: the political and cultural dynamics of 18th- and 19th-century Cape societies; the establishment of new black empires and white republics in the interior in the 19th century; the mineral revolution: the making of a new political and cultural social order.
History 318/348
These advanced courses require critical thinking and robust analytical skills as we focus on selected themes in twentieth century history and start to develop the fundamental research skills that prepare our students for postgraduate programmes and professional opportunities.
History 318: Twentieth Century History: A Global Perspective
We study selected themes in twentieth century history from political, environmental and social history perspectives, including: global social, environmental, economic, demographic, and political shifts and cultural change: religion, gender, and class; changes in the civil society, education, the arts, and science in the twentieth century. This module also engages with the basic idea of historiography and basic historical methodology. We then delve into colonial liberation and nation building in the 20th century: the end of the formal imperial era; independence movements in Africa and India; new states; cultural dimensions of independence: the search for a “pure” African culture in a globalising world; and Africa in a globalising world.
History 348: South Africa in the 20th Century
This module investigates: perspectives on the Anglo-Boer War; wealth and poverty as persistent factors in 20th-century South Africa; cultural and political dimensions of the rise and disintegration of Afrikaner nationalism; perspectives on apartheid; the growth and dynamics of black political organisations and the change in power relations in 1994; women and change in South African society; American cultural influences on black and white South Africa in historical perspective