HIST1534 = A Brief History of the Whole World

This course presents a brief decolonial global history of the world, beginning two hundred thousand years ago and extending to the twentieth century. It emphasises the place of Africa and Africans in the development of our modern global society. It touches on important themes and events across the world that shaped social, cultural, political and economic relations in our long human history, deconstructing the centrality of the nation-state in world history.

HIST1644 = Histories, Historians and History-makers

This course introduces history as an academic discipline. It focuses on how historians make arguments and use evidence to understand the past. The course highlights the dynamic and contested nature of history as a discipline and explores different interpretations of the past. Situated in case studies from the southern African past, it develops students’ discipline-specific understanding and skills.

HIST2634 = South Africa Uncovered: Themes from the past

This course explores notable themes from the South African past. It looks at various social, cultural, economic and political issues that have shaped the region’s history. It highlights how internal and external factors have affected the country’s unique historical trajectory. It shows how both ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary’ individuals have contributed to the country’s past. It also provides students with critical insights about the writing and rewriting of South Africa’s contested past.

HIST2644 = Africa: A History of a Continent

This course explores notable themes from the African past. It looks at various social, cultural, economic and political issues that have shaped the continent’s history. It highlights how internal and external factors have affected the continent’s unique historical trajectory. It will equip students with the ability to bring the history of Africa into conversation with themes in world history.

HIST3738 = Histories of Ordinary People and Everyday Lives

This course introduces students to social history and the historiographical context of the emergence of social history. Why should we study ordinary people and the everyday? It covers some major themes in social history such as gender and sexuality, family and kinship, class and culture(s), society and institutions, work and leisure, and race and ethnicity. By the end of the course, students should be able to recognise the role of ordinary people in shaping histories.

HIST3748 = History in Practice: Methods for Making Sense of the Past

In this module, historical research methodology is explored in critical, creative and practical ways. The course focuses on different historical research methodologies, including oral histories and archival research. The module explores what history sources entail, and how to evaluate and utilise these sources. This course incorporates theoretical and practical approaches to make sense of the past.