History in Birmingham

Our first History Masterclass in Birmingham proved a great success. The purpose of the masterclass is to give students a taste of the kind of ideas and methods in history that they will encounter at university and help them to explore their own historical understanding through these new ideas. Students managed to tackle some complex and challenging new ideas including a discussion of Marxist Historiography and the impact of the often overlooked but widely influential Annales school. Students were particularly interested in the purpose of history section where we examined their own views and then examined the views of important historians and philosophers. As ever students were divided over Nietzsche’s conception of the purpose of history and this provoked a lively and stimulating debate. The afternoon session provided an opportunity to investigate the more recent claims of post-modernist thinkers, in particular the problems this presents for the examination of sources and for the composition of narrative. Students tackled these complex issues head on and with a great enthusiasm applying these new ideas to work they had done in their own historical studies. The day was rounded off by a debate which brings debates about historical truth into the realm of policy and in particular how we as a community should deal with individuals and historians who deny the holocaust. Students dealt with some highly complex and controversial issues in a intellectually rigorous and sensitive manner.

Find out more about our History Masterclasses here.

Ben Jasper, History Tutor