World History Lectures - Essay Example

Reflective Journal Lecture The first Lecture outlines the significance of history and meanings while part two looksat possible approaches to the project. The lecture introduced me to the history course by focusing on the importance of past historical events to the modern world, as well as the uses of History as a resource to the citizens. The Lecture analyses the effects of history from different perspectives and how history integrates or conflicts with present day events. As a student, I got to learn the role of History in national commemorations, as well as the symbolic meanings of different activities derived from past historical events. Through Sainsbury’s 2014 Christmas Advert, I got to understand the conflicting messages which can be through previous messages. From the role of History as a resource of the citizens, I was able to comprehend the role of history before and after both national and international events. The above can be applied in my future academic as well as real life pursuit while visiting new places and understanding how their present culture is influenced by history. I met the objectives of the lecture through understanding the significance of History and its various meanings to modern life1. Lecture 2 Dr Andrea Mammone lectured the second Lecture, and its primary objective was to teach on the historical creation of Identities with the major focus being on totalitarianism. I was able to meet the objectives of the lecture.In the lecture, I was able to grow by understanding identities related to fascism across different social aspects. The lecturer exhibited the relative historical characters from politics to sport and how they are used and revised to legitimise modern political and local situations. Through the integration of memory and history, the different vectors of memory such as historical studies, mass media, commemorations and museums amongst others are established. This leads to various types of memories such as collective and individual memory, personal and public amongst others. Mussolini is with fascism and after his fall images even in sports were used to signify his fall. Fascism is from other countries such as Austria and France. From the class, I was able to understand how the identities directly challenged the acceptance of diversification, as well as democracies around the world. I was thus able to achieve the lecture’s goal through understanding how past historical activities had led to the creation of identities on almost all social aspects2. Lecture 3 The third lecture on creating identities with reference to British-ness and was the lecturer was Dr Akil N. Anwan. The primary objective of this lecture was creating identities with reference to being a Britton. I was able to meet the objective of this class lecture.In the class lecture I to understand one’s identity as a Britton not from a legal perspective but from a historical viewpoint. British-ness is as a way of life from a social viewpoint. This idea looked at different aspects such as subject to the queen and observance of the Roman Catholic Church. I grew over the course of the class through an understanding of the British identity via historical aspects other than legal ones. I can apply the learned attributes in my future academic life by understanding the previous religious and monarch systems in Britain. I achieved my goal in this class lecture by understanding the needed requirements for one to attain British-ness from a political perspective. I intend to further my knowledge on British-ness through taking a deep study of books about British-ness identity. As a student, I have been equipped with information with reference to key historical elements that forged up to create the aspect of British-ness. Lecture 4 Dr Helen Graham taught the fourth lecture on uncomfortable pasts with respect to History and Memory and Spain. The primary objective of the fourth lecture was to teach on uncomfortable pasts. This was with reference to the history and memories that took place in Spain in the mid-twentieth century between the years of 1936 to 1939. I was able to meet the objective of the class lecture. I gained from this class lecture through understanding the significance of uncomfortable histories. These uncomfortable histories were in the form of dictatorship, impunity, internal displacement and coup d tat that led to massive death. From the Lecture, I was able to get a glimpse of political ills that faced citizens as a result of weak leadership. This can be in my future life in projecting consequences of poor leadership. From the above example, I can draw similarities between existing political situations in Africa, for example, the republics of South Sudan and Somalia. As a way of getting a better comprehension of the effects of uncomfortable histories in Spain, I will take further studies on the ugly effects of Franco’s dictatorial regime in present day Spain. My growth as a historical student will be in my ability to identify uncomfortable pasts in any historical situations3. Lecture 5 Lecture 5 was also on uncomfortable pasts with the primary focus being on the confrontation of colonial crimes by Dr Zoe Laidlaw. Since I had developed a vast idea from the previous lecture on uncomfortable histories, I was able to attain the lecture’s teaching objective. As a student as I was able to understand uncomfortable pasts that cropped up as a result of past colonial crimes. Dr Laidlaw based her teaching on previous injustices committed by colonial armies which are making victims emerge in modern times claiming recognition and compensation. Historical grievances have provided aggrieved parties with justification for enmity and a reason to seek revenge. Majority of the descendants and successors who had always been wronged take revenge as motivation for justice. Concerning the above, I can link hostility towards tourists with uncomfortable pasts. Furthermore, terrorism acts in the U.S can be related to uncomfortable pasts as the successors of aggrieved parties are radicalized to seek revenge. Other injured parties on a global basis were the aborigines of Australia, the Maori of New Zealand and the natives of South Africa. As a way of solving past injustices and creating peace for the future, past injustices should be addressed through compensation and commemoration and issuance of an apology among others. This Lecture helped me in identifying possible solutions to uncomfortable pasts4. Lecture 6 Lecture 6 was on why History mattered and was lectured by Professor John Tosh. Professor Tosh is a lecturer at Roehampton University and author of this course’s key text. Professor Tosh’s book focuses on the importance of historical understanding. I was able to achieve the objectivity of this lecture which understands the significance of history since it is similar to the first lecture in this course. Since the objectivity of this lecture was why history mattered, I was able to meet the objective of this lecture through his book which demonstrates that distorted representations of the past have had influences in contemporary policy discussions. With reference to Sainsbury 2014 Christmas advert, I can understand the significance of distorted representations from the past. From the different reactions evidenced as a result of Sainsbury Christmas advert, it is evident that the history has influenced distortion of representations. The Sainsbury advert was focused on promoting humanity but instead people condemned him for promoting animosity between Germany and English residents. The significance of history is also evidenced in his book as he gives the significance of history understanding for active and engaged citizens. This is through developing an understanding of national symbols, holidays and events5. Lecture 7 Lecture 7 was in denial and fabrication based on the history of the Soviet Union and was taught by Daniel Beer. I was not able to sufficiently to attain the objectivity of the lecture since the examples and details provided in the lecture were very scanty. Based on the creation and propagation of foundational myths and a narrative of historical inevitability to legitimise the new regime, the Bolshevik party in the Soviet Union deployed enormous institutional and human resources. Through the fabrication of a usable past, the Soviet population was considered a central pillar in the process of mass mobilisation in the civil war among other vices. From this lecture, I was able to learn about the different effects of fabrication and denial in the case of the Soviet Union. Through the denial and fabrication combined with deception of their past histories, Russia got several factors to work for and against them. With reference to previous regimes, it was considered the most development unconscious regime as it was characterized by death, war and strikes. Since I had not fully understood the above subject, I should take it as a personal effort to research more on denial and fabrication with reference to the Soviet Union6. Lecture 8 Just like Lecture 7, Lecture 8 was also based on denial and fabrication although its focus was now on Holocaust denial and the lecture instructor was Dr David Caesarean. I was able to attain the lecture’s objectivity unlike lecture seven since it was clearly illustrated with perfect examples. As a student, I was able to understand the concept of fabrication and denial as well as reflect on the need for denial and fabrication in the governmental modern political setup. Before the end of World War II, the joint belief that the Jews genocide in the hands of the Nazi’s since 1945 was denied. The deniers based on their arguments on the scientific impossibility of gas chambers and linked death camps to myths. This method has been seen as a means of preventing retaliation and aggression from aggrieved parties. The denial case above can be to the rising cases of modern Governments denial and fabrication in a bid to prevent wars as well maintain positive public images. I have also developed in my understanding of the significance of history to today’s life as well as the positive impacts of fabrication and denial. With reference to lecture five on uncomfortable pasts, this was likely to stir up revenge or retaliation7. Lecture 9 Lecture 9 was about mythologizing the past with its focus being on historians, heroes and civil rights activists and was taught by Dr Dawn-Marie Gibson. I was able to achieve the objectivity of the lecture which was developing an understanding of mythologizing the past. This was on the historians, heroes and civil rights activists. I was able to achieve the objectivity of the lecture through different heroes. With reference to Martin Luther King Jr, a seasoned activist Ella Baker in the 1980 argued that the civil rights movement made Martin Luther King rather than Martin Luther King making the movement. On the other hand, a scholar Karl Marx argued that Men made their history although not in ways they preferred. The lecture enabled me to reflect on the effect of these past historians and heroes made themselves great in the historical books based on their historic deeds. Furthermore, the historical events that take place during a hero’s period are also significant in making a historian great. Through the discrimination and racism period in the U.S, Martin Luther King was made a hero. On the other hand, this lecture improved my knowledge of Martin Luther King and the historical deeds that made him great as well as his contribution to the movement8. Lecture 10 Lecture 10 just like lecture 10 was on mythologizing the past, but its focus was on the history of post-independence South Asia and was taught by Dr Francis Robinson. I was able to achieve the lecture’s objective which understood the effects of mythologizing the past with reference to post-independence Southern Asia. I was able to attain the objective of the lecture through understanding the adverse impacts of mythologizing national history. Different narratives have been found to play different roles in southern Asia. Taking the example of India, various narratives about the past played a significant role in dividing partitioning India into Pakistan in 1947. I was also able to draw inferences from the activity of information filtering concerning sensitive data in other countries in Asia such as Asia. In India previous past mythologies had led to disastrous wars based on the religious basis and resulted in the creation of internally displaced refugees. After the establishment of Pakistan to cater for the Muslim majority in India, between 500,000 to 1,000,000 people were killed despite India’s philosophy being unity. Concerning the lecture, I was able to learn about the history of India and the factors that facilitated the creation of Pakistan9. Bibliography Moodle.rhul.ac.uk, (2015). Royal Holloway Moodle: Log in to the site. [Online] Available at: http://moodle.rhul.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3080 [Accessed 27 Mar. 2015]. Read More