HIST3701 History, Memory, and Monuments

History, Memory, and Monuments offers a new frame for learners to expand their comprehension of how historical knowledge is formed, and how it is consumed within the arena of public spaces and the viewing of monument. In particular, the course examines how monuments/heritage sites, alongside museums, etc., function as gatekeepers of historical knowledge and as channels of social memory. The course, thus, breaks down dynamics (both local and global) that contribute to public debate about the past. In amalgamating knowledge of representations of the past with the development of skills in historical methodology, theory, and practice, students can expand cognisance as to how public history is represented, constructed, debated and, at times, contested. By possessing new critical awareness and skills students will be better able to sense and value the variety of roles played by historians in public settings, and the significance and impact too of public history upon culture, politics, and society at large.

HIST3701 Course Aims

The course is designed with the following learning outcomes:

1. To introduce students to critical issues in public history so that they can recognise the variety of ways/the changing ways the public engages with the past;
2. To offer an interdisciplinary study of public representations of the past, and engagement with the past, by means of the analysing monuments in public spaces (e.g. in Hong Kong and elsewhere);
3. To explore how history is represented, debated, and contested in the domain of public spaces, and in associated settings such as museums, the media, etc.;
4. To visit monuments in Hong Kong so as to understand how they function as conduits of social memory;
5. To present opportunity for academic training via the development of historical methods and independent research so that learners can meaningfully engage with issues surrounding national narratives, contested histories, collective memory, and commemoration.

Teaching/learning Structure

The teaching for course HIST3701 consists of three complementary learning situations, these being:

1. Weekly online lectures to be given by Prof. Ian Morley. All lectures will be given via the use of Powerpoint, and where possible through the use of videos and other electronic media;
2. Tutorials. In total four tutorials (approximately 45 minutes each in length) shall be given throughout the course of the term and these present valuable opportunities to not only clarify your knowledge collected in the lectures but to furthermore engage you in discussion of issues associated with the industrial past and its effects: effects being both in the past and present-day worlds;
3. Site visits/fieldtrips.

The Course

The proposed course structure is as follows:

Week 1. Introduction (course aims, course outline, introduction of key terms, etc.)

Week 2. Critical issues in Public History (1)

Week 3. Critical issues in Public History (2)

Week 4. Seeing, reading monuments: Symbolism and its philosophies

Week 5. Site visit #1

Week 6. Cultural memory: Who we are (not). From concept to practice

Week 7. Monuments and social contest: The Black Lives Matter Movement

Week 8. Colonial Era Monuments in postcolonial society: Case studies from Asia

Week 9. Site visit #2

Week 10. Heritage: Place, belonging, identity, and memory

Week 11. Commemoration and public memory

Week 12. Communicating the past: The role and ethics of the historian

Week 13. Museums and the past: Curating, exhibiting the past to the public (with site visit #3)

Grading and Assessment

1. Academic essay (30%). This assignment (2000 words) centres upon critically appraising a video documentary/demonstrating critical thinking;
2. Take-home exam (40%), focuses on students applying classroom/book knowledge to real world themes/issues relating to collective memory and monuments. This work is to be undertaken in pairs and issued as a video presentation;
3. Participation grade (30%). This grade is given in relation to classroom and fieldtrip related activities.

E-Learning

To supplement the students’ learning all course materials shall be available online through CUHK’s Blackboard system. To access these materials registered students input their CUHK student number and password, and if they so wish, they can download materials. Materials accessible to students include chapters from books, journal papers, lecture PowerPoints used by Prof. Morley. The use of online resources ensures that if for any reason a student is unable to attend a class due to illness or other commitments that individual can still access all materials given out in the lecture, and shall not fall behind in the course. Furthermore, texts pertinent to assignment questions can be uploaded by Prof. Morley if there are problems obtaining books or papers from the library. However, to support student learning outside of the classroom, and to offer a structured environment beyond the lecture hall, HIST3701 uses a variety of interactive online instructional methods:

• An online forum/Facebook group. This allows, for instance, Prof. Morley to follow-up on matters discussed in the lectures but it also allows students to exchange their thoughts and experiences. The online forum has three objectives. Firstly, to provide a communicative tool where everyone can collectively learn from each other rather than from just the traditional teacher-centred learning situation. Secondly, to build from knowledge acquired in the lecture hall. For example, by Prof. Morley posting online questions it allows for the exercising of discussion, in turn extending student learning beyond the foundation of the lecture. Thirdly, it respects the fact that all students already have knowledge about history, and can develop their own understanding of urban history in light of their existing know-how and experiences of the real world.
• Short documentary and virtual reality videos. These help train the eye to see cities in a more detailed way, in so doing allowing students to have a greater awareness of the urban environment in which they live or visit.
• Assignment planning sheets to guide students through the thought and analysis processes pertinent to composing written work on the urban past.
• A course Facebook group restricted to registered students only.

Accordingly, with the lecture, tutorials and online learning support mechanisms a coherent scholarly environment is provided for, one that has a purposeful architecture to provide for the extension of wisdom both inside and outside the classroom.

Facebook

At CUHK we only meet for a short time each week. This makes it difficult sometimes to construct a strong learning environment for all students. To assist in building a robust scholarly atmosphere Prof. Morley has created on Facebook a course group which as registered students you are able to join.

To join the group first of all you must become a member of Facebook. To do this go to the website’s homepage at http://www.facebook.com/. Joining this social networking site is pretty straightforward if you are not already a member. Once you are a member go to the search bar at the top right of the screen and enter CUHK HIST3701 2026. Click on ‘join group’ to send Prof. Morley a message, or add him as a Facebook friend so he can add you into the group. He, as the group’s administrator, will authorize your membership.

Once you are a member you are free to contribute to the weekly discussions and if you so please to upload pictures and videos. Your contribution to the Facebook group will count as part of your Participation Grade.

The purpose of the group is:

1. To provide a learning support structure outside of the classroom;
2. To engage student engagement, in so doing allowing students to learn from each other;
3. As the course is about ‘reading’ monuments by having further visual awareness of cities, design, and culture it will train your eyes to better understand the forms and meanings of urban places and the architectural objects within them. The group therefore allows for skill building from the lecture base;
4. It respects your knowledge, experiences, insights;
5. Allows you an opportunity to lead a discussion on a topic that is class related.

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism

The Chinese University of Hong Kong puts great emphasis on academic honesty and consequently all students are advised to refer to the following website with regards to university regulations about cheating and plagiarism (copying):

http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty

Please note: Under no circumstances shall cheating or plagiarism be tolerated. Academic dishonesty can lead to disciplinary action that may result in a stopping of your studies in the History Department. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to make yourself familiar with the CUHK academic honesty website, and the dangers of copying other’s work.

Attention is drawn to University policy and regulations on honesty in academic work, and to the disciplinary guidelines and procedures applicable to breaches of such policy and regulations. Details may be found at http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/policy/academichonesty/.

With each assignment, students will be required to submit a signed declaration that they are aware of these policies, regulations, guidelines and procedures.

• In the case of group projects, all members of the group should be asked to sign the declaration, each of whom is responsible and liable to disciplinary actions, irrespective of whether he/she has signed the declaration and whether he/she has contributed, directly or indirectly, to the problematic contents.
• For assignments in the form of a computer-generated document that is principally text-based and submitted via VeriGuide, the statement, in the form of a receipt, will be issued by the system upon students’ uploading of the soft copy of the assignment.

Assignments without the properly signed declaration will not be graded by teachers.

Only the final version of the assignment should be submitted via VeriGuide.

The submission of a piece of work, or a part of a piece of work, for more than one purpose (e.g. to satisfy the requirements in two different courses) without declaration to this effect shall be regarded as having committed undeclared multiple submissions. It is common and acceptable to reuse a turn of phrase or a sentence or two from one’s own work; but wholesale reuse is problematic. In any case, agreement from the course teacher(s) concerned should be obtained prior to the submission of the piece of work.