History as Social Therapy and Trauma Recovery

This interdisciplinary course draws upon history, social psychology, sociology, anthropology, and jurisprudence, and treats deindustrialisation, globalisation, migration, and other large-scale changes that have characterised the late 20th century and the early 21st century. Armed conflicts - now in our immediate vicinity - have also jettisoned current international security doctrines. When traditional life patterns are interrupted, the result is often confusion, frustration, and a sense of crisis. Such experiences always risk being denied, repressed, or otherwise handled in extremely destructive ways. Unsolved crises can in this way be passed on through generations, and history tends to repeat itself in eruptions of hatred, violence, or identity dissolution. Over the last few years, the question of the practical use of historical science, so called applied history, has received a great deal of attention in research and public debate. The course investigates to what extent history can be an instrument for processing collective trauma, and in the long term constitute a form of societal therapy. We also discuss the moral implications for history as a subject. Are ethical standpoints regarding right and wrong, guilt and responsibility compatible with the scientific ideal of impartial knowledge acquisition? More generally, the course treats shared narratives, memory production, and ideology.

A number of examples are studied of how problematic historical conflicts of interpretation have - or have not - been dealt with, such as South Africa after apartheid, Spain after Franco, Eastern Europe after Communism, or military dictatorships in Latin America. The course also covers structural changes in Western society and economy and consequences such as social marginalisation, populist tendencies, and changing gender roles.

Progressive specialisation: A1N (has only first‐cycle course/s as entry requirements)

Education level: Master's level

Admission requirements: 90 ECTS credits completed in History, Cultural Studies, History of Ideas, Religion, Sociology, Political Science, Ethnology, or Anthropology, including at least 30 ECTS credits at the G2F level or higher, or equivalent

Selection:

Selection is usually based on your grade point average from upper secondary school or the number of credit points from previous university studies, or both.

This course is included in the following programme

• Master programme in History (studied during year 2)