History and Politics Major History Historians are dangerous people. They are capable of upsetting everything Nikita Kruschev History has been used and abused for the purposes of propaganda, political action, nationalism, and conflict. We all need to understand our own national history and the history of other nations in order to be able to participate in public life. Politicians, journalists, teachers, public policy makers, economists and others involved in social leadership require a firm understanding of the mistakes and achievements of the past.
History is the public memory of society and as such an essential facet of life in society.
On an individual level, students of history are better able to appreciate the shaping of the forces and ideas which affect their lives. The methodology of history trains students in locating and evaluating information, developing an ability rigorously to argue a case and critically to interpret their place in the world. History subjects complement subjects in Politics, Law, Economics, Sociology, English, Creative Arts, Languages or other courses. Students may choose to major in History. The History discipline in the History and Politics Program offers subjects in social history, the social and political consequences of war, feminist history, revolution and colonialism, representation and history, world history and cultural and labour history.