History Extension Proposal (1 Viewer)

[SimpliciVisu]

Hi Guys,
My proposal is due back on like the 5th of Feb and I still dont have a subject. I was thinking of the question "How was the changing treatment of the insane during the 18th century reflected through the evolution of the Bethlem Royal Hospital in London?" but I'm not sure how to approach it or where to find research on it.

Does anyone have any suggestion or something?

 

[will90211]

Hi there.

I may be preaching to the converted but please remember that the major work is not content related at all, that you must discuss how the historian views differ and why this is so. My question was 'How have historians treated the concept of Sonderweg', with my two sub questions directly referencing my three historians.

You need one question. Two sub questions. You need to explain how you're going about your research, what sources you are likely to use. Look in the syllabus it's actually all there.

Also... Find a topic with plenty of debate on it, hopefully with two distinct schools of thought on the debate. Best of luck.

 

[History 101]

SimpliciVisu, will90211 is completely right. While you do have the freedom to chose what ever topic you want - you need to be able to formulate a question which relates it to historians and how history on the chosen topic is subjective. Looking at insanity is very interesting! I would look at the historians such as Michel Foucault (he wrote during the 1950's and 60's) who challenged the meaning of insanity. Compare Foucault's view to the views of historians who were writing about insanity during the Victorian era. You are bound to find discrepancies. Hence you use this to write how history is subjective as influenced by personal context and periodic context.

Therefore you can discuss insanity BUT you must have an angle.

Hope that helps!