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[maleficent]

Please fill in my market research poll. It looks epically long but it's almost all ticky boxes so I doubt it will take long. It would be very much appreciated. It would be especially appreciated if those of you who aren't particulaly into history but are mildly interested in bits of it. Even if those bits are just titillating stories about lesbian

Comments

[penlo_deuph]

For the record, I did two years of history at undergrad level at uni. However, I was never very good at it. Mostly, I suspect, because I did it as an outside subject with an English lit degree and didn't spend the required time doing historical reading. I do find it totally fascinating, though, and read a lot of historical books/watch stuff than is possibly healthy! My favourite is the first world war, so I know nowt about the stuff you're interested in really :-) Sorry for the ramble!

[maleficent]

English Lit & History- did you ever go out? That must have been a ridiculous amount of reading! That said, the uni history that I did didn't focus on individuals as much as ideas & movements & so forth. Ed Uni definitely favour the bottom-up approach to history so all the stuff I know about individuals I've learned since graduating.

I suppose Mata Hari is rather infamous too though & she's in the period you're interested in. I should have thought of her. Thanks for the mental prod!

[penlo_deuph]

In comparison to my non-eng lit flat mates, I was a nun throughout my time at uni! I do love reading, but it was pretty oppressive at times. I would agree about Edinburgh's approach to history, given the limited knowledge of its courses I have. I did Social History 1 and American History 2, as well as a healthy dose of history in the English course itself. I too have learned much more (in general!) since graduating. But then, when you actually have time to look at what you're interested in and not what you're being made to study, it's more appealing. I've read tons of biographies recently, which are fascinating insights into periods in history (Wilfred Owen is my favourite) and it's taught me more than Social History at uni ever would. Ok, this one is a serious ramble! I am procrastinating!
Glad to be of service to you :-)

[liomari]

I got as far as Higher History at High school (for which I only got a c *cough*). It wasnt anything interesting...apart from possibly the Suffragette bit (apologies for terrible spelling). The rest was about Churchill and Anthony Eden and his stupid bit of paper

[maleficent]

I think they've got the school history curriculum totally wrong. I dropped it before Standard Grade as I just wasn't interested in WW2 or anything that recent. I don't know why they're so obsessed with the war. Of course it's important but it's not the most important event in history by a long shot. I'd argue that the Reformation was more important & had a more profound impact.

I think they should be making an effort to pick exciting bits & interesting personalities for school history. The French Revolution would be good: lots of storming things, beheadings, stabbings in baths, big personalities & no boring Englishmen!

[treewitch]

I find it utterly brilliant that you put Elizabeth Bathory on your list.

I did history at school (obviously) and then did English Lang & Lit and History A Levels. I had to drop History in my second year though because I found learning about political history completely tedious and boring and my lecturer sent me to sleep (we did WW 2 history too which I found more interesting but way too hard). If we had been able to choose I would have chosen to study women in History, definitely.:D

[maleficent]

I think there needs to be a big shake up of which bits of history are taught at school. There's recently been some debate that we should be teaching more ethnic history which is all well & good but what about women's history?

We got taught about the women's suffrage movement but that was all as far as women's history was concerned, as if once we got the vote there was no longer an issue!

History, unlike, say, Maths, is a subject I genuinely believe everyone can find something interesting in. I am always tempted to hit people who say history's boring. How can everything that's happened since the advent of writing be boring?! Schools just need to realise that WW2 is only interesting to some students & that a more varied curriculum would be a huge benefit for recruitment.

Sorry- I sort of went off on one there. It's something close to my heart. Thanks for filling in the poll too!

[feedergirl]

I think I know most of the people I ticked due to listening to what you talk about, which can only be a good thing!!