Everyone is shaped by the past – by their country's history, by their family's history and by their own individual history. It is impossible to escape history's grasp, as it colours everyday events and shapes how different sections of society think and respond. You cannot get away from the fact that political struggles and significant world events that are happening in the present are very much informed by the past. To understand the contemporary world, therefore, it is evident that studying History at school or at university is far from being a waste of time.
By studying History, you are able to appreciate just how much past events have contributed to people's identities in the past and today. History is not only the study of great leaders and great wars, it is also about uncovering the lives of ordinary individuals and looking for continuity over time, as well as changes. By learning about the past, you are able to understand more about where you come from and understand why society is the way it is. You discover that there is not only one view point, one accepted interpretation of the past, and that in many ways the past is characterised by the struggle for dominance.
When studying History, you have to get to grips with a variety of different sources and learn to question any preconceived ideas you may have had. It surely cannot be a bad thing to examine people's motives for creating a document in a particular way when those who had an education and influence in society were trying to shape what posterity would make of them. Today, there is a similar situation with those in society's higher echelons seeking to control the way they are presented in the media and hoping to secure a favourable place in history.
Studying History is definitely not a waste of time when there are so many similarities between what goes on in the past and in the present. Most people would say that studying History is important, as it helps you to avoid making the same mistakes again, but when you study History it often seems that this is precisely what happens! That doesn't make studying History any less worthwhile when change is just as significant a feature as similarities and continuities. History is a fascinating subject that has so many facets, making it impossible for you not to find something of interest to you.
History incorporates a variety of subjects, as to get a more comprehensive understanding of the past, you clearly need to consider economics, society and culture, as well as politics, which means you have an opportunity to develop a wide range of skills. Studying History enables you to analyse and evaluate a range of primary and secondary sources, to interpret evidence and to create a well-supported argument. Such skills are extremely useful in any kind of further study you may engage in and can also help you in the workplace. Consequently, the fact that studying History can broaden your knowledge base and help you in your career means that it is a useful, rather than a wasteful, way to spend your time.
No comments:
Post a Comment