Subject History

ConorD21

I've been wondering lately(because im considering history for the leaving cert) what use is history for me , like is it only useful if you're becoming a history teacher or historian etc.?

spurious

Research skills, knowing what to put in or leave out of a report, understanding of cause and effect, just to start with.

mixery

It's of the same relevance as anything. Chemistry/technology/economics may not help you in life either. It's about studying the history of Ireland/ the world, maybe changing your outlook on some issues. Many aspects are looked on from different perspectives. It's not the easiest of subjects, for HL you need good lingustic ability. I did it because I have an interest in it. Even though I never get more than a B on my essays I don't regret the decision. I couldn't stand doing physics or some other shyte I hate.

randylonghorn

spurious wrote: »

Research skills, knowing what to put in or leave out of a report, understanding of cause and effect, just to start with.

Agreed, and history teaches us about patterns which recur in society and economy over time ... if we're prepared to learn the lessons from that.

Conor, you'll find damn few historians who bought over-priced houses during the height of the boom and are now in negative equity, or who believed the government's assurances that Ireland was going to "buck the trend" of normal economic cycles ... though I'll admit that most of us didn't foresee quite how quickly or how badly the bubble was going to burst when it did, mainly because a lot of pertinent information wasn't allowed to become available publicly at the time.

Leaving Cert Student

All said and done, it isn't anywhere near as valuable as a good knowledge of physics, chemisty, bio etc. in terms of career prospects. Sure you can be "wise" but that is useless without a forté like economics or physics. Now Spurious will attack me with figures implying there is more work for historians than physicists. Don't listen to him!

spurious

Leaving Cert Student wrote: »

All said and done, it isn't anywhere near as valuable as a good knowledge of physics, chemisty, bio etc. in terms of career prospects. Sure you can be "wise" but that is useless without a forté like economics or physics. Now Spurious will attack me with figures implying there is more work for historians than physicists. Don't listen to him!

Your tiresome personal attacks are getting boring.
It's her, not him - maybe if you did History your research skills would be better.

randylonghorn

Leaving Cert Student wrote:

Now Spurious will attack me with figures implying there is more work for historians than physicists. Don't listen to him!

Oh, give it a rest will you, it really is getting boring.

On the other issue, I have no doubt there is more work specifically geared to physicists than historians at the moment, but here's another take on it: it's physicists who (among many other things) have invented ways to blow up the planet, and historians who show us how to avoid getting to the point where some looney in a bunker wants to!

And ok, I admit that statement is slightly tongue-in-cheek, but the really horrifying thing is that there's a certain truth underlying my black humour.

Leaving Cert Student

spurious wrote: »

Your tiresome personal attacks are getting boring.
It's her, not him - maybe if you did History your research skills would be better.

Finally a response. If for just one moment you reconsider your aptitude as a moderator, I consider the personal attacks to be worth it! Now on topic, you cannot deny physicists have a positive impact on the world. Conversely historians just dig up the past, trying to hold us back

randylonghorn

Leaving Cert Student wrote: »

I consider the personal attacks to be worth it!

I consider that attitude to personal attacks on *anybody* to be worth an infraction, which I'm now giving you.

I had noted this byplay for a while, but hoped it would fade away; sometimes even the most decent of people just rub one another up the wrong way, and sometimes also they manage to get over it without the big stick having to be pulled out.

However, as far as I'm concerned, you have now crossed the line by your own admission.

Leaving Cert Student wrote: »

Conversely historians just dig up the past, trying to hold us back

Speaking as a historian, that is complete bs. Obviously you were so busy picking an argument with spurious, you didn't bother to read or understand the points I tried to make above.


Conor, I'm sorry this thread has been hijacked, but I doubt it's going to recover at this stage or give you any sort of decent, balanced discussion about your question, so I'm closing it.

For what it's worth, of the people who took their primary degree (BA) in history alongside me, few enough are historians / history teachers; indeed, I'm not employed in that area myself at the moment, though it is relevant to what I do. I couldn't give you up to date employment for them all, but off the top of my head I can think of journalists, librarians, archivists, civil servants, two in the foreign / diplomatic service, a couple working for the EU, one working for the OPW, a serious number who went on to study law (law and history having been their joint majors for BA), one's an army officer, etc. Oh, and one's an actor and sometimes author ... though he would probably have done that whatever his original degree was tbh!