Global Diasporas, Hellenic Cultures (HIST30077)

Global Diasporas, Hellenic Cultures brings students into contact with the diversity of diaspora histories, theories, and experiences across the globe. It introduces students to the global spread of Greek culture and the role Hellenism has played in fostering notions of civic responsibility. Whilst the formation of a global Greek diaspora is deployed as a foundational case study, the subject asks to what extent this archetypical diaspora – which holds a significant place in cosmopolitan Melbourne – serves as a useful analytical framing for understanding other migrations and displacements.

To this end other global diasporic cultures are also examined which may include Italian, Lebanese, African, Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, and Indigenous diasporas. Yoking together the discipline of History with a range of related scholarly fields that examine the phenomenon of diasporisation, students are familiarised with an assortment of insights and methodologies that will act as a guide to understanding histories and contemporary realities of movement and cultural exchange. Providing a vantage point to understand how diasporas connect our streets, suburbs, and cities to global networks, the subject prepares students to negotiate their place as informed participants in, and leaders of, tangible social change in a super-diverse world.