History - common core subject in programmes for general studies (HIS1-02)

Main subject areas

The subject has been structured into main areas for which competence aims have been formulated. These main subject areas supplement each other and must be considered together.

History has competence aims after Vg2 and Vg3 (the second and third years) in programmes for general studies.

Overview of main subject areas:

Understanding of history and methods

The main subject area understanding of history and methods deals with how people think differently about the past, and how this is expressed in narratives and historical presentations. This main subject area deals with how historical knowledge is developed, understood and assessed. Emphasis is placed on being critical of sources, analysing how history is presented and assessing historical explanations. Another key aspect is how historians' choices of research topics change over time based on their point of view. Using history in today's society and examining how media influence perceptions of the past and the present are also included in this main subject area.

Society and people in a historical perspective

The main subject area society and people in a historical perspective comprises key historical phenomena and processes and draws lines between the past, the present and the future. Different perspectives on the past are in focus, including power and politics, social and economic conditions, culture and the way people were and thought. This main subject area attaches importance to continuity and change in the development of society and to humankind as actors in historical processes, both individually and in groups.