course-details-portlet

KULMI2710

Local History with Archivistics

Choose study year

Assessments and mandatory activities may be changed until September 20th.

Credits 15
Level Intermediate course, level II
Course start Spring 2026
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction Norwegian
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Aggregate score

About

About the course

Course content

Local history is history from below or from within, in a geographically local context. It is a sub-field with long and rich traditions in Norway, among skilled historians as well as amateur historians. Introduction to themes and practices within local history is a part of this course. The aim is to provide an introduction to different ways to study the history of local communities: one approach focuses on the history of the local community in its own right, another takes a more general perspective, where the local community serves as a point of departure for studying larger historical processes, nationally or globally. The course introduces how to study different units of society, from the family or household, to the rural community, the town or the region, to intertwined local history. course also focuses on cultural heritage in a local context. The course will provide an introduction to archive search and collecting of different types of source material that are commonly used in local history research, and training in use of primary sources in assignments. Examples and source material will be from the period after ca. 1600 and up to present times.

Learning outcome

A candidate who passes this course is expected to have the following learning outcome according to the course curriculum, defined as knowledge and skills:

Knowledge

The candidate has basic knowledge of

  • local history as historical discipline and practice
  • different kinds of historical research using local communities as framework
  • history of relevance for researching local communities
  • cultural heritage in a local context
  • archives and their organisation, retrieval and use of sources relevant for historical research on local communities
  • collecting data by registrations and interviews

Skills

The candidate

  • can apply theories on local history to understand and evaluate concrete studies
  • can apply theories and concrete knowledge of historical relevant subjects to do research of local character
  • has basic skills in analysing cultural heritage in different local contexts
  • can find and utilise relevant sources for research on historical topics
  • has basic skills in collecting data and conducting interviews
  • has qualifications to take part in local historical work

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, seminars and excursions. Mandatory semester assignment.

Compulsory assignments

  • Term paper

Required previous knowledge

None

Course materials

Reading list and selected source material.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
HIST2710 15 sp Spring 2006
This course has academic overlap with the course in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject areas

  • History

Contact information

Examination

Examination

Examination arrangement: Aggregate score
Grade: Letter grades

Ordinary examination - Spring 2026

Home examination
Weighting 2/3 Duration 4 hours Exam system Inspera Assessment
Off campus exam - Archive search task
Weighting 1/3 Duration 2 hours