History 394PIH - History & Its Publics Hons

Public historians--whether they work in museums, archives, historic sites, historic preservation firms or agencies, federal offices or elsewhere--take historical insight cultivated in traditional academic arenas and apply them in a wide range of public settings. That complex work raises a wide range of questions, from the nature of scholarly expertise itself, to historical power issues inherent as archivists, preservationists and curators make choices about what is, and is not, preserved, to the practical matters that shape "applied history." This hands-on introductory course explores the distinct challenges and rewards of "putting history to work in the world."

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the world of public history ? both the ideas and questions that make it tick, and the practical, on-the-ground concerns that confront public historians in a variety of professional settings. This course includes a public history field project that will focus on social justice and the virtual museum. By the end of the semester, you will have read some of the most significant past and contemporary literature in the field of public history, and, through discussions in and beyond the classroom, have formed your own understanding of what constitutes public history. Through our shared readings, forays into the community, conversations with guest speakers, and through our public history fieldwork project, you will also have a clearer idea of what it means to work in a variety of public history settings in terms of both theory and practice.