In this unit, we will explore:
- the definition of “public history” and its goals, methods, and relationship to the academic field
- how digital platforms provide new methods for engaging broad non-academic audiences
- the potential challenges with using digital tools for public historical engagement
Tuesday, November 5
Note: It’s been a little while since we used our reading journals, so don’t forget to journal about the reading, and take a minute to remind yourself of the guidelines for journaling.
Questions you might consider as you read:
- How do the approaches and methods of digital history and public history overlap?
- How might we mitigate the liabilities highlighted by Andrew Hurley and Leslie Madsen-Brooks?
- What are the potential challenges for historians doing the kind of public engagement that Kevin Kruse does on social media?
Reading
“About the Field: How Do We Define Public History?” National Council on Public History.
Hurley, Andrew. “Chasing the Frontiers of Digital Technology.” The Public Historian 38, no. 1 (February 1, 2016): 69–88.
Leslie Madsen-Brooks, “I Nevertheless Am a Historian”: Digital Historical Practice and Malpractice around Black Confederate Soldiers” in Dougherty, Kristen Nawrotzki; Jack. Writing History in the Digital Age, 2013.
Thursday, November 7
In-class Poor Farm Project work.
We will meet in teams, and work on tasks that remain outstanding. Please make every effort to be present and prepared.
