Methods in Public Humanities and Civic Engagement

Catalog description

Who has access to knowledge and why? How is knowledge produced and publicized? What and where is the public? Who is included and excluded in this public? What is the role of art and culture in various publics? This innovative new course will address these questions as it introduces students to the theories and methods of the Public Humanities and Civic Engagement. Broadly defined, Public Humanities works to engage diverse publics in the subjects of the humanities by making topics like art history, literary history, film, and theater, accessible and understandable to a wider civic audience, but it also interrogates the concept of the expert and seeks to find experts in the field, rather than exclusively in the academy. Through a combination of reading, discussion, and virtual (or in person) visits from leaders of Cleveland-area organizations, administrators, legislators, and public historians, this course will teach you how to put your degrees to work for the greater good! Although this course is about Public Humanities & Civic Engagement, it is open to students in all fields across the university who are interested in ways to integrate the community in their education and to think creatively about the types of work their academic training prepares them to do. Undergraduate and graduate students will benefit from opportunities to broaden their professional networks and to learn more about the kinds of skills that are necessary in professions across the disciplines. Offered as ARTH 316 , ARTH 416 , HSTY 360 , and HSTY 460 . Counts as a Local & Global Engagement course.