Introduction to Public History

Catalog description

This course will introduce students to the field of public history by teaching them the skills to become savvy consumers of the historical narratives they will encounter in the rest of their lives, as well as introducing them to the roles of both professionals and members of the public in creating and responding to works of public history. In contrast to academic research in history, public history seeks to capture the interest of the public in order to engage, entertain, influence, and inspire. Through a combination of lectures, readings, and individual and group projects, this class will explore how public histories are never neutral or apolitical, but instead are always engaged in broader social issues of power, identity, and belonging