2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog/Handbook 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog/Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

HIST 0285 - Public History : Theory & Practice


Credits: 3

Public history involves the interpretation of the past in public spaces. Public historians work in museums, historic homes, national parks, archives, historical societies, and government agencies. Public historians are constantly grappling with difficult issues. Whose history do we document and preserve? How should we talk about potentially controversial topics in an exhibit? How do we make history exciting and meaningful to the many Americans who have been taught to believe that history is simply a compilation of very dry and boring facts? This course is intended to blend theory and practice to provide an overview of the evolution of public history as a field as well as explore contemporary challenges. We examine the practical concerns that confront public historians as they interpret the past; investigate key controversies involved in creating public exhibits and memorials in a multicultural society; and examine the relationship between history and popular memory.

Prerequisites: Sophomore Standing