“What is public history?” Public history covers a broad array of methods and formats for educating general audiences about the past beyond classroom setting. The public regularly encounters history in a variety of venues, from civic architecture (including statues and monuments) to entertainment (including Hamilton!) to political debates about the meaning of the past and how to teach about it. General audiences also seek to be educated and entertained at public history sites, including museums, living history sites, and national historical parks. In the process of examining the diverse manifestations of presenting the past beyond the classroom, we will analyze the professional issues and political problems that practitioners of public history face. This will include an exploration of the relationship between historians and communities engaged in conversations and debates about both the purpose of history education and the intersections of history, cultural memory, heritage, and commemoration. Students will also gain practical experience through participating in a Community Service-Learning project or internship in collaboration with a local public history institution or organization.
Foundations Program
This course fulfills the Forum requirement in the Foundations Program.