HIST 3012 - Introduction to Public History

Credit Hours: 3

Description: What happens when history leaves the classroom and enters the public sphere? What is the role of institutions such as museums, archives, libraries, and universities in sharing history with the public? What are some of the current conversations and debates surrounding public history? Who is allowed to tell these stories? Intro to Public History answers these questions, and many more, as students learn about the field and practice of public history. Students will learn how history is researched, interpreted, and presented for public audiences while exploring the work of historians in museums, archives, historic sites, preservation projects, and digital media. Through readings, discussions, guest lectures, site-visits, and hands-on projects, students will learn how public historians collaborate with communities, navigate questions of memory and identity, and make history accessible and relevant to diverse audiences. In this course, students will critically examine how history is constructed, whose stories are told, and how the past is interpreted in public discourse. No