History in Public

Undergraduate / Graduate

This course provides a systematic introduction to the field of public history and its primary methodologies and research techniques. We will understand the field of public history in its broadest possible form, considering how historical knowledge is produced in a wide variety of public spaces and media, from museums to the movies, and from government policy to neighborhood organizing. Throughout, we will be attentive to the cultural, social, and political dynamics that both shape and emerge from doing history in public. We will also explore the relationship of academic scholarship to these practices. Through readings, discussions, and visits to public historical sites throughout Chicago, the class will guide students in crafting a proposal for a public history project of their own design, and will help them to identify potential sources of funding to execute it. It will also introduce them to ongoing public history projects looking for collaborators/interns. For this reason, this class is designed in particular for third year undergraduate history majors developing capstone projects, and fulfils the BA Thesis Seminar I requirement for these students. Students in other fields and stages of study are also most welcome; no background in public history is required.