bonnellj@yorku.ca

Public history investigates the ways that history is understood by and interpreted for the public. This course examines the history, theory, and practice of public history in a variety of venues, including museums, archives, historic sites, and digital platforms. In addition to class readings and discussions, workshops throughout the course will introduce students to the practical skills for the public presentation of historical knowledge, including oral history interview techniques, communication and presentation skills, and digital tools for public history. Students will meet practitioners in the field and participate in field trips to several public history sites. Classroom-based analysis, skills development, and field trips in term 1 are followed by a part-time placement at a public-history site in term 2.

You will not be required to purchase any books or readings for this course. Links to electronic course readings will be available through the course EClass site.

*TENTATIVE*

Participation                                                                            20%

Term 1 Reflection Papers (4 x 2.5% each)                          10%

Resume & Letter of Introduction                                          5%

Public History Podcast Project                                            20%

Final Project Presentation                                                      15%

Final Public History Project                                                    25%

Revised Resume                                                                         5%

Course meetings

Course meetings in the Fall term will include discussions of readings, skills workshops, guest speakers, and field trips.

Public history placements

Students will be placed with a museum, archives, heritage institution, or digital history initiative for the placement portion of the course (Winter term, January-April 2025). Students will provide 120 hours of service (10 hours/week) to their public history placements over the winter term. They will negotiate their schedules directly with their on-site supervisor and keep track of their weekly activities in a logbook. At the end of the winter term, students will present their projects to the history department and their placement supervisors.

*Note: the class meets only occasionally in the Winter term, and mostly online.

Students who successfully complete requirements for History 4840 will be able to:

• identify and evaluate key concepts and debates relevant to public history and describe how those concepts and debates have changed over time
• analyse and critique concrete experiences of public history practice, from monuments to films, websites, and public history sites
• employ public history skills, such as oral history interview techniques, analysis of artefacts and documents, podcast and/or online exhibition development
• conduct independent research on a specific topic using primary sources such as historical newspapers, archival sources, and government/organizational records
• devise a public history project, exploring and synthesizing a range of sources, crafting a narrative about the past, and presenting it in an accessible and creative manner (podcast, journalistic news article, walking tour, short film, etc.)
• collaborate and communicate in a professional manner with representatives from public history projects and organizations
• incorporate new skills and professional experiences into future career/job search strategies.