Explorations in Public History

Course Description

Summary

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of Public History, meaning history that is generated for wide general audiences through collaborations among community activists, historians, museum professionals, artists, preservationists, archivists, policy makers and public officials. Public History is an umbrella for the fascinating universe of museums, landmarks, historic sites, memorials, exhibitions, reenactments, and so on. We will also explore fast-moving developments around the use of history in media and digital ventures, popular entertainment, virtual reality projects, and heritage tourism. The work of the course will focus on writing, non-linear thinking, visual literacy, research, collaboration, and presentations.