History 542 Syllabus

[Note: This is slightly updated from what I handed out in class, with some of the language corrected and some hyperlinks added. All the assignments remain the same.]

HIST 542: Introduction to Public History
Winter 2009

Professor: Larry Cebula Offices and Hours:
Tel: 847-5232 (cell) (preferred!) Patterson Hall 204J
235-7500 x206 (Archives) Digital Archives 206
359-6079 (Patterson) Office Hours:
email: LarryCebula@gmail.com MW: 11-12, 1-3ish (Digital Archives)
Course Website and Blog: T-Th: 10-12 (Patterson)
http://ewu.blackboard.com/ . . . or by appointment
http://history542.blogspot.com/ . . . or by serendipitous encounter

Introduction: Public history is where the academic study of history and the popular audience intersect. Though famously slippery to define, the National Council on Public History describes the discipline as “a movement, methodology, and approach that promotes the collaborative study and practice of history; its practitioners embrace a mission to make their special insights accessible and useful to the public.” There is huge popular interest in history in this country and jobs for those who can learn to present history to the public in an engaging and historically accurate manner.

Course Objectives: This course will introduce you to the art of public history—its origins, practices, and scope, as well as the major fields within public history. Students will leave this course with an understanding of the professional practices of archivists, interpreters at historic sites, museum workers, education outreach specialists, historical reference librarians and other public historians. Students will learn about some of the controversies surrounding public history. And students will complete one major public history project in cooperation with a local historical organization.

Caveat: This course requires abundant reading, research and writing, as well as class participation. Several field trips will be required. To get a passing grade in this class it will be necessary to read all the assigned readings, attend all of the class meetings, participate in class, and study many hours a week. Students who do successfully complete this course will emerge with a richer appreciation of the importance of public history and enhanced research and writing abilities.

Required Readings:
• Wallace, Mickey Mouse History and Other Essays on American Memory
• Gardner and LaPaglia, eds., Public History: Essays from the Field
• Loewen, Lies Across America
• Additional readings as assigned

Grading: Your grade will based on weekly writing assignments (20%) three brief essays (10%, 10%, 10%), class participation (20%) and a final research project (30%). Any essay earning less than a B+ may be rewritten. The grading scale is: 0-59%=F, 60-69%=D, 70-79%=C, 80-89%=B, 90-100%=A. Both essays and a final project must be completed to pass the course.

Weekly Reaction Papers: Each week you will turn in a short 2-3 page paper reacting to the weekly readings. These need not be thesis driven, just tell me what caught your interest in the readings and where you agreed or disagreed with the authors. Be sure to address all the readings and to look for common themes.

Brief Essay #1: Website Review. Choose one online historical exhibit or website and write a 4-5 page review. You may view examples of exhibit reviews in The Public Historian or The Journal of American History. Does the exhibit or site do a good job of interpreting this slice of American history? Is the interpretation in line with the most recent scholarship? How does the exhibit or site deal with ongoing controversies in the field? Who is the intended audience? What compromises have been made in bringing this history to the public? The exhibit or site must be preapproved by the instructor.

Brief Essay #2: Historical Controversies: The Perils of Public History. Write a 5-7 page overview of a recent controversy involving the presentation of history to the public. Examples include the Enola Gay controversy at the Smithsonian; recent changes in interpretation at Gettysburg National Battlefield, Little Big Horn National Battlefield, or Washita National Monument; the creation of the Vietnam War Memorial; public displays of the Confederate battle flag; and the fate of Kennewick Man. For other examples consult any issue of The Public Historian or for that matter your daily newspaper. What do we learn about the practice of public history from the controversy?

Brief Essay #3: Review of a Historical Site. Write a 5-7 page review of a historical exhibit or site. Use the same prompts as for essay #1. The exhibit or site must be preapproved by the instructor.

Final Project: Public History is broad and so are your options for a final project. Your final project should reflect deep research in primary sources, and engagement with the scholarly literature, crisp and clear writing, an awareness of and adherence to the professional standards for public historians doing the same kind of work. Within these requirements, you can do anything that a public historian might do as your final project. (With instructor approval, of course.)

Research Paper Option: Write a 15-25 research paper about either 1) one career path or subfield within Public History, or, 2) the history and current affairs of one public history entity. Sample topics for the first option might be “Smokey Went to Graduate School: Historians in the National Park Service,” or “Museum Curation: Preparations and Prospects.” An example of the later would be a history of the Davenport Historical Society or Steptoe Battlefield.

Digital Final Projects: Create a substantial digital history object. Examples: Create an online historical exhibit using Omeka. Create a Google Earth history layer. Build a website for a local museum or historic site. Digitize some oral histories and put them online. Digital final projects will be accompanied by a 5-7 page historiographic essay. If you are intrigued by the idea of a digital history project but need an idea, come see me!

Other Final Projects: You may also do anything else a Public Historian might do. Create a finding aid for an archive. Develop a tour of a historical site. Write a nomination for historic designation for a local building. Develop an advertising campaign and publicity materials for a history organization. Write a grant proposal. Projects will be accompanied by a 5-7 page historiographic essay

Class Format: We meet weekly. Most classes will include a discussion, some film clips, student presentations, and explorations and research online. If you have a laptop with wireless please bring it with you. Many weeks we will have guests, typically a public historian from a regional institution. Classes that meet once a week will include a break, after which we will continue with in-class assignments, a trip to the computer lab or library, or a workshop activity. Disappearing acts during the break will provoke the awful wrath of the instructor.

Working with Outside Institutions: Some of the assignments in this course will have you away from campus visiting and working with the resources of area institutions such as the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture and other agencies. When you work with an outside agency, remember that you are representing this institution and its students. Identify yourself: “Hi, I am Joe and I am here as part of an assignment for Dr. Cebula’s Public History class at EWU!” Conduct yourself professionally. If you make an appointment be on time, if someone goes out of their way to help you thank them profusely. Let’s build bridges!

Website and Email: The Internet will be a vital part of this course through the use of email, a course website, and assigned visits to other websites. Every student is required to maintain an email account during the semester and to visit that account on a weekly basis. The course website includes a discussion forum where we can post messages to one another. Students are required to check their email and visit the website 24 hours before each class meeting, and to post regular messages to the forum. Each week you will be assigned one or two websites to visit, and you should include these websites in your reaction papers.

Attendance Policy: If I’m here, you’re here. Our class meetings are important times of collaboration and exchange and there is no way to make up what you miss. There are no excused absences from this class.

My office hours are for you. In my own education, I learned a lot more from my professors in their offices than I did in the classroom. Drop by anytime with your questions, comments, problems, or just to chat. If my regular office hours are not convenient just give me a call and we’ll schedule a meeting time more to your liking.

If any student requires special accommodation due to a disability or difference please let me know as soon as possible. This class is for everyone!