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The Uses of History (HIST*3450)

Course Details

The course code for The Uses of History is HIST*3450, with section 01, offered during the Winter 2020 term. The course instructor is Alan Gordon.

Course Synopsis

This course provides an introduction to the uses of history in public life and public debate, focusing on the application of historical context to current debates about the place of the past in public life. It involves a critical examination of past uses of history to assess present-day uses, inspecting public history and memory through the activities of governments, corporations, and voluntary associations. The course examines history as political propaganda, marketing strategy, and ideological support in a global and historical context.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Intensively analyze historical themes, facilitating investigation in some depth
• Explain the temporal dimensions of constructing historical inquiries
• Evaluate and differentiate historical and political narratives grounded in cultural contexts
• Read and analyze primary sources, and explore secondary material at an advanced level
• Use advanced skills associated with bibliographic research beyond basic bibliographic search resources
• Produce original research that reflects not only a synthesis of scholarship, but an original interpretation
• Demonstrate skills in written communication through the completion of written assignments
• Understand how cultural similarities and differences, and historical, geographical, and political contexts can affect the construction of historical knowledge
• Describe the variety of uncritical media through which contentious historical arguments have been presented and consumed by the public
• Recognize the importance of integrity and accuracy in the communication of historical interpretations in the public sphere
• Develop a critical understanding of how historical knowledge can be and has been used in the public sphere to support a variety of ideological positions

Methods of Evaluation

The course evaluation includes a midterm exam, a short written assignment, and a major assignment. The major assignment involves presenting recommendations to resolve current public debates about how History is used in public. There is no required textbook, with weekly readings assigned through course reserve, averaging 3 journal articles per week.

Departments and Schools

The course is associated with the following departments and schools:

• School of Theatre, English, and Creative Writing
• School of Fine Art and Music
• School of Languages and Literatures
• Department of History
• Department of Philosophy
• Interdisciplinary Programs

Centres, Institutes and Labs

Related research and academic activities are supported by:

• Centre for Scottish Studies
• Grounded and Engaged Theory Lab (GET)
• Interdisciplinary Design Lab
• The International Institute for Critical Studies in Improvisation
• The Humanities Interdisciplinary Collaboration Lab (THINC)
• The School of Fine Art & Music Print Study Collection