Teaching Public History - by Julia Brock & Evan Faulkenbury (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The field of public history is growing as college and university history departments seek to recruit and retain students by emphasizing how studying the past can sharpens their skills and broaden their career options. But faculty have often sought to increase course offerings without knowing exactly what the teaching and practice of public history entails. Public historians have debated the meanings of public history since the 1970s, but as more students take public history courses and more scholars are tasked with teaching these classes, the lack of pedagogical literature specific to the field has been challenging. This book addresses the need for a practical guide to teaching public history now"--

Book Synopsis

The field of public history is growing as college and university history departments seek to recruit and retain students by emphasizing how studying the past can sharpen their skills and broaden their career options. But faculty have often sought to increase course offerings without knowing exactly what the teaching and practice of public history entails. Public historians have debated the meanings of public history since the 1970s, but as more students take public history courses and more scholars are tasked with teaching these classes, the lack of pedagogical literature specific to the field has been challenging. This book addresses the need for a practical guide to teaching public history now. In eleven essays by esteemed public historians teaching at colleges and universities across the United States, this volume details class meetings, student interactions, field trips, group projects, grading, and the larger aims of a course. Each essay contains wisdom and experience for how to teach a public history course and why such classes are vital for our students and communities.

Contributors include: Thomas Cauvin, Kristen Baldwin Deathridge, Jennifer Dickey, Torren Gatson, Abigail Gautreau, Romeo Guzmán, Jim McGrath, Patricia Mooney-Melvin, Lindsey Passenger Wieck, and Rebecca S. Wingo.

Review Quotes

"Teaching Public History is full of authentic humanity and a deep commitment to both student and instructor growth. The essays here reflect positively on the academically based public historians who are helping to develop new generations of professional practitioners and historically conscious citizens, confirming the notion that public history is one of the healthiest and most honest corners of higher education."--Anne Mitchell Whisnant, Duke University

"Teaching Public History offers a series of candid, sometimes sobering, and often humorous glimpses into the inner workings of a public history class. . . . It is an invaluable collection of diverse perspectives that will surely encourage a much-needed conversation about how we teach and do public history in the classroom. . . . [E]ssential for anyone teaching a public history course, whether a seasoned educator in an established program or a new faculty member suddenly tasked with building their university's public history curriculum."--North Carolina Historical Review

"Teaching Public History's most obvious and significant contribution is clear in the title--it will help old and new educators alike to hone the skills needed to impart knowledge of the public history field to various learners. . . . Those working in traditional academic history settings where arguing why public history matters may be a constant necessity may find themselves breathing a sigh of relief."--Public Historian

"A practical, honest look at university-level public history courses and different ways to teach them. . . . Highly recommended. . . . Faculty members will find much of interest here."--Library Journal

"An important snapshot of avenues traveled by a new generation of public historians. It is clear from this text that students who explore various perspectives of an event, a monument, or a place and then apply that knowledge in class-based public history projects can play an important role in educating others about the complex and dynamic nature of history and memory."--Oral History Review

"From these diverse and candid testimonials from its practitioners, public history appears to be a discipline grappling with far-reaching expectations. . . . The models in the book . . . suggest that public history college courses are instead adopting the manner of applied scholarship already established in these fields."--Journal of American Culture

"Ranging from veteran public historians to those newer to teaching, these professors collectively distinguish how and why teaching public history is both different from and adds to 'regular' (ie. 'non-public') history. As history enrollment numbers decline across North America, administrators are turning to public history as a recruitment tool. This book serves as both an inspiration and a caution."--Historical Studies in Education

About the Author

Julia Brock is assistant professor of history at the University of Alabama.

Evan Faulkenbury is the University Historian for the University of South Carolina.