Overview
Readings:
Tiya Miles, Tales From the Haunted South: Dark Tourism and Memories of Slavery from the Civil War Era (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 2015). No link for this teacher said you can find free version online
- Please read the introduction, conclusion, and two of the case studies (two chapters besides the intro and conclusion).
Please read the 2021 report produced by the American Historical Association based on a national survey to assess public perceptions of, and engagement with, the discipline of history and the past. https://www.historians.org/teaching-learning/curre... (Link to Download PDF)
An overview of the findings:https://www.historians.org/perspectives-issue/sept... (Link to Download PDF)
The full report: History, the Past, and Public Culture: Results from a National Survey. American Historical Review Website. https://www.historians.org/perspectives-issue/sept... (Link to Download PDF)
You don't need to read the entire report in detail! Familiarize yourself with the main findings and focus in more detail on a couple of the findings that you think are interesting.
Nina Simon The Participatory Museum, chapter 7: Collaborating with visitors. https://participatorymuseum.org/read/ (Link to reading)
Serrell and Whitney, Exhibit Labels. Chapter 2: "Behind it all: the Big Idea" and chapter 7: "Who is the audience?"
Assignment Directions:
Select one of the questions below, and write a paper of 1000-1,250 words (4-5 pages). Include your word count at the top of the page.
Your paper must engage with and reference at least 2 academic sources. You should use the readings from this course- see both the option and required readings for weeks 1 and 2. You should not carry out additional research. Wikipedia and websites are not acceptable sources. Please footnote your paper, using the Chicago Manual of Style as your guide.
1. What role do ghost tours play in public history, and to what extent can they function as meaningful sources of engagement with the past?
2. Select and discuss three of the main findings of the "History, the Past, and Public Culture" survey. What are the implications for public history/the work of public historians?
Aspects of a good paper
1. Argument. Do you answer the question? Is there a main argument?Is it creative? You will need to focus- this is a relatively short paper, so you cannot cover everything!
2. Analysis. Is your argument sustained? Is your paper analytical rather than descriptive? Are arguments supported with evidence? Consideration of counter-arguments and evidence. A focused paper that makes good use of evidence is better than a broad, vague paper.
3. Knowledge and use of sources. Have you chosen good sources and are they used appropriately? Are you examples well chosen? Engagement with themes and readings from the course. Do you demonstrate awareness of the bias and limitations of sources?
4. Writing and prose. Is it well written? Is it well structured? Clarity of prose; effective use of paragraphs, punctuation, and footnotes.
5. Length. 1,000-1,250 words. Include your word count at the top of the first page.