Newcastle University

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This module will introduce students to ideas and practices of public history, and critically engage with some approaches. Students will begin to develop some of the key skills of public historians, especially in regards to communication and collaboration.

Outline Of Syllabus

•Introduction: What is public history? An international overview
•Publics and counter-publics and why they matter
•The past in the present: historical justice
•Approaches to Public History

      -History for the public: delivery and reception
      -History with the public: history from below and memory activism
      -History in public: heritage, memorialisation and commemoration

Case Studies working across the inter-connected themes of race, war, environment, gender and class.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

At the end of this module, students will have:
•       Understanding that public history is the use of the past in the present.
•       Knowledge of the historiography of public history, including some of the key international debates.
•       Understanding that public history is defined and practiced in different ways in different places around the world.
•       A developing understanding of key theoretical concepts relevant to public history, including public sphere, audience, imagined communities, historical consciousness and historical justice.
•       A developing understanding of the reception of the past by publics.
•       Knowledge of different ways public history is practiced including through popular culture, cultural institutions, legal frameworks and memory activism.

Intended Skill Outcomes

•       Critical thinking and evaluation skills
•       Ability to work collaboratively in small groups
•       Public speaking skills
•       Technical and communication skills for public presentations
•       Online writing skills

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

LECTURES: enable students to gain a wider sense of historical argument and debate.

WORKSHOPS: Workshops will focus on key practical skills associated with Public History, including: critical analysis and different forms of public communication.

SURGERY TIME: Module leader designated drop in sessions.

SEMINARS: weekly seminars are an opportunity for students to consolidate their learning. They encourage independent study and promote improvements in oral presentation, interpersonal communication, problem-solving skills, research skills and adaptability.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Assessment will be by (a) a blog post reflecting an example of public history (b) an individual presentation on an aspect of public history (c) a final essay problematising public history and its central questions.

This combination is designed to assess students' skills in presenting information to a public audience (both orally and in writing) in addition to the more traditional essay style format which will assess critical thinking, academic reasoning and execution.

Submitted work tests intended knowledge and skills outcomes, develops key skills in research, reading and writing.

All Erasmus students at Newcastle University are expected to do the same assessment as students registered for a degree.
Study-abroad, non-Erasmus exchange and Loyola students spending semester 1 only are required to finish their assessment while in Newcastle. This will take the form of an alternative assessment, as outlined in the formats below:

Modules assessed by Coursework only:
All semester 1 non-EU study abroad students will be expected to complete the standard assessment for the module; to be submitted no later than 12pm Friday of week 12. The essays should be set so as to assure coverage of the course content to date.

Study-abroad, non-Erasmus exchange and Loyola students spending the whole academic year or semester 2 are required to complete the standard assessment as set out in the MOF under all circumstances.

General Notes

N/a