Public History is a field of historical sciences to which historians adhere who carry out activities related to the research and communication of history outside academic circles [...] with and for different audiences' (from the manifesto of Italian Public History).
The course intends to analyse the media, themes and audiences (the audiences) that are involved through various examples of PH (Italian and not).
P. Bertella Farnetti, L. Bertucelli, A. Botti, Public history. Discussioni e pratiche, Mimesis, 2017 o
T. Cauvin, Public History. A textbook of Practice, Routlledge.
For non-attenders 1 book to choose from:
- A. M. Banti, Wonderland (chapters to be chosen by contacting the lecturers), Laterza, 2017
-F. Conti, Il Sommo italiano, Carocci, 2021
-or a book to be agreed with the professors.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the course, students will have to demonstrate that they have acquired knowledge and understanding of the issues addressed, enabling them to develop and/or apply original ideas in a research context; that they are able to apply them critically in broader and interdisciplinary contexts; they must be able to integrate the knowledge acquired, manage complexity and demonstrate that they have acquired autonomy of judgement in reconstructing and analysing the issues addressed in class; they must be able to communicate, also through the realisation and presentation in the classroom of a didactic and popular project on a historical theme/topic as well as the knowledge and rationale behind it, to specialists and non-specialists.
Prerequisites
Knowledge of the chronology and themes of contemporary (Italian and world) history.
Teaching Methods
The course is divided into two modules: in the first one the methods and aims of Public History are presented with particular reference to the ongoing Italian, Anglo-Saxon and Francophone debate on these issues; during the second part of the course PH themes and experiences are presented. The course is divided into lectures and contributions from experts.
Further information
Online references (among others - to be provided during the course):
- National Council on Public History, 'About the Field'. https://ncph.org/what-is-public-history/about-the-field/
- Thomas Cauvin, 'New field, old practices: Promises and challenges of public history', magazén - International Journal for Digital and Public Humanities, 2 (2021), pp. 13-44. https://edizionicafoscari.unive.it/it/edizioni4/riviste/magazen/2021/1/new-field-old-practices-promises-and-challenges-of/
Type of Assessment
For non-attending students: oral final examination (on the textbook + chapters of a book of their choice to be agreed with the lecturer).
For those attending: discussion of a PH paper (project) whose bibliography and preparation is discussed with the professors.
Course program
The course aims to reflect on the use of written, oral, visual sources and bibliographic tools in print and online that serve to 'produce' PH. Through the analysis of concrete examples (as well as the introduction of the theoretical scenario in which the reflection on PH takes place) at the end of the course students will be able to collect and interpret data useful to determine autonomous judgements in the field of historical communication, including transversal reflections on cultural and intercultural, scientific or ethical issues related to it. Furthermore, thanks to the specific focus on communication skills, students will be able to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist interlocutors. These skills will be acquired through direct and continuous discussion with the lecturer in the classroom and with specially invited scholars who are experts in the indicated topics. Some themes of the course will therefore be: knowledge of contemporary historiography (on some topics); theory and practices of Public History; visual and audiovisual communication in the contemporary age; communication models and techniques for Public History; history and TV series; history and literature; history and museums; historical narration through videogames, etc...