2015 Sessions on the Profession
Being a Public Intellectual: Historians and the Public
This roundtable session brought together five notable historians active in blogging, television, and op-ed writing to speak about their experiences as "public intellectuals." Topics of discussion included balancing the demands of the university and the interest that exists for historical knowledge in the public arena.
Available on C-SPAN: Historians as Public Figures
Interpreting and Representing Women's History to the Public
In this session, several leading scholars of women's history discussed how to engage a broad public in understanding this field within the complimentary worlds of museums, historic sites, digital environments, and the classroom. For a review of the session, see Maria Bucur's post on AHA Today.
Available on C-SPAN: Interpreting Women's History for the Public
The National Endowment for the Humanities at Fifty
This session provided background on the National Endowment for the Humanities' work affecting history, historical scholarship, documentary filmmaking, and museums and historical societies, as well a group discussion on the future direction of NEH support for the humanities.
Historians as Public Intellectuals in a Comparative National Context
When a historian is called on to use expert knowledge in a public debate, what are the terms in which they might engage in such debates? What are the consequences? "Historians as Public Intellectuals in Comparative National Context" answered these questions and more in a discussion about the difficulties of voicing the general interest of the public.
The Nation in the World: 150 Years of Critical Engagement
On the occasion of the sesquicentennial anniversary of The Nation, panelists discussed this famed publication's reporting of historical events in various regions of the world, as well as how it has drawn attention to crucial social, environmental, and political exigencies.