What does a Historian do?

Summary

This video explains what historians do, contrasting it with how history is taught in schools. While students often watch documentaries or memorize facts, professional historians study and interpret sources such as artifacts, documents, and records to create narratives of the past. They use key skills: sourcing (analyzing the reliability of a source), corroboration (comparing multiple sources), and contextualization (understanding the source's context). These skills, the video argues, are valuable not just in history but in everyday life when assessing the credibility of information, such as news articles.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Historians create history by studying and interpreting artifacts, which can include both written records and physical objects like tools and weapons.
• 🧠 There is often a gap between what students do in history classes and the work historians actually do, such as engaging with and interpreting historical sources.
• 📚 Historians don't just memorize facts but rather use problem-solving skills to analyze and interpret the past.
• 🔎 The three main skills historians use are sourcing, corroboration, and contextualization.
• 👤 Sourcing involves asking questions about who wrote a source, their perspective, why it was written, when and where it was written, and whether it is reliable.
• 🤝 Corroboration is the process of comparing multiple sources to gain a fuller picture of past events and determine consensus or differing perspectives.
• 🌍 Contextualization involves understanding the circumstances under which a source was created and how that impacts its content.
• 📅 Not all sources are equally reliable; a source written at the time of an event is more credible than one written long afterward.
• 🎯 Historians use their skills to construct narratives and interpretations of past events, which can vary depending on the sources available and their interpretations.
• 💡 The skills used by historians—sourcing, corroboration, and contextualization—can be applied in everyday life to evaluate information, such as news articles, and determine their accuracy or bias.

Q & A

What common misconception do students have about what historians do?

Many students believe that historians primarily search Wikipedia, watch documentaries, and listen to history lectures, as these are activities they do in their history classes. However, this misconception arises from how history is taught in schools, focusing more on passive learning rather than the actual work of historians.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Knox, how does the teaching of history differ from other subjects in schools?

Dr. Jeffrey Knox observed that history is often taught by listening to lectures and memorizing information, unlike other subjects where students actively engage with the material. For example, in science, students conduct labs; in gym, they play sports; in English, they write poetry; and in industrial arts, they work with tools. This creates a gap between the work of professional historians and how history is taught.

What are the three main skills that historians use to create an account of the past?

The three main skills that historians use are sourcing, corroboration, and contextualization. These skills help historians analyze and interpret historical sources to create accurate accounts of the past.

What does 'sourcing' mean in the context of a historian's work?

Sourcing involves asking questions about a historical source before using it. Historians ask who wrote it, what the author's perspective is, why it was written, when and where it was written, and whether it is reliable. This process helps historians assess the credibility and usefulness of a source.

How does corroboration help historians in their work?

Corroboration involves comparing multiple sources to get a better understanding of what happened in the past. By looking at how different sources describe the same event or person, historians can identify similarities, differences, and reach a more accurate conclusion about historical events.

Why is contextualization important for historians?

Contextualization requires historians to consider the circumstances in which a source was created. This helps them understand the context and motivations behind a source, which can impact how they interpret its content. For example, knowing that a battle report was written by a general to his commanding officer provides insight into why the battle might be described in a particular way.

How does the work of historians differ from simply memorizing historical facts?

Historians do not just memorize facts; they actively create history by studying and interpreting artifacts, written records, and physical objects left from the past. They piece together evidence to form narratives about what happened, often dealing with multiple accounts and perspectives on the same events.

Why might different historians have different interpretations of the same historical event?

Different historians may have access to different sources or may interpret the same sources differently. This leads to various accounts of the same event or person, resulting in multiple interpretations of history.

How can students use the skills of sourcing, corroboration, and contextualization in their everyday lives?

Students can use these skills to critically evaluate information they encounter, such as news articles on social media. By sourcing, they can assess who wrote it and why; through corroboration, they can compare it with other sources; and by contextualization, they can understand the circumstances in which it was created. This helps them determine whether the information is true, partially true, or false.

Why is it important for history students to learn about what historians do?

Understanding what historians do helps students learn valuable problem-solving and critical-thinking skills that are applicable in everyday life. Instead of merely memorizing historical facts, students can develop the ability to analyze, question, and interpret information, which are skills that can be used beyond history classes.