HKU Moodle

This course offers an overview of the diversity of methods deployed by professional historians. It provides a structured and cohesive foundation in the analytical, methodological, compositional, and historiographical skills involved in the practice of history. In contrast with most history courses, our goal is not to acquire expertise on a particular region or time period, but rather to explore a variety of approaches, materials, and archives used by professional scholars. The uniquely interdisciplinary nature of historical inquiry makes it impossible to cover every method used by historians in one semester. We will explore theories and practices related to historical archives, human agency, microhistory, the linguistic turn, historical fiction, visual culture, material culture, and public history. The written assignments will complement our readings and offer you the chance to employ some of the theoretical approaches and methods that we will study. During the semester, you will write five short essays. We will regularly convene writing workshops to discuss your written work. These forums will provide opportunities for peer feedback and reflection upon the experience of employing a variety of historical approaches. By the end of the semester, you should be able to:

• Identify, describe and employ a variety of methodological approaches toward historical material.
• Identify and critically analyze a variety of primary sources, including images, texts, and material objects.
• Write essays that draw upon both secondary sources and original research.  

What led a small community in Salem, Massachusetts to persecute hundreds of people, including men, women, and children, and to execute twenty of them in 1692? While the events that took place in Salem remain the most sensational, they were not isolated incidents. Massive witch hunts took place in Europe between 1400 and 1700, and widespread fears about witchcraft led to the persecution and execution of tens of thousands of people. Historians have approached these largescale witchcraft trials and executions from a variety of angles, using economic, social, legal, anthropological, and gender studies frameworks. During the semester, we will explore some of these methods.

This course applies perspectives from Performance Studies to the study of history. Whether we are looking at historical actors or those who interpret their actions for future generations, performance offers a creative and critical lens through which to engage with the past. Throughout the term we will  explore how individuals who live in different times and places can be likened to performers on a stage. Concurrently, we will interrogate how historians can also be likened to performers as they gather evidence and narrate the past. Performance Studies provides a critical lens to explore answers to questions such as: Whose voices are heard and archived? How do ideas of performance illuminate the intersections of history with identities and institutions? What are the racialized, gendered, and cultural performances that shape historical memory, structures, and societies?  We will rethink what it means to perform, explore why performative processes matter, question how historical memory connects with performances of power, challenge binary framings, and complicate dominant narratives. With a performance based approach, students will explore a broad range of performances including but not limited to films, social media, theater, visual art, political events, protest, and everyday happenings.