The Humanities: Public, Open, Applied & Engaged

The Humanities: Public, Open,

Applied & Engaged

Steven LubarBrown University

September 2013

How can our work be interesting, useful, and meaningful to the public?

How does working with the public make our work better?

The public cares about the humanities...

But they don’t care as much about the work of academic humanists

Academic humanists need to talk to each other...

That’s necessary, but not sufficient. We gain from working with the public, too.

Universities are changing...

A push for efficiency

Vocational training

Engines of economic transformation

Engines of cultural transformation

How can we take advantage of these changes?

How can we both respond to external demands and do our own work better?

Impact

Reaching beyond the university...

Civic and Community Engagement

Knowledge exchange

Public scholarship

New Models for the Humanities

Applied

Translational

Open

Digital

Public

APPLIED HUMANITIES

..Training for technical jobs, museum careers, policy work?

APPLIED HUMANITIES..or as a source of values to improve individuals and the world?


“One studies the humanities to gain useful

knowledge about the

world in which he lives, spiritual

nourishment, and a sense of

values”—Edwin

Steinberg


“the ability to own (enact and

embody) a literary or

philosophical insight should be central to

humanities learning in college.”

—Svetlana Nikitina

TRANSLATIONAL HUMANITIES

Give people the tools to understand our work?

“Establish communication

between the studies of

academia and the everyday lives in our community.” —Eastern Illinois

University

TRANSLATIONAL HUMANITIES

Or refocus our work on topics of community interest?

“Ensure the literacy of users in the

multiple languages of the media and communities

that they encounter on

the Web.” —Abby Smith

Rumsey

OPEN HUMANITIES

Open access journals and books, open data and open sources tools?

OPEN HUMANITIES...Or democratizing production and consumption of humanities research.

“The values of the open

humanities are Collaboration,

Inclusivity, Interdisciplin-

arity, Open Access,

Open Process, Open SOurce,

and Involvement of

the Public.”

—Eric Johnson

OPEN HUMANITIES...Or democratizing production and consumption of humanities research.

“The free sharing of historical

information… helps solve

social problems

relating to collective memory and

public history.” —George

Mason University

DIGITAL HUMANITIES

A conduit between the public and the academy?

“It serves to make

humanities research into something of a

new multi-player online

game with global reach

and relevance.”—Anne Burdick

DIGITAL HUMANITIES...or a new kind of multivocal conversation that the public can Join

“collaborating with

communities… envisioning new ways of interacting

with our many publics

—University of Iowa

PUBLIC HUMANITIESSupporting students and faculty who connect the public to history, art, and culture

PUBLIC HUMANITIESSupporting organizations that explore, preserve, and interpret cultural heritage

PUBLIC HUMANITIES

...or helping communities make culture meaningful, useful and accessible

PUBLIC HUMANITIESmaking colleges and universities “agents and architects of a flourishing democracy.”

PUBLIC HUMANITIES

“building bridges to a

wide range of local and regional

institutions and their respective publics.”

—Yale Public Humanities

making colleges and universities “agents and architects of a flourishing democracy.”

PUBLIC HUMANITIES

“Public humanities

means cultural work in the

public interest and liberal

arts education for

democracy.” —Michigan

State Public Humanities

making colleges and universities “agents and architects of a flourishing democracy.”

Six SuggestionsShared authority

Public scholarship

Work with community organizations

Collaborate with artists

Think digital

Teach practical skills

Thanks

The Humanities: Public, Open, Applied & Engaged

Education

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