**This class will be taught In-Person**
Lots of folks say that they like “history,” but what do they mean by that? Are we “condemned to repeat it?” Does it “rhyme?” Is it “bunk?”
What is “history” anyway? A bunch of stories? A science? An art?
History comes in many flavors and is constructed in many ways. This course will provide a framework and some examples of how to think about history, what it can do for us, and how to make the study of history—whether casual or scholarly—a means of enriching our lives, our communities, and our families.
We will first focus on the nature and history of how we try to understand the past; even History has a history. What is it that Historians try to do and how do we do it?
Then we will look at the different ways of engaging with the past: memory, chronicle, myth, biography, literature, and the modern mode of history. We’ll talk about stories, the different flavors of history, and the impact of bringing different philosophies and perspectives to our understanding of the past.
