In the last several years, I have noticed more and more history educators discussing strategies for writing and teaching \u201cusable histories\u201d.<\/p>\n
It certainly is a catchy phrase.\u00a0 It resonates with most historians, as we spend a fair amount of energy defending the utility of our work as educators and researchers. Yet, from what I can tell, there\u2019s no consensus of what usable history<\/em> should look like \u2026<\/p>\n For the historian Bob Bain, teaching usable histories requires a pedagogical practice which introduces students to three elements:\u00a0 historical facts; critical thinking; and historical consciousness. You can find a very interesting blog post, on the Big History Project<\/a>, with his ideas here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Full disclosure<\/em>:\u00a0 As of the date this has been published, I\u2019m on the Advisory Board of the affiliated OER Project.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t disagree with Bob, but I do wonder if there is something to be gained by pushing this line of thinking even further.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][dssb_sharing_buttons icon_placement=”icon” columns=”3″ icon_color=”#FFFFFF” icon_bg=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” use_sharing_title=”on” sharing_title=”Share this article!” _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” sharing_title_font=”|700|||||||” sharing_title_text_align=”center” width=”100%” module_alignment=”center” min_height=”100px” height=”100px” global_colors_info=”{}”][dssb_sharing_button social_network=”linkedin” _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dssb_sharing_button][dssb_sharing_button _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dssb_sharing_button][dssb_sharing_button social_network=”twitter” _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dssb_sharing_button][\/dssb_sharing_buttons][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/usablehistory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/magazine-18.png” _builder_version=”3.27.3″ custom_margin=”49px||50px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.11.3″ text_font=”Cardo||||||||” text_text_color=”#2a2a2a” text_font_size=”42px” text_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”||69px|||” text_font_size_tablet=”36px” text_font_size_phone=”24px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”] But what if we explicitly<\/em> linked the work of history to how the future is imagined<\/em>?<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.11.3″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”justify” max_width=”600px” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”] As historians, we focus on the historical imagination.\u00a0 We use evidence and rely on accepted methodologies to influence how we imagine the past to have unfolded.\u00a0 Visually it might look something like this:<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/usablehistory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Capture-de\u0301cran-le-2021-10-16-a\u0300-12.34.25.png” title_text=”Capture d\u2019e\u0301cran, le 2021-10-16 a\u0300 12.34.25″ _builder_version=”4.11.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.11.3″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”justify” max_width=”600px” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”] <\/p>\n But what if we explicitly<\/em> linked the work of history to how the future is imagined<\/em>?<\/p>\n Think about it \u2026 This is not as absurd as it sounds.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are several fields of study that are future oriented.\u00a0 <\/em>Any field aimed at creating social change is oriented towards the future.\u00a0 <\/em>Yet, they all use history<\/em>.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take economics, for example.\u00a0<\/p>\n Economists argue for or against issues like lowering interest rates and trade liberalization, because they believe it will lead to a particular societal outcome in the future. <\/em><\/p>\n Here\u2019s the really interesting thing:\u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Economists do not have a crystal ball.\u00a0 They cannot actually predict the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n If they could, we would not have economic recessions and depressions.\u00a0 It is that simple.<\/p>\n However, in order to persuade us that their economic predictions are accurate, they make references to, and draw parallels with, economic circumstances in the past<\/em>.<\/p>\n In other words, they use history<\/em>.\u00a0 They construct historical narratives in support of their future oriented <\/em>theories.\u00a0 Granted a significant number of them use history very poorly, but they do use it.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been particularly inspired by the work of Deidre McCloskey on this.\u00a0 In her words, much of what economists do is \u2018history in another key.\u2019<\/p>\n So, what does any of this mean for us as historians?<\/p>\n Perhaps instead of playing defense, we should start playing offense.<\/p>\n If experts in other fields are using history to influence the future, then I think we have a responsibility to actively and explicitly concern ourselves with the future.<\/p>\n Instead of loudly proclaiming \u201chistory is important !\u201c to a world of non-historians, we need to go into the terrain of economics, politics, and international development and engage with how history is being used in these arenas.<\/p>\n In other words, there is a need to reframe how<\/em> we present what <\/em>we do.\u00a0 This would mean writing and teaching history very differently.\u00a0 It might even require us to imagine new ways of meaningfully restructuring traditional history programs.<\/p>\n We need to show that doing history well<\/em> can change the future.\u00a0 Visually, a reframing of historical work might look something like this:<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/usablehistory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Capture-de\u0301cran-le-2021-10-16-a\u0300-12.48.20.png” title_text=”Capture d\u2019e\u0301cran, le 2021-10-16 a\u0300 12.48.20″ _builder_version=”4.11.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.11.3″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”20px” text_orientation=”justify” max_width=”600px” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”] I\u2019m willing to gamble that if we presented history as a discipline that influences the future, convincing students to become history majors would be a lot easier.\u00a0<\/p>\n As an added bonus, we would also spend much less time defending what we do to the rest of the planet \u2026<\/p>\n I would love to get your thoughts on this.\u00a0 Feel free to leave a comment on to email me directly.\u00a0<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.9.10″ min_height=”98px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.27.3″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/usablehistory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/1_Signature_-HR-BLACK.png” align=”right” _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” width=”74%” min_height=”100px” height=”264px” max_height=”100px” custom_padding=”1px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][dssb_sharing_buttons icon_placement=”icon” columns=”3″ icon_color=”#FFFFFF” icon_bg=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” use_sharing_title=”on” sharing_title=”Share this article!” _builder_version=”4.10.8″ _module_preset=”default” sharing_title_font=”|700|||||||” sharing_title_text_align=”center” width=”100%” module_alignment=”center” min_height=”100px” height=”100px” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][dssb_sharing_button 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