This is a historical methods / theory course. Students produce an original piece of research on a topic of their choice that centers on material culture. The goal is to demonstrate the importance of objects for understanding the past by exploring current interdisciplinary trends in theory and methodology. We examine how artifacts can inform historical inquiry and conversely how historical research can shape what we know about the material worlds of the past. Although much of the theoretical and applied writing in material culture is North American, we will also look at the somewhat different approaches to the subject developed in Canada and Europe. The course will give participants a better understanding of the practice of history in general and innovative ways to approach it and communicate it, including through the Internet and Museums.

(available at Victoria University Bookstore, 91 Charles St. West, 416-585-4574)

Required

• Schlereth, Thomas J., compiler and editor. Material Culture Studies in America. Nashville, Tennessee: The American Association of State and Local History, 1982.

(Highly) Recommended

• Avery, Heather, and others. Thinking It Through: A Practical Guide to Academic Essay Writing. Peterborough: Academic Skills Centre, Trent University, 1989. [available through the Academic Skills Center Trent University ($10)