Archaeologists and the Pedagogy of Heritage: Preparing Scholar-Practitioners for Complex and Changing Heritage Work

Summary

Heritage studies and public history are the publicly engaged and community-accountable practices of historical scholarship, whether it is based in archival research, archaeology, architecture and preservation, landscape studies, or other related areas. Archaeologists share a commitment to public interpretation, education, and preservation with these other disciplines, and graduate education must reflect this reality. Today’s scholar-practitioners need to understand the connections and common issues shared by all these perspectives in a heritage field increasingly characterized by interdisciplinary integration and innovation, a diversity of voices and authorities, and responsibilities shared broadly among agencies and with various publics. This paper will discuss a cluster of innovations in undergraduate and graduate education offered in a variety of settings for archaeologists and others preparing to work in heritage fields. A particular focus will be on work toward establishing a Masters in Heritage Studies and Public History at the University of Minnesota as a collaborative initiative between a Tier I Research University and a State Historical Society. Goals of this graduate program include providing a solid scholarly/professional background, offering practical training for working with public audiences, and increasing the diversity of scholar-practitioners entering the heritage field.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Public Engagement and Education: Developing Heritage Stewardship

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