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I have always been fascinated by learning about people and events that took place before I was around to experience them for myself. Discovering new information about ancient peoples, modern wars, and historically significant figures holds my interest more than reading classic American literature, looking through a microscope at cells scraped from my cheek, or solving a circle proof. All through school, the only main subject area that ever could hold my interest for more than a few minutes was history.
I have obtained a bachelor of science in secondary education: social studies with a history dual major and have just began graduate studies in secondary social studies education. With all that I know about history it is only recently that I have truly began to ponder the question "What are the practical applications to studying history?" I have struggled with this question while I was student teaching the last semester of my undergraduate degree. I would always have to work hard to convince kids that not only can history be fun to study, but it can also be useful to know. Most of what I told them worked, but it really was a bunch of fluff that most people my age would be able to call me out on.
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My first history book that's not really about history
I'm assigned this book for my historiography class and it's providing me with a few answers and many questions. I think that by reviewing what people think history is and how it is treated may help address the practical implications it may possess.
History is generally treated as the cumulation of events in human history. But when I think of history I think of the sum of everything that has ever happened. Screw mankind, we are but a blip on the timeline of earth, not to mention the universe, or the beginning of time. It's not surprising though for people to place supreme importance on their own lives and species' existence. I'm sure some see history as I do, but it is rarely treated as such in the classic history mentality.
But not to get too caught up in definitions or semantics, one of the most popular ways to try to show people that history is important is to tell them that we, as a whole, must learn from the past in order to avoid the mistakes we have already made. This way of thinking is saying that by using information from past events, we can analyze those events and act accordingly in the present.
My main problem with this line of thinking is that it is very difficult, therefore, very rare, to be able to put events of the past in the context of the present. Most recently, I can remember people citing that the U.S. should not invade Iraq because Russia had already tried it and it had failed. People reasoned that we should not repeat the mistake Russia made. Although this is a sound argument, the U.S. is not Russia and it just seemed like most people could not relate the two events sufficiently.
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Hell, the U.S. is better than Russia, just watch (The) Miracle (on Ice)
History is also studied in order to try to create a better tomorrow. The events of the past are sometimes seen as unfolding not in a linear way but in a cyclical pattern. History repeats itself so not only do we have to learn from our mistakes, but we also have to prepare for the future. (This view of history can be debated, but I'm just trying to examine various ways of looking at history and how practical it can be). Assuming that there are at least recurring themes for all events that have ever happened and will ever happen, we could at the very least attempt to understand the psychology of human behavior, or at most predict future events (and try to get in touch with our inner Nostradamus).
Going with the understanding human behavior application, Gilderhus' book states that we are "better able to calculate the anticipated consequences of our own acts." On the flip side of that, we can study the unintended consequences of human actions. To some degree I believe we can achieve the goal of learning about historical events and the purposeful or accidental effects they carry, but just because someone has settled on an effect does not mean it is the correct one.
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Just watch the History Channel. It's full of programming about things people don't actually know.
The truth is that history is full of inaccuracies, most of which we will probably never know the degree of. How can you write down the real facts of an issue when the only historical documentation you have are two conflicting accounts of the same event. The best you can do is give both sides of the story and if you're feeling ambitious give your own opinion on the matter.
Not only is the truthfulness of the events in history debatable, but so are the studied causes and effects historians describe. If people do learn about the past, how often can we apply the knowledge to the present to prevent us from doing dumb things? How do we know we even accurately assessed a past event? Is it worth trying to predict the future by analyzing human behavior when the only thing we know for sure is that human interaction is complicated and uncertain? If everyone views history from a different pair of eyes, each pair having its own individual and unique experiences, whose history is the right history?
So now I'm left with the question of how I can explain to students why history is actually important and practical, preferably using more substance than fluff in the answer. And the truth is that I have no fucking idea.
 
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Hmmm a good question indeed. I was like you in highschool as well, History was one of my favorite classes. I never had much trouble enjoying the class or learning the material. Infact my friends/family/ and girlfriend all at one point or another said they hate watching TV with me because all I watch is History, Discovery(got the whole bundle or discovery channels) or some Documentaries.
How I would approach the students would be to involve them as much as possible. If you have a mature enough class basic debate on something like the use of the Atom Bomb at the end of WWII or even the comparisons of ancient Rome to today's modern USA. I think that the more you can involve them, get their brains going the receptive they can be. My aunts and uncles are mostly teachers and have told me many many times when I try to learn things that I dislike or struggle with is to try to find something to relate it to. Use movies that are historical recreations(you and I both know history movies are never 100% accurate but wtf if they get involved and you can easily pick the dunce that tries to write the paper from the movie) or books based in a particular period. I don't know what your curriculum allows you to teach or what methods you've presently using, but I can appreciate how hard it is to try to make people understand.
To bad, The Bay of Pigs, never really happened eh?(just a fun poke at your words on WHO write the books gets the final say) Otherwise hell you might just have something historical to compare and discuss that has ties to the present.
To be completely honest I'm super duper jelly that you get to talk about history on a regular basis. If its a college program even more so, as the quality of the discussion is immensely more thought out. I don't know if I've helped or not, but I enjoyed the blog. Thanks
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To understand who we are, we need to understand who we were. Then we can try to change who we will be.
Too bad you can't make much money from studying history though. Unless you are a lucky treasure hunter or something like that?
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This isn't really about specifically history at all....you are getting into flat out philosophical stuff.
Not only is the truthfulness of the events in history debatable, but so are the studied causes and effects historians describe. If people do learn about the past, how often can we apply the knowledge to the present to prevent us from doing dumb things?
Maybe you should investigate and write a book. We know on some scale history is incredibly useful for preventing dumb things. All practice is simply examining history on a very small scale. How this usefulness is effected by the increasing intervals of time or conglomeration of others experiences is the big question. I don't know. Maybe someone out there has done a serious study...
How do we know we even accurately assessed a past event?
This isn't history, this is about the fundamental nature of truth. There is no answer to this one....The best I can manage is avoiding the question by adopting a philosophy of Model-dependant realism.
Its a simple term favored by Stephen Hawking and some other smart guys, and its the most sensical "answer" I have discovered.
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History is vital. In my opinion, the triumverate of sound political policies comes from:
1. Knowledge (history)
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2. Understanding (present)
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3. Imagination (future)
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I've always liked to differentiate history from science and mathematics and bring it closer to literature and art. What practical purpose does it solve? why should a teenager learn it in school? I agree with you in that the usual argument of avoiding the mistakes of the past is pretty loose but why do we need such a practical reason?
Ask any artist or author why their work is necessary and they will tell you that there is more to life than what we can see and touch. Why can't we apply history to this category? why can't we study history as a form of art, to learn what humans have done during our time as opposed to applying it as you would biology or psychology.
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On February 04 2011 17:48 AirbladeOrange wrote:
My main problem with this line of thinking is that it is very difficult, therefore, very rare, to be able to put events of the past in the context of the present.
Not to nitpick but I think that is the problem, you have a preconcieved notion that it is useless in the first place. It is no wonder why you haven't been able to make use of it =.=.
Just use history as a reference...
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Agreed with TheLink - unless it's your profession, knowledge of long-past events simply has no relevance except as a story. But stories are valuable.
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Aotearoa39261 Posts
I love history. If we appreciated it more and were able to take the lessons that those stories tell us and apply them to our lives/professions then the world would be a better place. Here's a basic example. Despite what you may think, in NZ the native people (Maori) put up a pretty damn good fight against the British in the 1860's using (basically) modern day guerrilla warfare tactics. Here's one of the battles, thanks to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gate_Pa . Now if the British had taken some of the lessons from their battles with the Maori instead of being too proud to admit they were bested on some occasions then perhaps their military tactics would have been significantly better in WW1. Food for thought.
To look at the Russia-Iraq situation from a different light. Understanding why Russia was unable to break Iraq would have been a key consideration of the US army before invasion. Or at least, it should have been. Knowing where Russia went wrong and then not making the same mistakes is an obvious necessity before attacking. So rather than applying something of a transitivity argument - "Russia failed in Iraq, therefore U.S. will fail in Iraq", we can analyse and bring out the lessons the Russia-Iraq shares with us and use those in future plans.
Other instances where history can be practical is studying things like the development of food. This is actually an incredibly interesting area and you can learn a lot from this. But is it applicable? Of course it is. If you are a chef, or aspire to be one, making your meals authentic can be a key selling point. Of course, the authentic flavours are amazing stand alone but combine that with a themed restaurant and you might be on to something. Actively researching these things can lead to improvements in recipes and inspiration for modern recipes. I'm not bullshitting here!
Further, perhaps you are a musician. Giving an authentic performance vs being able to give a modern interpretation of a work is something any performer needs to consider. Further, in order to truly understand the motivation and inspiration of the composer you need to understand the social cultural and historical contexts from which the piece arose. (This goes for art as well). Again, can't do with without history.
History of any subject is always invaluable!!
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You should say to the students: Do you ever wonder why certain things happen around you?
Do you want to know how to make money?
Do you want to know where you want to be in the upcoming years?
Do you want to want to be stupid or do you want to be smart?
Do you want to know if a politician is lying?
Do you want to know why we are at war?
If you want to know or not it doesn't matter the things that matters is that if you want to learn why you are where you are and where you want to go you should pay attention to this history class.
The present world was formed by past events don't you want to know how they were?
Thats why History is so important its a frame of reference, it helps understand the behavior of humans as a society around the globe and what has made the modern world what it is. Think about it when they tell you in school or in college about a writer or a politician, or a law there is always a Historical context behind it. The man that knows history can predict better how the world will move and what will happen. So everybody needs history, when you tell how you got to TL you tell your context and you tell what happens around you. Remember history is written by all of us and even more so today where everything you write in the Internet leaves a mark of how you are as a person and where you are from.
History is one of the most important tools that school will give you if you use it right you will understand society and human behavior better.
PS Everytime you look at a WL record in TL you are appealing to history so you use it everyday man.
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History Channel jumped the shark 10 years ago.
American Pickers
Ax Men
Modern Marvels
Swamp People
Ancient Aliens
Monster Quest
Apocalypse PA
UFO Hunters
Nostradamus Effect
It hardly has anything resembling history (or anything factual) nowadays.
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You're talking about alethiology. But to answer the other part of your post, about the history, I had the same struggle until I realized I could pull lessons out of history and apply them directly to my life. Find a bunch of examples and have like 1 quick "real-life lesson" a week -- how to deal with parents a la sun tzu, how aristotle's definition of good is really really handy to use in a moral pinch, and history is full of fun ironies and crazy coincidences.
Directly from the text:
11. The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own
readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made
our position unassailable.
12. There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general:
(1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
(2) cowardice, which leads to capture;
(3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
(4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;
(5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.
Which means
(1) Do most of what you're asked well, do some of it great
(2) Surrendering to your parents' will is a way of biding time for planning and waiting for opportunity
(3) Don't argue with parents from an emotionally escalating position
(4) Your pride will suffer short-term defeats for long-term victories
(5) Don't change or ask too much of your parents at once. Make the process slow and appear to be based off past efforts
That way if they want a game system, want to party, study abroad, or do something big, they'll be ready for their parents. Draw examples from your own life and the lives of people in the past. In the total of human history I really doubt there's a situation which nobody's been in which you can't use as a lesson.
I mean more than just teaching history, if you can inspire and develop their curiosity and show them how to find things out it'll be a ton easier.
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On February 04 2011 17:48 AirbladeOrange wrote:
Most recently, I can remember people citing that the U.S. should not invade Iraq because Russia had already tried it and it had failed. People reasoned that we should not repeat the mistake Russia made.
Afghanistan.
On February 04 2011 22:56 Plexa wrote:
To look at the Russia-Iraq situation from a different light. Understanding why Russia was unable to break Iraq would have been a key consideration of the US army before invasion. Or at least, it should have been. Knowing where Russia went wrong and then not making the same mistakes is an obvious necessity before attacking. So rather than applying something of a transitivity argument - "Russia failed in Iraq, therefore U.S. will fail in Iraq", we can analyse and bring out the lessons the Russia-Iraq shares with us and use those in future plans.
Russia has really tried to invade Iraq ?
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United States2186 Posts
You did state the problems with the popular theory of using past lessons to justify contemporary choices. Frankly that seems to be more of a misuse of history than anything in general.
As someone who deals with military history, which has a lot of pressure in it to be useful for armies, I've run into this problem a lot. What I've concluded is that history is best treated as a problem solving tool. For example, Napoleon credited a lot of his success to studying the campaigns of the great commanders. But Napoleon didn't seem to get direct impact from them: the majority of his innovations in strategy etc came from French military theorists. What is certainly true though is that Napoleon, right from the start and with no real experience, possessed an incredible ability to judge situations on the spot and solve problems instantaneously that he had never seen before. Those skills almost certainly came from his intense study of military history.
Martin Van Creveld wrote an interesting paper on this subject titled Thoughts on Military History if you have access to jstor or the journal of contemporary history (1983).
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On February 05 2011 02:00 KurtistheTurtle wrote:You're talking about alethiology. But to answer the other part of your post, about the history, I had the same struggle until I realized I could pull lessons out of history and apply them directly to my life. Find a bunch of examples and have like 1 quick "real-life lesson" a week -- how to deal with parents a la sun tzu, how aristotle's definition of good is really really handy to use in a moral pinch, and history is full of fun ironies and crazy coincidences. Directly from the text: Show nested quote +11. The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own
readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made
our position unassailable.
12. There are five dangerous faults which may affect a general:
(1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
(2) cowardice, which leads to capture;
(3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
(4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame;
(5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble. Which means Show nested quote +(1) Do most of what you're asked well, do some of it great
(2) Surrendering to your parents' will is a way of biding time for planning and waiting for opportunity
(3) Don't argue with parents from an emotionally escalating position
(4) Your pride will suffer short-term defeats for long-term victories
(5) Don't change or ask too much of your parents at once. Make the process slow and appear to be based off past efforts That way if they want a game system, want to party, study abroad, or do something big, they'll be ready for their parents. Draw examples from your own life and the lives of people in the past. In the total of human history I really doubt there's a situation which nobody's been in which you can't use as a lesson. I mean more than just teaching history, if you can inspire and develop their curiosity and show them how to find things out it'll be a ton easier.
I really like this idea. There are two ways I have learned that best engage students. Being a good story teller is the first one. This is about having energy and imagination and try to get it to rub off on the kids. Telling personal stories about me or my family have intrigued the kids. Whether it was about my dad's experiences in the Vietnam War, or my experiences being on Medicade, they ate it all up with big, curious stares.
The second way is relating things to today. Doing this can help kids better understand why things happened the way they did or what people were thinking the time they did something. History is the ultimate frame of reference.
On February 05 2011 02:05 Boblion wrote:Show nested quote +On February 04 2011 17:48 AirbladeOrange wrote:
Most recently, I can remember people citing that the U.S. should not invade Iraq because Russia had already tried it and it had failed. People reasoned that we should not repeat the mistake Russia made.
Afghanistan. Show nested quote +On February 04 2011 22:56 Plexa wrote:
To look at the Russia-Iraq situation from a different light. Understanding why Russia was unable to break Iraq would have been a key consideration of the US army before invasion. Or at least, it should have been. Knowing where Russia went wrong and then not making the same mistakes is an obvious necessity before attacking. So rather than applying something of a transitivity argument - "Russia failed in Iraq, therefore U.S. will fail in Iraq", we can analyse and bring out the lessons the Russia-Iraq shares with us and use those in future plans.
Russia has really tried to invade Iraq ?
You're right. My mistake.
After reading the comments and thinking about it more I'm realizing that there is probably too much emphasis on practicality (at least from my part). How much of what you learn in middle and high school is so practical in your day to day life? There is undoubtedly usefulness to almost everything you learn in school, but most other subjects are not that different.
I'm thinking back to all the science classes I have ever taken. The math classes teaching me very crazy things with shapes and lines I understand little about. After learning to read and write I guess most English classes fall into the same category. I'll go on a limb and say that physical education was the most practical class I have ever taken. A language class in which you actually use the language could be useful as well I guess.
School is about learning to learn not only from others, but from yourself (I picked that up from education classes). It's good to be well versed in various subject areas and leads one to be a well rounded individual.
It's been pointed out that subjects can be viewed more of as art or music. This is an interesting idea because I'm a musician and really believe in its importance to developing students. Of course the same can go for art.
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It's all relative. A high schooler doesnt need to know history anymore than basic organic chemistry, calculus, or a myriad of other things that have no practical application outside of a very few professions. For my career, studying the historical background and sociopolitical backdrop of a region is critical and wouldnt be able to make the correct decisions if I didn't. I'm typing this on my phone, sry for mistakes.
So for me, history has so much more practical applications than any science or advanced math I learned. I do think basic statistics is incredibly valuable though , much more than calculus or physics, but that's just an off-hand opinion
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On February 05 2011 04:47 Elegy wrote:
It's all relative. A high schooler doesnt need to know history anymore than basic organic chemistry, calculus, or a myriad of other things that have no practical application outside of a very few professions.
Its this mentality that allows ignorance to run rampant, narrow minded education breed narrow minded children who grow up to be narrow minded people.
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On February 05 2011 07:57 MapleFractal wrote:Show nested quote +On February 05 2011 04:47 Elegy wrote:
It's all relative. A high schooler doesnt need to know history anymore than basic organic chemistry, calculus, or a myriad of other things that have no practical application outside of a very few professions.
Its this mentality that allows ignorance to run rampant, narrow minded education breed narrow minded children who grow up to be narrow minded people.
Hardly.
I was forced by my high school to take completely irrelevant courses in advanced chemistry and physics for no realistic reason. I already knew my future was in the social sciences, to think that I needed to know the properties of organic reactions or need to memorize a half-dozen different chemical equations is completely ludicrous.
Now, there is certainly nothing wrong with introductory courses to provide a wide range of different ideas and concepts to young students, but there was no need to force myself and my peers to sit through tedious hours of incredibly dense mathematics and physics when only a few expressed in any interest in that field whatsoever. For the rest, it was purely a waste of time and utterly useless, and the time and the money would have been better spent elsewhere. Again, basic and introductory is good, but there's no need to have kids sit through years of crap they'll never think about once they get out of there.
If I need to know these random physics equations and o-chem talk and how to calculate a number using a formula in a field I'll never think of again, then it's only logical that students should be forced to take classes in constitutional law, religious law, theology, the history of sub-Roman Britain, 20th century Spanish literature focusing on the interwar period, socioeconomic history of the Southwest USA, and numerous other completely (for the vast majority of people taking them) irrelevant classes.
Its this mentality that allows ignorance to run rampant, as you say yourself...narrow minded education that ignores theology, anthropology, sociology, international law (fields just as important as calculus for the average student) is certainly not making for a promising future. Hell, applied ethics isn't taught (from my experience) in public schools, but calculus is?
I've always been an advocate of much more freedom in public education, but I do understand that many people don't have their minds made up as quickly as others. Likewise, a broad base in many fields should be encouraged to ensure students get maximum exposure to the maximum number of ideas that could potentially pique their interest, but I feel that, in California at least, there are some serious disparities between what hard sciences are rammed down students' throats and what social sciences are. Whether that is "bad" is another matter ^^.
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EPT
