Joshua Butchko, Principal Investigator & Laboratory Supervisor, Joshua Butchko
Proposal Type: Working Group
Seeking: Additional Presenters, Specific Expertise, General Feedback and Interest
Abstract: Institutions commit at varying levels to public history’s goals of collaboration and engagement. As such, this discussion will explore how history professionals balance working within institutional boundaries against the limitless possibilities of a diverse public.
Seeking: There are two primary goals of this session, a discussion of the challenges facing for-profit historians and a structured brainstorming session to combat those challenges.
Public historians working within for-profit institutions, corporations, businesses, and other organizations struggle with management’s bottom-line concerns. The discussion will center on questions of building trust in communities in spite of for-profit status, how to use the institutional mission to one’s advantage, and how to build a collaborative network inside and outside the institution.
Working within the machinery of an institution can give one tunnel vision, and the brainstorming session will provide the space to consider new initiatives, events, programs, and activities for our communities. It will also be a place for professionals to discuss how to become better advocates for public history within their institutions.
Two panelists have committed, one a contract archeologist working with a consulting firm, the other a curator at a corporate museum. They are negotiating with an academic and an entrepreneur to round out the panel, but other contributors would be considered and most welcome.
Any advice for the constructive refinement of the session would be very helpful at this time.
If you have a direct offer of assistance, sensitive criticism, or wish to share contact information for other people the proposer should reach out to, please get in contact directly: Joshua Butchko,jbutchko[at]hunterresearch.com
If you have general ideas or feedback to share please feel free to use the comments feature below.
All feedback, and offers of assistance, should be submitted by July 3, 2015.
Related Topics: Civic Engagement, Collaboration, Material Culture, Museums/Exhibits
Hi Joshua,
This seems like an interesting topic. You might want to clarify some of your terms–such as is a “for profit historian” the same as a historian who is working in a corporation? Many of the NCPH working groups attempt to work toward a product or specific outcome, so you and your collaborators might think about what the intended outcome of this session is.
Good luck!
Thanks very much for your comment Modupe! Currently looking to refine and focus the goals of this group with your helpful insight.
Hi Joshua,
Perhaps you could expand the parameters of your proposal by opening it up to historians who work at non-profits. They sometimes run into the same issues that for-profit or corporate historians face: trying to engage a diverse public but a fear of straying from their mission statement that was created by a board of directors.
C
Courtney,
Thanks very much for your comment. You are correct. Concerns over being bound by a mission statement are equally relevant to those involving the bottom-line. Those who work at non-profits would be most welcome.