Worries about the economic value of arts and humanities degrees seem to be increasing; certainly, they do not appear to be a high funding priority. Learning about past mistakes of our ancestors, along with examples of the losses those mistakes can cause, gives us a stern warning as to why we should not repeat them. Instead the concept has been completely forgotten about, at this same time Germany has been on the move. I could see that the two were closely linked but I couldn't decide whether the very apparent even- handedness of British historians was part of the national characteristic or was a totally separate phenomenon. It’s also important for the direction society is moving in, right now. History also teaches us how to learn from the mistakes of others. "History" is an umbrella term that relates to past events as well as the memory, discovery, collection, organization, presentation, and interpretation of information about these events. History offers so many and varied (the multiplicity or … This is something that is important and valued. He fought a vigilant battle in the 4th century … There has been the pleasure of finding out about much of what happened in the past, and there has been the acquisition of patterns of thought which I have used when tackling most practical problems in both my personal and my working life. It is the 'patterns of thought' point which has kept me arguing that there is no more worthwhile subject than History to study. Without studying Church history, it’s easy for us to become myopic and lose perspective, restricting both our vision and our ambitions. 'On the one hand this, on the other hand that' is a routine part of the mental process. In a world where fake news can influence elections, the methods of the historian – what history degrees train their students to acquire – are needed more than ever before. If you subscribe to BBC History Magazine Print or Digital Editions then you can unlock 10 years’ worth of archived history material fully searchable by Topic, Location, Period and Person. This means not just reading, looking at or listening to a source – whether a newspaper report, a medieval charter, an interview or a 16thcentury woodcut – but questioning it. The classic saying is "Those who study history are doomed to repeat its mistakes." For a long time I have been aware that, for me, there have been two great benefits gained from studying History. I soon realised that the three men had become noticeably institutionalised. See the World. You're now subscribed to our newsletter. Historic Studies – To provide insight into history through the scholarly study of a famous family, such as a royal family. Psychologists tell us that good health is often dependent on feeling good about what we do. They would not have been prepared to hear what I had to say. There was an assumption that 'they' knew best. 3. The study of history involves reading, thinking and interpreting. Drawing on data from 1740 pupil questionnaires and 160 pupils in focus-group interviews, the study aimed to gain insight into British pupils' ideas about why they study history at school. History helps us understand our own identities. It seemed almost too good to be true. In 1916 he stated sweepingly: 'History is bunk'. One sees similarities between events, peoples and ideas and thereby gains understanding, appreciation and perspective. The negative response would be that history can’t carry this kind of value, not any more: far more valuable, surely, to study a STEM subject (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The study of history has been an important part of humanity's collective memory and experience since ancient times. ...The Importance of History It is both necessary and helpful to study the context of prior history because it is relevant to who we are. Then we noticed a subtle change in the way the doctors phrased their comments. Think about that. Then, in each case, I tried to work out how they might have acted had they once been students of History. Studying events in history provide a clear picture of past participants experiences and behaviors, so that we take what others have done and build upon it. People live in the present. In history courses, we learn not just about other people and … The study of history is vital to a liberal arts education. Behind their words the assumption seemed to be 'when' I would recover rather than 'if. Perhaps, after all, being ill is nature's way of giving us time to remember what really matters! Only by having a firm grasp on history can we tackle the … I could almost hear the cries of 'Rubbish' that would have greeted any such assertion. History equips us with vital skills: Skills that can be acquired from the study of history include data … 'What would it look like from here, what would it look like from there?' History, or at least the study thereof, as shown by class, is divided into three specific categories: remembered, recovered and invented--each having their own benefits and downfalls. Normally this line of thinking ended with me drifting off to sleep with a sense of general well being. The Benefits Because we are human, and humans are creatures of habit, history often repeats itself. Studying history improves our decision making and judgment. There would have been thoughts exchanged about what the car driver might have been feeling and, in all probability, there would have been a consideration of how we could get the outcome we wanted while causing our neighbour as little distress as possible. Praise or blame could be apportioned very simply, presumably from the point of view of the person making the judgement. So, why study them now ? The beauty of studying history allows us to see whether any previous ‘war on drugs’ was successful. That is why historians are often accused of sitting on the fence, of being too willing to see the opposite point of view. You will shortly receive a receipt for your purchase via email. Unfortunately, because my voice was virtually non-existent for a long time, I was unable to communicate with them. Otherwise, you will end up going round and round in circles and finish up getting nowhere in particular.' History provides a foundation for activism. By studying history you’ll gain a range of transferable skills, from informed citizenship and critical thinking, to research and general awareness. The events leading up to both World Wars help us understand how a small event can set off a large series of changes. The study of history gives a proper perspective to our correct appreciation of the present, because the present has grown out of the past. Actually, Ford's original comment was not so well phrased and it was a journalist who boiled it down to three unforgettable words. Historians aren’t just people who analyse sources; we have to think about the phenomenon of society itself, in all its varieties, and communicate what we think about it. Meanwhile, devaluing the economic contribution of history teachers devalues the economic value of basic literacy (and indeed numeracy) which history teachers promote every day of their working lives. The answer lies, as always, in the methods of historical practice coupled with the historian’s profound concern with how past societies functioned. Most notice- ably, they never quite managed to identify exactly what it was they were attempting to achieve. When I heard somebody say in considerable exasperation, 'The trouble with historians is that they're too reasonable', I knew exactly what was meant. Historians of all periods are no strangers to how rulers and ruling classes legitimate their decisions through the use of the most up-to-date communication methods. I even had time to think about some nice things. However, I was certain that I felt very pleased to be part of a discipline which so obviously respected the value of evidence. Early comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) with good history-taking is essential in assessing the older adult. Rather, it's that they wouldn't have wanted to. If I had been teaching them History I would have been saying, 'read the question carefully and work out exactly what you are being asked to do. The skills of the historian are profoundly connected to understanding and working within this changing society. Everything you ever wanted to know about... Study history: Tips from an admissions tutor, So, you want to study history? Enhance your network. Please enter your number below. What makes a trained historian one of the world’s most-read voices on the relationship between the past, present and future? People Never Change. You can unsubscribe at any time. 1. What is its value in a world where new technologies dominate our professional and social lives, and an ability to code is seen as having the same high status and capacity for social advancement as the ability to read once did? Alcohol was illegal for 13 years. History isn’t just an essential introduction to … In short, they want to employ people who can both learn new technical skills but who are also trained to think creatively and professionally about what the social and cultural consequences of these new technologies might be, what particular social or political issue might need addressing in its design, and who might be interested in the data gathered by a new social media app or fitness-tracker. The study of history was, accordingly, singled out. Despite this, though, some newspaper articles did focus on history, seizing on juicy quotations from one of the report’s ‘informal feedback’ sessions. One thing that my studies of Church history revealed is how quick we are to over-correct. Members of tech companies are increasingly writing articles about the importance of employing liberal arts majors (in the US) or humanities graduates (in the UK) in addition to graduates from engineering and computer science. History is useful for work. We live in a rapidly changing world. History provides identity. and how they can be beneficial for us except entertaining us with some interesting stories. Those who study History for any length of time, and who get into the habit of thinking historically, almost automatically consider both sides of an issue whenever they are forming an opinion or deciding on a course of action. The first iPhone was released only 11 years ago. But what did throw us a little was the tone of his voice. The study of history is the study of humanity, and it reveals truths about the … Graduates in history work in multiple sectors, many of them high-paying (law and the civil service, to name but two), and many of them directly related to their degree itself (curation and conservation, museums, heritage, archival work, not to mention being a history teacher or, even, a professional historian!). Take the prohibition laws in the US in the 1920s. In that speech I focused on our needs as Americans. © Copyright 2021 History Today Ltd. Company no. But why study history at university level? The biggest reason you should consider a study abroad program is the opportunity … But Christian history isn’t just meaningful; it’s intensely practical, too. By studying history will allow a person to be able to look at something as a whole (to see things whole). When the doctor told us (my wife and myself) that this was the situation we were not in the least surprised as it was what we had expected. Present thoughts, ideas, customs and institutions can never be properly understood without reference to the past. Recently, the journalist and academic John Naughton wondered whether a history or philosophy background might have helped Mark Zuckerberg foresee and thus prevent Facebook data being used to influence elections and world politics. One sign of this was that they had virtually ceased to think for themselves about what was happening to them in hospital. The number of explicit professional jobs for historians is considerable, but most people who study history do not become professional historians. What Is History? Comments like these devalue and mask those vital sectors of our economy and society which are either staffed by history and humanities graduates, or are dependent on a broader social and cultural interest in the past continuing. The data suggest that many pupils have very vague ideas about the purposes of school history. This notion is wrong because history is not just a … Studying church history is like opening a photo album and exploring your family heritage. For a long time I have been aware that, for me, there have been two great benefits gained from studying History. Very soon I was spending several hours every day enjoying going over my favourite 'stories' from the History I had studied for most of my life. In other words, we would have been at pains to look at the situation from his point of view. There seems to be a problem, please try again. Over the years I have gotten into trouble more than a few times for things I have written or said in public, but I suppose the chief cause of my notoriety is a speech I gave to the freshmen of Yale College suggesting that they would be wise to make the study of Western civilization the center of their pursuit of a liberal education. It involves the whys of life. It would be one of those classic cases where a student writes all he knows about Charles I merely because he saw his name in the question, instead of discussing how far he was responsible for the outbreak of the Civil War, as he was actually asked to do. They plan for and worry about the future. History helps us understand change and societal development. It seemed that, at the time, the person driving the car had been in a very emotional state having just had an explosive row with his wife. History is unique among the liberal arts in its emphasis on historical perspective and context. His intonation carried the message that if he had been a gambling man he would put his money on me not making it. History (from Greek ἱστορία, historia, meaning "inquiry; knowledge acquired by investigation") is the study of the past. I must have been a little delirious, but I considered it reasonable to work on the basis that I was being attacked by many-tentacled brown monsters which were trying to squeeze the life out of me, and that my job was to stop them doing it. The official website for BBC History Magazine, BBC History Revealed and BBC World Histories Magazine, Save 50% on a BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed subscription, Dr Alice Taylor explains how looking at the past can equip you for the future…. A history degree trains you to ask questions of your material: where does it come from? Studying abroad helps you build invaluable relationships with people from … I was amazed by just how many differences there seemed to be. Studying history is important to provide people with a sense of the past. Before long I found myself speculating on the links between historians' reasonableness and the much-vaunted British sense of fair play. Dr Alice Taylor is a reader in medieval history at King’s College London, This article was first published in the October 2018 edition of BBC History Magazine, Save a huge 50% off a subscription to your favourite history magazine. Community History – To document a community history by understanding the families that founded and influenced the community. Major example: Hitler's Wehrmacht was defeated by the same two Russian generals who defeated Napoleon's "Grand Armee"- General Mud and General Winter. Historians insist that the past must be understood on its own terms; any historical phenomenon -- an event, an idea, a law, or a dogma for example -- must first be understood in its context, as part of a web of interrelated institutions, values, and beliefs that define a particular culture and era. How powerful and successful was this kind of source or message? They were aged between 75 and 90, were long-term 'stayers', and were most pleasant people. Drawing on data from 1740 pupil questionnaires and 160 pupils in focus-group interviews, the study aimed to gain insight into British pupils' ideas about why they study history at school. Study is also useful because it makes one able to discuss a variety of subjects in a skillful way and, more important, study allows one to convince others with the force of argument ("discourse"). Take Athanasius. Historians try and understand how things happen and what their consequences were. As I had these thoughts in hospital my mind wondered in all sorts of directions. Headlines appeared with such provocative statements as “the UK has too many biology and history graduates and not enough workers with vocational skills”. It seems a little far-fetched to maintain that the survival of Britain as a healthy democracy depends on there being plenty of historians around, but I can understand the thinking that leads to such an assertion being made. Who wrote it, designed it, wanted it? The fact that any historian worth his salt reached conclusions based on the evidence found, rather than reaching a conclusion and then searching for evidence to support it, seemed to be one of the strengths that marked doing History out as being a very worthwhile activity. The paper considers the implications of these ideas for history teachers and teacher educators. Scholars say that teaching history to kids has many important benefits. Here, Senior Lecturer in History, Dr Tony Joel, from Deakin University’s School of Humanities and … But where the topic was one l: had studied in depth I could enjoy the added dimensions of thinking about how historians had reached very different conclusions about what had happened and why, and how these differences often reflected the values and attitudes of the period in which the author had been writing. Among the liberal arts, history is the discipline most concerned with understa… History, however, is the study of the past. I heard several times about how stupid the man was and how he must not only be made to pay for the damage done but must also be made to undertake all the necessary arrangements with whoever was going to do the work, At no time was any mention made of the thoughts or feelings of the neighbour. For several days the conversation around one bed was all about a neighbour who, while attempting to manoeuvre his car, had accidentally reversed into my fellow patient's garden wall, partly demolishing it. The report did not single out degrees in arts and humanities subjects as causing ‘skills mismatches’. History is most commonly used to study government and politics, but history can also be used to illuminate other topics, such as science, technology, or law. Here are seven ways that studying it benefits us. Studying history teaches students the skill sets that they will need in almost any major or job. Past cultures took time and efforts to document historical events to help future participants understand … Not only that society’s economic bases (who is rich, who is poor; how are the rich, rich and the poor, poor; how were clothes made and acquired, buildings built and everything paid for) but also how that society legitimates its very existence. As the days passed, I enjoyed playing a type of 'fly on the wall' game. I spent many hours identifying the strategies they were employing as they attempted to decide what course of action it would be best to follow. Events occurring before the invention of writing systems are considered prehistory. There are so many pressures and worries about the present and future planning, why bother caring about history? This allows people to understand how cultural, social and societal values developed differently. The report made many recommendations: it judged the government’s aim of marketising higher education to be unsuitable to the nature of the sector; called for the reinstatement of means-tested loans and grants; and proposed that high interest rates on current student loans be reduced. The outcomes of the study also indicate that there is a case for teachers devoting more time and thought to helping pupils to understand the purposes and benefits of studying their subject in secondary school in order to improve the motivation and engagement of their pupils. History involves relationships: past to present, action to action. As a result, they normally ended up either making no decision at all or choosing a course of action which was likely to move them forwards very little. Thanks! It Instructs. This led them to conclude that I was probably brain-damaged as well as unable to move'. These skills can be used throughout life. History, or at least the study thereof, as shown by class, is divided into three specific categories: remembered, recovered and invented--each having their own benefits and downfalls. The hospital ward in which I found myself contained just four beds. On 11 June 2018, the House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs published a report entitled ‘Treating Students Fairly: the Economics of Post-School Education’. Yet most historians would feel very uncomfortable thinking in this way. Now that the time in hospital is fast becoming a distant memory and that my attention is firmly focused on the hurly-burly of daily living, such thoughts seem somewhat unreal. Though the study of history and in learning about the past, people are better able to understand how the present came to be. Life would be very straightforward if issues were considered from only one point of view. Top tips from a graduate, “Studying history is the ultimate passport to the future”, Medieval universities and an unlikely friendship, Editor’s pick: Ian Kershaw on postwar Europe, Saving food, saving lives: rationing in the Second World War, Admiral Lord Nelson: 10 days that created a legend, 10 tips to choosing a history degree course, Study History: Tips from an admissions tutor. Us how to learn from the point of view of the past equip! Teaching history to study, but most people who study history and and. With me drifting off to sleep with a sense of fair play past, present and future, why caring. There seemed to be evidence, data and perception lie behind different views Those who study:. A fortnight recently I lay paralysed from the neck downwards in a cold sweat yet historians! Many pupils have very vague ideas about the past can equip you for the future instructs us, replacing ignorance... 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