Admission requirements
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Description
This seminar provides the student with an overview of archival thinking and archival practices. The concept of ‘archive’, which is a concept in motion, is in the forefront. The selected literature discusses the various functions of an archive in society, provides an overview of the recent developments in archival thinking and archival practices and gives insight into the relationship between archives creation on the one hand and the different uses of archives on the other.
A number of books and articles are selected to provide the student with an overview of the various meanings of the archive and the different lines of approach in archival science. Students explore the various, sometimes conflicting, functions of archives in society. In the discussions much attention is paid to contested aspects of archiving like archives as instruments of (colonial) power, archives as cultural heritage and appraisal and selection, which even got a new dimension because of digitisation. We will extensively discuss the debates that take place with respect to the theory and practices of archives as tools of power, heritagization of archives and appraisal and selection of archives? What are the effects of the selecting mechnisms on the ability to understand archives and for the study of history? What are the effects of digitization on creation and use of historical archives?
Course objectives
The ability to analyze and evaluate literature and sources for the purpose of producing an original scholarly argument
Insight into the social relevance of history and archives
Knowledge and comprehension of archiving in a colonial context; insight into the significance of archiving processes for the way in which a society deals with its documentation heritage in general and its historical practice in particular; disclosure, including digital disclosure, of archives as part of the broader heritage sector;
Knowledge and comprehension of the theoretical, conceptual and methodological aspects of the theoretical foundations of archivistics; assessment and selection of archives;
Extra course objective voor ResMA students
- Knowledge and comprehension of the theoretical foundation of the discipline and of its position vis a vis other disciplines
Timetable
Mode of instruction
- Seminar
Course Load
Total: 280 hours
Lectures and seminars: 28 hours
Compulsory literature and weekly assignments: 182 hours
Paper, including research: 70 hours
Assessment method
The ability to give a clear written report on the research results in English or Dutch: essay
The ability to give a clear oral report on the research results in English or Dutch: presentation
The ability to provide constructive academic feedback: weekly assignments (blogs)
The ability to engage with constructive academic feedback: weekly assingnments (blogs)
The ability to analyze and evaluate literature and sources for the purpose of producing an original scholarly argument: weekly assignments (blogs), essay
Insight into the social relevance of history and archives: essay
Knowledge and comprehension of archiving in a colonial context; insight into the significance of archiving processes for the way in which a society deals with its documentation heritage in general and its historical practice in particular; disclosure, including digital disclosure, of archives as part of the broader heritage sector: literature reviews, essay
Knowledge and comprehension of the theoretical, conceptual and methodological aspects of the theoretical foundations of archivistics; assessment and selection of archives: essay
For the ResMa students:
- Knowledge and comprehension of the theoretical foundation of the discipline and of its position vis a vis other disciplines: weekly assignments (blogs) and essay
Assessment and grading method (in percentages):.
essay 40%
weekly assignments (writing blog): 15%
writing of 2 literature reviews: 30%
oral presentation 15%
To complete the final mark, please take notice of the following:
The final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
Reexamination: If the final grade is unsatisfactory the student rewrites the essay and delivers one new literature review
Blackboard
Blackboard is used for this course:
Weekly assignments posted via blogs on blackboard and following feedback
Essay is posted on Blackboard
Literature reviews
Reading list
As handbooks are used:
Terry Eastwood and Heather MacNeil (eds) Currents of Archival Thinking (Santa Barbara-Denver-Oxford 2010)
Jennie Hill (ed) The future of archives and recordkeeping. A reader (London 2011).
Other reading materials will be made available via blackboard
Registration
via uSis