Below are upcoming events as well as announcements that may be of interest. (A bulletin will be sent out each week with upcoming events and announcements.) Departmental events are also posted on our website.
Events
July 5, 2018
“Lend Me Your Ears! – Podcasting as the New Public History”
About the Lecture
One of the great success stories of the new media age has been the podcast. This democratic platform has let literally thousands of people try their hand as producers of audio entertainment. What perhaps could not have been predicted is how podcasts have filled an important niche in the educational life of countless listeners. This is especially true when it comes to history. History podcasts have proved to be surprisingly popular corner of the podcasting world. More people than ever are learning history from their friends in their earbuds, but are these dedicated amateurs really qualified to be shaping our understanding of the past?
Join Sebastian Major, host of Our Fake History, as he explores how podcasting has changed the public history landscape, and tells first hand stories of the potential dangers of presenting yourself as a historical “truth teller” on the unforgiving internet.
Sebastian Major is the creator and host of Our Fake History, a podcast that explores historical myths and misconceptions. The show has been noted as one of Toronto’s “most addictive podcasts” by Toronto Life Magazine and has been regularly featured on CBC Radio’s Podcast Playlist. Sebastian has also been featured as a panelist at the Hot Docs Podcast festival. In 2011, Sebastian received his Master’s in Public History from Carleton University. Today, Sebastian is a musician, storyteller, and educator who works as a teacher in the City of Toronto when he is not producing the show.
Date: Thursday July 5, 2018
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Location: Diefenbunker Museum, 3929 Carp Rd, Carp, Ontario
Cost: Free – suggested donation $5.00
*The Diefenbunker Museum is a registered Charity: 869747691 RR0001
Tax receipts available for donations of $20.00 or more.
Announcements
Help spread the word about our new Youth Advisory Council!
We are pleased to announce that a Youth Advisory Council will be created at Library and Archives Canada (LAC). This council will provide the perspective of young people on access to, and the relevance of, Canada’s documentary heritage. It will offer advice and guidance to senior management and employees on various projects and initiatives.
We are currently looking for 20 students and young professionals between the ages of 19 and 25 from all backgrounds who live in the National Capital Region; they will help us to make LAC a better place for youth.
Joining this council is a fantastic volunteer opportunity for members, who will be able to develop essential communication, analytical and leadership skills, and learn more about our collections, programs and services.
To help us build a dynamic and diverse council, please spread the word widely across your network. If you think you might know a perfect candidate, please ask him or her to apply online before July 8, 2018. The first meeting will take place in mid-September 2018 in Ottawa.
If you have questions or comments regarding this exciting new endeavour, please contact bac.jeunesse-youth.lac@canada.ca.
Humanities Course Open to History Students
Please see the attached course description for HUMS 1500. This is a course that has not been offered in the past years but may be of interest to History students. It is open to all students and there are no prerequisites.
Call for Proposals: Realities of Canadian Democracy
Deadline for proposals: 30 September 2018
Workshop Dates: 2-3 May 2019
Although the majority of Canadians would describe Canada as a ‘democratic’ nation, there is no common definition of what this means or a detailed understanding of how our current ‘democratic’ system came to be. Democracy – “rule by the people” – has been construed in radically different ways in Canadian history, yet it has been understudied by Canadian historians. There has been little specific Canadian research on how understandings of the concept have changed over time and space, how it has been translated into practical politics, or how ideas of democracy have historically been contested in Canada.
The purpose of this workshop is to consider these questions, and to discuss how, when and even if Canada can be considered a ‘democracy.’ By taking up Allan Greer’s challenge to consider “the discontinuities in the history of democracy: paths not taken, projects defeated and unrealized, impulses nipped in the bud, dreams forgotten,”our goal is to gain a better perspective on how Canadians came to consider Canada a ‘democracy’ and what they meant by this term. Conference organizers are interested in the multilayered struggles and the multiple actors that have historically shaped Canada’s democracy, in addition to the more traditional political histories. Central to this topic is the quest for power and the question of agency within Canadian society, and with this in mind we encourage papers that broaden the study of democracy beyond Parliament and policy makers. We are interested in submissions that consider either ‘moments’ in this struggle, its long history, or theoretical issues. Although our focus will be on Canada, we welcome transnational contributions that will place Canadian developments in a broader context.
Organized by Professors Julien Mauduit and Jennifer Tunnicliffe and hosted by the L.R. Wilson Institute for Canadian History at McMaster University, this two-day workshop seeks to unite scholars across Canada and around the world to reflect on the origins, travails and limits of Democracyin northern North America. Our aim is to historicize Canadian democracy in its broader context, with the goal of publishing an edited volume for the L.R. Wilson Rethinking Canada in the World Series with McGill-Queen’s University Press.
We welcome proposals in English or French of 250 words by 30 September 2018. Invitations to present at the symposium will be issued by 15 October 2018. Given that the workshop will involve discussing papers in depth, participants will be required to submit papers of approximately 8000 words by 15 March 2019 to allow for pre-circulation.
The Wilson Institute will provide assistance toward lodging and travel re-imbursement for all speakers.
Applicants should submit their proposals, a 150-word biography, and a one-page CV to the L. R. Wilson Institute for Canadian History at wilsonch@mcmaster.ca. Use the subject line “Democracy”
If you have any questions, please contact Julien Mauduit (mauduitj@mcmaster.ca) or Jennifer Tunnicliffe (tunnicje@mcmaster.ca)
Call for Papers
Please see the attached two calls for papers from the Indian Ocean World Centre at McGill. They are having two conferences in Montreal this coming December addressing migration and environment in the Indian Ocean World. One is a workshop for graduate students, and the other is a larger two-day conference for researchers at every level.