HIST 5003: Historical Theory and Method

Fall 2026 / Winter 2027

This course is required for all first-year MA students in History and Public History.

It is meant to be your anchor in the first year of your program, a place where you will explore what it means to think historically and “do” history through a sampling of theoretical and methodological approaches. There is no single way to be a historian, after all, but at the same time, there is something distinct about historical research compared with other disciplines. We will explore sources, archives, and the various ways historians construct narratives out of what we find. (For example, we will read an academic article about Cold War Italy in which the author completely makes up the people he is writing about. Can historians do that?) We will consider written mediums as well as visual and material; theories about how historical lenses can amplify or marginalize certain angles or groups in the past; and source discussions that touch on big issues like memory, knowledge production, and voice.

Class Format:

This course runs for the full academic year, from September to April, for 0.5 credits. That means we generally meet every two weeks instead of every week, and the workload is more spread out. That said, it is still a core course for your degree and will require your consistent attention. We will meet for one 3-hour seminar every second week, which will primarily involve student-led discussions of the assigned readings (normally 3-4 academic journal articles or book chapters, or one short book). Attendance is mandatory for success in this class.

Assessment:

Participation in the seminar discussions; written assignments such as reading responses and peer review. You will also begin to explore your own thesis or MRE topic as you become more familiar with advanced historical theory and method: this class will help you design and workshop your MA project proposal in order to submit it to your advisor and an outside faculty reader by the end of April.

Texts:

Readings will consist of book chapters and journal articles available electronically through the library catalogue or other resources available for free online. One or two short books might be required for purchase.

Questions? Feel free to email me at erica.fraser@carleton.ca