By Cassandra Hendry
Throughout history, some of the greatest empires have risen and sometimes fallen, like Rome, Britain and the Ottomans. All empires have one thing in common; they changed the world we live in today. But Danielle Kinsey, a history professor at Carleton, thinks there’s another similarity: there’s so much to learn from them.
That idea is what has translated Kinsey’s teaching into award-winning work. As the recipient of a 2014 New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award, she’s lived up to her accolades by showing her students just how interesting the history of empires can be, sometimes in unorthodox ways.
“I’m very interested in popular culture today and how empires are depicted in our pop culture,” Kinsey says. “I let students do projects that critique that. I get a lot of [papers on] Star Wars and the video game Age of Empires.”
The reason why Kinsey strays from the usual history-based teachings is simple.
“History is full of facts and I de-emphasize the facts and am more interested in structures, how power works and these larger concepts. Students get more into it this way, instead of just memorizing a bunch of facts,” she says.
In the classroom, clarity is key. Kinsey tries to be as creative as possible while still being direct with students as to what will be on a test. She says it’s very satisfying for students that this teaching style gives them peace of mind while still keeping them interested.
“Students appreciate clarity and, if nothing else, that’s what I deliver.”
Examining ancient empires isn’t her only specialty. Kinsey focuses on empires that are a bit closer to home, too, giving her students another way to relate.
“I used to teach in the U.S. and there it’s easier to convince students that the British empire may have made a few missteps,” she says. “In Ontario, it’s a little more pro-empire.”
Teaching students that are surrounded by the remnants of the former British empire’s strong influence in Canada has produced results. Kinsey says she’s received a much more diverse spectrum of opinion about empires with her students at Carleton than in other places. Opinions have led to discussions, which have led to better-informed and engaged students. And for Kinsey, that’s exactly the outcome she had in mind.