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EIHS Workshop: Are Historians Blinded by Sight?

Friday, March 24, 2017
12:00-2:00 PM
1014 Tisch Hall Map
What does it mean to see? How do historians rely on the visual to interpret the past? Is the visual record misleading? These questions serve as a launching off point for this workshop, which considers the relationship between sight and historical interpretation, between visual materials and historical research. In an ocularcentric world were visual practices are privileged over other sensory modes, historians regularly search for meaning through the visual —photographs, manuscripts, letters—in the archives. Drawing on ways of seeing and researching across global contexts, our panelists explore the possibilities and pitfalls of interpreting the past through visual representations.

Panelists include:
Saquib Usman (PhD student, Anthropology, University of Michigan)
Tara Weinberg (PhD student, History, University of Michigan)
Xiaoyue Li (PhD student, History, University of Michigan)
Osagie K. Obasogie (commentator, Haas Distinguished Chair and Professor of Bioethics, University of California, Berkeley)
Stephen A. Berrey (chair; Associate Professor of History, University of Michigan)

Free and open to the public. Lunch provided.

This event is part of the Friday Series of the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies. It is made possible by a generous contribution from Kenneth and Frances Aftel Eisenberg.
Building: Tisch Hall
Event Type: Workshop / Seminar
Tags: African American, History
Source: Happening @ Michigan from Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies, Department of History

The Thursday Series is the core of the institute's scholarly program, hosting distinguished guests who examine methodological, analytical, and theoretical issues in the field of history. 

The Friday Series consists mostly of panel-style workshops highlighting U-M graduate students. On occasion, events may include lectures, seminars, or other programs presented by visiting scholars.

The insitute also hosts other historical programming, including lectures, film screenings, author appearances, and similar events aimed at a broader public audience.