EIHS Symposium: Against History: Interpretation, Erasure, and the Politics of Method

"Against History” interrogates the following premise: History is a concept and set of practices whose ideological work is often rendered invisible or obscured by the assumption that its narratives and analyses offer an objective representation of the past. Our participants will draw on their innovative work in ancient history (Sara Forsdyke) and colonial or post-colonial studies (Joshua H. Cole, Deirdre de la Cruz) to consider some of the ways in which historical interpretations are fashioned and deployed as well as the erasures that are intentionally or unintentionally produced. How has history been used to buttress or challenge political and social orders? What methods might we use to restore a more complex, inclusive—and accurate—representation of the past?

Panel:
• Joshua H. Cole (Professor, History, University of Michigan)
• Deirdre de la Cruz (Associate Professor, History and Asian Languages & Cultures, University of Michigan)
• Sara Forsdyke (Professor of Classical Studies & Josiah Ober Collegiate Professor of Ancient History, University of Michigan)
• John Carson, moderator (Associate Professor, History, University of Michigan)

This event presented by the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies. It is made possible in part by a generous contribution from Kenneth and Frances Aftel Eisenberg.