What Kind of Historian is The Fit Historian?

Who am I as a Historian? Great question! I am a recent graduate with a B.A. in History. I like to refer to myself as a nontraditional Historian or a “History Chameleon,” if you will. I study everything! Well, not everything, but it seems like it. If you were to look at the courses I have taken over my college career, you might think I am just randomly throwing a dart at a list and choosing the courses it lands on. This is further than the truth!

What Interests me?

I am fascinated by the vast expanse of information and stories the past holds, and I find it hard to narrow down my scope of study to a particular time period or subject. I am also interested in how the past influences the present/ future and how we can use History to explore the present/future. If we were to look at the 10 major topics in which I tend to study more than others, what would these be?

1. Video Games!

2. Film/Television

3. 1920’s Beauty Standards

4. Technological Advancements (mainly electricity)

5. Strongman/Strongwoman

6. Tattoos/Permanent Cosmetics

7. Scientific Revolution (Galileo Galilei mainly)

8. Russia (pre-Stalin)

9. Cold war

10. True Crime (Victorian era – the 1950s)

But Wait, Aren't You Supposed to Specialize in History?

Not necessarily. I personally used my undergraduate classes to explore my topics of interest and expand my skills as a Historian rather than focusing on learning information about a particular subject. Various subjects require different sets of skills. For example, you will not use the same research skills or writing styles for Game Studies as you will for Medieval Studies. Each subject requires a unique set of skills that correlate with the type of tools needed, the type of sources you are working with, the type of audience you are trying to reach, etc.

I do plan to begin 'specializing' in Grad school. I put specializing in quotations because my specialization is going to be more skill-based than subject-based. I'm planning on focusing more on Public History, more specifically Digital History. I think the University of Central Florida's History Department explains Public History best on their website when they say: “It reframes questions, theories, and methods in the hope of presenting an “active” story that is enjoyable, refreshing and palatable to the larger audience. In reality, the study of public history is revolutionary because it explores and creates new avenues to non-historians.”[1]

I have always been intrigued by the "story" part of "hisSTORY." Historians are storytellers. We don't have to regurgitate facts and dates. We can take this information and tell the story of the past. We have the power to give a voice to the forgotten and shine a light on places that have fallen through the academic cracks. We have the ability to take these narratives and share them in an accessible fashion so that everyone can learn about and enjoy them as much as we do.

I am sure that I will find my niche down the road in which I will focus my professional studies, but I know I will never stop being curious in my free time. There is too much to explore and too much to discover! I think I will forever be a "History Chameleon" deep down.

Sources

[1] https://history.cah.ucf.edu/public-history-m-a/