The Professor!

[Njaco]

I've always been curious as to what you need to do to become a "Historian"? I watch and read alot and I know you have to go to college to gain the proper backing but does anyone klnow what exactly you study? How does one become a historian for, say, the Zulu Wars or on Revolvers. I don't know of any specific classes for these subjects.

Just asking.

 

[BikerBabe]

College first, work to get some darned good grades - then it's off to the university to study history.
After that, you can specialize in your particular field of interest.

 

[imalko]

What's the difference between college and university? I thought its the same thing.

In my country educational system consists of elementary schools (8 years), high schools (3 or 4 years) and university education (bachelor degree, master of science and doctor of science)...

 

[BikerBabe]

And here it's ordinary school for 9 or 10 years, then gymnasium ("high school" in english), then uni.

EDIT: Oh okay, I missed out on the high school part in my first post. Sorry! *palmface*

 

[Matt308]

Njaco here's my take from my 7yr (entirely too long) experience.

You go to college usually as an undeclared major. Some folks know what they want upfront.

College is usually divided into "departments" or "schools". Electrical engineering. Liberal Arts (waste of money). Business. Nursing. Medical. Computer science (IT). Etc.

First two years are mostly general requirements such as english lit, philosophy, foreign language, basic sciences (for non-science majors) and basic math (for non-math/science majors).

Years 2-4 are department/school specialized. This is when you get into the more advanced classes that are associated with your declared major. Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering. Bachelor of Arts English, etc

Years 5-6 are typically in pursuit of a Master or Doctorate. Master being a 6yr degree. Lots of folks get a Master to distinguish themselves from those with a Bachelor degree. A Masters degree usually culminates with a thesis that is presented to peer faculty for review.

Years 7-8 are reserved for a Doctorate degree with extreme specialty. Typically these years are spent in very focused and small classes, research under professorial tutelage, TA'ing a class (teaching under-classmen), or working for direct credits. The culmination is typically a unique leading edge thesis paper/presentation that is peer/professor reviewed.

This is the SIMPLE explanation. You must remember that their are as many nuances and differences as their are colleges, schools, departments and degrees.

 

[Matt308]

Ohh the horror. The memories. My brain hurts...

 

[Matt308]

Hey if you are looking for the titular title your only qualification is to be knowledgeable.

Titular. Easy. Look it up B-17.

 

[Maximowitz]

And here it's ordinary school for 9 or 10 years, then gymnasium ("high school" in english), then uni.

Or four years of heavy drinking and casual sex as we call it in England.

 

[Matt308]

I was in the engineering department. Casual sex with other students in my department would either have made me gay or a man of very poor choice.

Things that make you go "Blaughhhhh"

Thank God I married before I graduated.

 

[B-17engineer]

Hey if you are looking for the titular title your only qualification is to be knowledgeable.

Titular. Easy. Look it up B-17.

Did I miss something

 

[Matt308]

Nope. Nothing but titles with no real meaning.

Carry on.

 

[B-17engineer]

 

[vikingBerserker]

Nice Matt!

 

[Marcel]

I've always been curious as to what you need to do to become a "Historian"? I watch and read alot and I know you have to go to college to gain the proper backing but does anyone klnow what exactly you study? How does one become a historian for, say, the Zulu Wars or on Revolvers. I don't know of any specific classes for these subjects.

Just asking.

I think you're a historian if you study a subject of history. But you'll have more credit when having a titular of course. In my field of work (molecular biology), people look at your titular, god knows why. I usually value people with more experience higher than the freshly graduated. They may have the papers, but don't have the skill.

 

[Njaco]

but what about those that have the skill but don't have the papers? I've known about Majors and such - thanks Matt - I was just wondering what exactly you need to have the title of 'Historian". It seems superfluous. (Check that one out, B-17! )

 

[vikingBerserker]

If you are regarded as knowledgeable in a topic, but only do it as a hobby - then an amateur historian.
If you are regarded as knowledgeable in a topic, and do it full time/for a living - then a professional historian.

IMHO, it comes down to just having knowledge about something.

 

[Butters]

All the university credentials may be necessary if you want to be a professor of history, but one does not need to be a professor of history, or even have academic credentials related to history, to be a historian.

To be a historian, rather than say, an archivist, or a teacher of history, is to publicly present an argument about the meaning of historical events. IOW, to interpret those events within a coherent conceptual framework so as to make a particular point (or a number of points). The success of that argument will depend on the credibility of the evidence drawn to support the logical conclusions of the argument.

If others consider the argument to be compelling and coherent, then others may cite it as being credibly authoritive to some degree in reference to the subject of the argument. At that point, you are a historian.

Some histories may seem to be simply a narrative, rather than an argument, but in even the most exhaustive and detailed narratives, the historian must make decisions as to which facts are important, and hence included, and those that are not. Such decisions are necessarily subjective, and it is this inevitable subjectivity that makes even the most 'objective' seeming narrative, an argument - albeit not necessarily a compelling one...

Anyway, digressions aside, all it really takes to be a historian, is for other historians to say that you are one. Academic credentials in and of themselves mean nothing. The fallacy of 'Appeal to Authority'... It's the recognized strength of your arguments, not your credentials, that entitle you to call yourself a historian.

JL

 

[Lucky13]

Or four years of heavy drinking and casual sex as we call it in England.

Or in Sweden, casual drinking and heavy sex......

 

[B-17engineer]

Oh jeez

 

[Maximowitz]

Or in Sweden, casual drinking and heavy sex......

I can see the sex in Sweden part...but drinking? Are you insane? You'd need to pull a bullion heist to afford a nights drinking in Stockholm. My wallet weeps every time I think about it...