Study of History & My Changing Interests

Hi All,

I wanted to share with you a list of reasons why the study of history is important. It is not a long list and I know you all could add to it. Here we go:

• The study of history makes us better local-national-global citizens.
• The study of history can help us better understand who we are.
• The study of the past can help us make better informed decisions today.
• The study of history gives us excellent tools for locating, evaluating, and writing/communicating about evidence.

My interest in history began with my father and I collecting stamps. He would come home with stamps from all over the world. I became very interested in who or what was on the stamps. Luckily, my parents had bought a huge encyclopedia set. I would not only organize and put stamps into books, but look up information about what was depicted on the stamps themselves. Even though I have never used them in any of my work, stamps make interesting primary sources. They also might disappear in a generation or two as other communication technologies become dominant.

My interest in the past continued and due to a group of influential teachers and college professors, I would end up studying Ottoman history. The focus of my studies became bureaucratic and intellectual history. I’ve especially enjoyed examining the writings of Ottoman historians/chroniclers and see how their writings how been shaped by their faith, education, career paths, and world views.

Today, my interests have changed as my teaching and research has focused on world history and the modern Middle East. One of my goals is to write a textbook that places the Middle East in the context of global history.

Ok, enough said. You’ll have to wait for the movie to learn more. 🙂