Historians of Technology in the Real World Reflections on the Pursuit of Policy-Oriented History

dc.contributorVirginia Techen
dc.contributor.authorHirsh, R. F.en
dc.date.accessed2014-01-31en
dc.date.accessioned2014-02-18T16:35:11Zen
dc.date.available2014-02-18T16:35:11Zen
dc.date.issued2011en
dc.description.abstractDespite widespread acceptance of the notion that studies of the past provide tangible benefits, academic historians usually remain reluctant to apply "lessons" from history to the realms of public and business policy. This article suggests reasons for that reluctance while also suggesting that historians of technology can make valuable contributions to the policy community. In particular, these professionals can employ tools and insights developed in their field to highlight the social contexts in which technology evolves, helping decision makers understand why specific policies may or may not accomplish stated goals. The article also suggests means by which historians can influence policy, such as through their teaching, their writing and speaking to lay ! audiences, and their direct participation in government bodies. Due to institutional disincentives for this nontraditional activity, however, historians interested in policy work should already have acquired secure, tenured positions within their academic institutions.en
dc.identifier.citationHirsh, R. F. (2011). Historians of Technology in the Real World: Reflections on the Pursuit of Policy-Oriented History. Technology and Culture 52(1), 6-20. doi: 10.1353/tech.2011.0039en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1353/tech.2011.0039en
dc.identifier.issn0040-165Xen
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/25476en
dc.identifier.urlhttp://muse.jhu.edu/journals/tech/summary/v052/52.1.hirsh.htmlen
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherJohns Hopkins University Pressen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.titleHistorians of Technology in the Real World Reflections on the Pursuit of Policy-Oriented Historyen
dc.title.serialTechnology and Cultureen
dc.typeArticleen

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