Originally Posted By Longhorn12 >History is about people. People are complicated. They change their minds.< QFT Say it again brother! But on a more serious note... My entire semester has been consumed by writing my history paper, and I would like to believe President Carter/T. Roosevelt had ONE thought regarding Panama, but they don't. It changes daily with Roosevelt.... History is not about finding the answer you like and stuffing it into your message. It's about doing that but conceding there are other answers, but your idea is more right.
Originally Posted By velo are you majoring in History, Longhorn? My son just started college and has declared History as his major. Though, currently (and we all know this can change), he is more interested in Genghis Khan and the Mongol empire than U.S. History. He is tired of our relatives telling him that it's stupid to major in History though (they'd rather have him suffer through "Business" classes in order to "make more money").
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 >are you majoring in History, Longhorn?< I am >My son just started college and has declared History as his major. Though, currently (and we all know this can change), he is more interested in Genghis Khan and the Mongol empire than U.S. History. He is tired of our relatives telling him that it's stupid to major in History though (they'd rather have him suffer through "Business" classes in order to "make more money").< I have about 5x the work my roommate who is in business does, but I enjoy mine more. I'm not a U.S. history buff; it's just what most of my classes are geared towards right now. My real love is mesoamerican history/paleontology. If he likes history he should stick with it. I see way too many people stick to a major "for the money" and then get burnt out and drop out of school all together.
Originally Posted By ecdc Longhorn speaks truth. I work in a business-type job for corporate America. My plan was to get a PhD and teach, but I decided I didn't want to be a scholar; I wanted to be a more accessible writer, so I went a different way. TRUST ME. If you're meant to do Humanities and you end up in business, you will not be happy.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>I see way too many people stick to a major "for the money"<< I think that's a good way to train for a future in alcoholism.
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 >I think that's a good way to train for a future in alcoholism.< It wasn't the future it was the present...
Originally Posted By tiggertoo ecdc: Very cool. As a young LDS lad, I was always given the sanitized version of LDS history. I cannot tell you how disillusioned I was when I started doing a bit more than the "authorized" reading on LDS history. It's certainly not all smiles, song, and intrepidity. My research interest is a relatively new area of study called environmental history, particularly the American West (of the 100th meridian) through the nineteenth-century. But I've also done a bit of research on late colonial, Revolutionary, and Constitutional periods. However, I also majored in political science focusing on comparative electoral systems, comparative constitutional development, and American institutionalism. I'm hoping to blend these historical and political interests when writing my dissertation. <<People like Glenn Beck want their heroes and villains clearly labeled, which rarely works in real history.>> Absolutely; but what really makes this so nefarious to me is that such blatant mis-educating is not happenstance --- "Opps! I got my facts wrong." He intentionally cherry-picks and manipulates data to fit a narrow, preconceived viewpoint. It's sick and immoral. It's alright to make measured judgments, but only if the research is objective and the researcher used the totality of available data to make those assessments. And this is directly to your point about amateur vs. professional historians. Most individuals don't have the requisite context to make these assessments ---least of all, Glenn Beck. It's sad that we live in a society where verifiable data can be so perverted. Really, how far removed is that from book burning? <<TRUST ME. If you're meant to do Humanities and you end up in business, you will not be happy.>> Boy is that EVER the truth. I used to manage a lab at UCSF for the Dept. of Homeland Security. My first love had always been history and political (heck, how long have I been in WE opining on the issues of the day?). But for monetary reasons, went into management with hopes of eventually breaking into upper management somewhere. But I always felt something empty in all of it. So after a few years of drudgery, with my wife's blessing, I quit and went back to school at UC Davis to study history and PoliSci. And while I'm not making much money yet---and probably never will --- I feel infinitely better about the direction I'm going---like I'm fulfilling a calling. <<My plan was to get a PhD and teach, but I decided I didn't want to be a scholar>> With my social anxiety, I don't think I could teach at the university level. But I would LOVE to do archival or research work, or find employment as a museum curator somewhere. Longhorn: Can we assume that your name denotes the university you're attending? Excellent school! Good luck to you, and also to velo's son.
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 >Longhorn: Can we assume that your name denotes the university you're attending?< Hopefully my graduation date as well, but I'm working on that lol
Originally Posted By velo >>I feel infinitely better about the direction I'm going---like I'm fulfilling a calling<< that's exactly how my son feels; who knows where he'll end up (he's actually hinted at law now and then..) But I think he'd probably be happiest in a museum somewhere (or in a dig in Inner Mongolia, lol). One thing I've learned - life is too short to do something that makes you miserable. I had a dear friend take his life over something like this and it's just reinforced for me the need to always consider one's path (in life.) I was 3 units shy of a minor in History. Wish I could have figured out how to fit those 3 units in!
