I have found the recent exchanges about working in the university or the
museum to be most
interesting since I have worked in both spheres. However, I must note that
I "fell" into the
museum field by chance -- or possibly out of desperation. I was finishing
my Ph.D. in 19th century
US history with a specialization in immigration studies when I began to
realize that jobs were very
scarce. In the late '70s/early '80s, my academic institution, like others,
did not provide the guidance
about what one could do with a history degree since they were not in tune
with such developments
at the time. Naturally, one would receive a Ph.D. and find an academic
position and teach. When no
academic jobs were available, my advisor recommended that I look into an
"alternative" occupation in
museums or historical societies, where one of my colleauges had just found a
job.
When I landed a position as a historian at a midwestern living history
museum, I intended to remain only
a year or two, during which time I would continue to search for that elusive
academic position. But, I quickly
became excited about the great potential that I, as a historian, had to
teach a much larger audience. I soon
realized that the research that I did, the staff training that I conducted,
and the public programs and exhibits
that I assisted with all had an impact on more people in one season than
what I would encounter in a lifetime
of teaching in the classroom. This form of "public history" truly excited
me and I quickly realized that more
individuals, especially professional historians, needed to have a similar
experience. Since then, I have been an
advocate for more professional historians working in museums. As a result
of the public history movement
which began in the late 1970s, an increasing number of individuals with
Ph.Ds have indeed moved into the public
arena.
While working at the museum, I kept one foot in the academic world, teaching
part-time at the local university,
just to keep myself fresh and to stay in touch with students. Now, I work
full-time at the university, participating
half-time in an urban research center and half-time administering a national
professional organization. I do not
regret the opportunity that I had to work in a museum for 8 years. In fact,
it opened my eyes to the great potential
for teaching larger and more diverse audiences, and exploring different ways
of teaching--through public programs,
exhibits, curriculum, roundtable discussions, book chats, etc. The history
job market remains tight today, and one departmental
position may bring several hundred applications. On the other hand, there
seems to be an opening of opportunities
within public history fields, such as historical societies, museums,
government agencies, businesses, etc.
I would strongly encourage individuals who are thinking about a degree in
history to consider public history-related
fields of study, such as in museums. There is a need for good historians to
work in areas that affect the wider public
and to nurture a stronger appreciation and understanding among that
audience.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss more fully career options in the
field with any individual off list.
David G. Vanderstel, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Council on Public History
425 University Boulevard - Cavanaugh 327
Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-5140
317.274.2718
317.274.2347 (fax)
[log in to unmask]
http://www.iupui.edu/~ncph
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Peterson [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 07, 1999 10:03 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Career choice: university or museum?
>
> Emily,
>
> I wrestled with exactly the same question as you are now. The first
> thing I would do is start paying regular attention to the Chronicle of
> Higher Education's website and look at the jobs available for the two
> areas
> you might chose to get your Ph.D. in. Professorships are not easy to come
> by especially with the current market, humanities Ph.D's (American Studies
> and History are the two I am most familiar with) are numerous and jobs
> few.
> Like the museum path, this is just as difficult to get a job in.
> If you are solely interested in teaching you can do that with your MA
> at
> many smaller institutions and community colleges. You might consider this
> as well. It seems there are many of these jobs available, at least more
> so
> than the straight university jobs. The university offers one advantage
> and
> that is tenure.
> Another thought is that just because you get a Ph.D. doesn't mean that
> you can't still go the museum route. As a graduate student I once asked a
> very influential museum director who was speaking on campus, what he
> suggested to aspiring professionals as the best way to get to where he was
> in the profession. His answer was "a subject matter Ph.D."
>
> I ended up choosing the Ph.D. and now that I have it I am not sorry for a
> minute. But I am also not seriously considering an academic job search.
> Why you ask? A run a way best selling academic book is 5,000 copies.
> Some
> cross over and get bigger but not many, most are sold to libraries where
> they sit on a shelf, getting read by few. A good, well curated exhibit at
> a
> well run museum will reach that many people in a matter of months. As a
> professor I would have a few students a year who would be delighted to be
> in
> class, as a curator, or as a consultant helping organizations do better,
> almost every visitor will come in and be delighted, they will learn
> something and they will never forget that day. That is why I will always
> work in this profession.
>
>
> That being said, I must remind you that I am currently consulting in lieu
> of
> a permanent position. I voluntarily limited myself to a geographical area
> because of my wife and her job. I wouldn't recommend that to myself again
> perhaps.
>
> Thanks to Jeannine Finton for getting my point. There is no doubt that
> the
> museum profession hurts itself by some of its hiring practices. To lesser
> or greater degrees all professions have their troubles. Demanding better
> from ourselves is the only way to improve. Maybe I should tell Emily not
> to
> get a doctorate, and instead to volunteer at a University, sooner or later
> they will hire her as a professor.
>
> Bill
>
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