Title
The Wages of History: Emotional Labor on Public History's Front Lines (Public History in Historical Perspective),New
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Anyone who has encountered costumed workers at a living history museum may well have wondered what their jobs are like, churning butter or firing muskets while dressed in period clothing. In The Wages of History, Amy Tyson enters the world of the public history interpreters at Minnesota's Historic Fort Snelling to investigate how they understand their roles and experience their daily work. Drawing on archival research, personal interviews, and participant observation, she reframes the current discourse on history museums by analyzing interpreters as laborers within the larger service and knowledge economies.Although many who are drawn to such work initially see it as a privilegean opportunity to connect with the public in meaningful ways through the medium of historythe realities of the job almost inevitably alter that view. Not only do interpreters make considerable sacrifices, both emotional and financial, in order to pursue their work, but their sense of special status can lead them to avoid confronting troubling conditions on the job, at times fueling tensions in the workplace.This case study also offers insightsmany drawn from the author's seven years of working as an interpreter at Fort Snellinginto the way gendered roles and behaviors from the past play out among the workers, the importance of creative autonomy to historical interpreters, and the ways those on public history's front lines both resist and embrace the site's more difficult and painful histories relating to slavery and American Indian genocide.
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- Q: What is the main subject of 'The Wages of History'? A: 'The Wages of History' explores the experiences of public history interpreters, particularly at Minnesota's Historic Fort Snelling, focusing on their roles, emotional labor, and the challenges they face.
- Q: Who is the author of this book? A: The book is authored by Amy M. Tyson.
- Q: What type of research does the author use in the book? A: Amy Tyson employs archival research, personal interviews, and participant observation to provide insights into the work of historical interpreters.
- Q: How many pages is 'The Wages of History'? A: 'The Wages of History' contains 240 pages.
- Q: What is the publication date of this book? A: 'The Wages of History' was published on June 3, 2013.
- Q: What edition of the book is available? A: The available edition is the First Edition.
- Q: In what category is this book classified? A: 'The Wages of History' is classified under Labor & Industrial Relations.
- Q: What binding type does this book have? A: The book is available in paperback binding.
- Q: Is this book in new condition? A: Yes, 'The Wages of History' is available in new condition.
- Q: What themes are explored in the book related to gender? A: The book explores how gendered roles and behaviors from the past influence the work and experiences of public history interpreters.