I think that clothing
history has for the most part been taught as a straight survey course,
but this is a disservice to the field and to the students.
When I was simultaneously studying history, clothing design, and textile
arts, I didn't even bother taking the "History of Costume" course given
as part of the clothing design course. From the description, it looked
just like what I'd already read in books like Boucher's _2,000 Years of
Costume_, if I have the title right.
But this was because I'd already read Boucher, and some similar books.
I think there is definitely a place for lecture survey courses,
including "History of . . ." It's a good place for people to start
learning about a subject. An instructor can give the facts without
specifically trying to counter a million "misconceptions."
My goal as a teacher is to teach. Self-Righteous Guardian of Knowledge?
I suppose it's possible--I might come off as self-righteous, and it's
my business to further the knowledge of others. But again I say to you
that it's not contempt that I have about people's misconceptions, it's
frustration that those misconceptions and their way of thinking and
learning make it harder for me to teach them as much as I would like to
in a semester.
As I said in another message, you cannot expect students to start a
class as cultural blanks. And there are ways you can use references to
films, and fiction, to get people interested in a subject and then play
off it.
Is this a Great Tragedy? No. But I strive for
excellence in my profession, however insignificant it may be in the
grand scheme of things, and I hope for excellence in my students as well
in the classes that I teach. Does the fact that I don't know the inner
workings of physics (which of course are important and I'm sure would be
interesting) mean that I shouldn't strive for excellence in my classroom
and expect the same from my students?
No, if you're a professional teacher.
But I do get tired of reenactors talking like they're the only group who
researches or analyzes anything. Especially when a lot of the time,
"research" seems to consist of appointing a social authority (or rather,
allowing someone to attain that status) and then following whatever that
person says, wears, etc.
Fran
Lavolta Press
http://www.lavoltapress.com
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