CFP: Engineers in the Archive (Singapore, 22-26 June 2016)



Engineers in the Archive
Proposed Open Session, SHOT 2016 Singapore, 22-26 June 2016
Organizer: Chris Leslie, NYU Tandon School of Engineering (chris.leslie@nyu.edu)
In his short work Archive Fever, Jacques Derrida remarks that the act of writing is conditioned by the realization that what is written may end up in an archive. Looking at archival sources teaches us as much about the assumptions of people in the field as it does the cultural practice of memory. This insight might be applied to the history of technology to promote a better understanding of the ways in which history is a part of engineering and how the practice of engineering might benefit from a broader understanding of historical methods.
    The call for the greater use of archival materials in the broader field of history goes back to at least 1975, when the Society of American Archivists sought to improve outreach efforts to universities and the public. Because of a sustained effort to broaden access to archival material, it is now fairly commonplace to find scholarship on the use of primary sources as a pedagogical tool in undergraduate history classrooms. That being said, the role of this hand-on approach to history has not often been articulated in STEM.
    Recent calls to action that suggest adding the arts to STEM, creating STEaM, have described how traditional methodologies for learning and analyzing science and engineering can be invigorated through the inclusion of the humanities. Thinking of history as one of the liberal arts generally and archival experience as a well-established tool for inculcating an awareness of historical insights more specifically, surely STEM students and practitioners could benefit from the same outreach efforts that have successfully transformed history classrooms.
    This panel will showcase the use of archival material to enhance our understanding of the history of technology. Case studies, historiographies, pedagogical proposals, and other approaches would be welcome. Although any paper delving into the theme of engineering and archival research would be welcome, I am especially interested in the following themes:
  1. How are documents of invention shaped by the needs of archives, such as the necessity of record keeping for resolving intellectual property claims or documenting sponsored research? Does this dynamic taint the historical claims that can be made? 
  2. To what extent have the existence of archives for some key figures guided the history of technology as a whole? How might the lack of primary sources affect the histories we tell? What should historians do to resolve these archival silences?
  3. What pedagogies foreground the use of archival material in the classroom, especially with regard to STEM education? Can historical/archival materials be a part of educating engineers and scientists in the content of STEM, outside of the history classroom?
  4. How can digital methods and resources be used to engage engineers, undergraduate students, and/or the public on central issues of history and technology?
Other approaches, of course, are welcome. Please send paper title, 500-word abstract, and one-page CV to chris.leslie@nyu.edu before midnight your time on December 13, 2015. Also, let me know if you wish to be considered for the Robinson Prize; this will not affect possible inclusion on the panel but I must indicate your interest in the proposal. The final panel will be chosen from the received proposals and sent to the conference program committee for review.