Politics of Digitisation Session

This session will delve into the politics of digitisation and its relevance to the field of public history. What does the digitisation of cultural heritage offer historians and the public, and what do the politics of digital cultural heritage look like? We will first delve into different forms of cultural heritage digitization, from bottom-up community archiving to mass digitization and state-funded efforts. Following this, we will focus on the politics of digitization, the question of which stories can and cannot be told with online heritage and how this shapes public understandings of history. This includes considering the various forms of digital mediation and dissemination of history as they exist today, from Wikipedia and video games to social media. The session will be part presentation and part interactive discussion with audience activities included.