Blog Post 1: What is Digital Humanities?
I think the most important take away from all the readings thus far is that Digital Humanities is not one thing or even a field of study. Digital Humanities is an umbrella term for a process or tool used to answer humanities research questions or present information regarding the humanities. In The Digital Humanities Coursebook the author describes the practice of digital humanities as, "...an extension of humanities methods..." (Drucker 5), as apposed to a replacement of already established methods within the field. In the first chapter of The Digital Humanities Coursebook it is also made clear that the tools of Digital Humanities are not always applicable to every research project or question because of the binary nature of the digital where something either is or isn't. In contrast humanities is a nuanced field that involves human interpretation. The first step to any Digital Humanities project is to decide if digital methods will retain, support, or aid this nuance.
Digital Humanities is always changing however, still very necessary. As the Digital Humanities Manifesto 2.0 makes clear traditional humanities research methods and practices are antiquated and maintain the "ivory towers" of traditional academic institutions. By integrating humanities research with new, while ever advancing technologies, academia can be made more accessible. If the humanities disregards digital tools it limits itself in its research capabilities and reach, while risking irrelevance. One of the quotes I saw on the "What is Digital Humanities?" website described Digital Humanities as, "...the inevitable future at which we thought to have arrived at decades ago. Never quite living up to its own hype and underestimated nonetheless". This emphasizes the idea that Digital Humanities as something to be defined is a moving target. While it may not be clear how to integrate digital practices with the humanities it is integral to the growth of the field as it expands possibilities.
While I don't think my understanding of what Digital Humanities is has changed throughout the readings (I had a very limited idea of DH going into it), I do think it has expanded ( I could probably explain DH to someone in broad terms).
An example of something I would consider a Digital Humanities project is this interactive map of Dura-Europos, a roman settlement in modern day Syria, created by the Yale University Art Gallery. Dura-Europos has been studied extensively as an archeological site because of the multiple sites of worship of different religions active within the same period of time in this settlement. The website includes a 2D map that can be interacted with to see images and text based information on the key sites in the settlement. This can be used as a learning tool to visualize the locations within the settlement and as a way of organizing information to form further insights.
You say, "I could probably explain DH to someone in broad terms." In fact, you just did! :) The map looks like a great example, what a great learning tool to illustrate, teach, and allow interaction without having to be on site!
ReplyDeleteI believe that one of the purposes of DH is to convey information in an accessible manner so that it can reach a larger population. I really enjoyed the site that you provided as it gathers a plethora of images, maps, and facts, making it a one stop (informational) shop on the on the targeted subject matter (in this case the Dura-Europos). Do you think specifically choosing what information is shared influence the audiences view of the subject? Is that the point of DH projects or should they strive to be unbiased? Does bias in DH projects jeopardize its integrity? Or, is it the audiences job to recognize the bias and interpret what the information means for them? Personally, I think the latter is correct.
ReplyDeleteI also think that you found a great example for what digital humanities is with your link in the last paragraph. The humanities is a complex field that involves a lot of cultural data where each tiny part can be influential in the study of historical humanity. In digital humanities we are dealing with vague concepts, but they must still be counted because they matter in what we are studying. Mapping using visuals and text can be a great way to display and examine those concepts while maintaining all their important information and is a good example of what digital humanities is and the sort of projects we are probably going to find in the field.
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