"A Very Modest Proposal for Graduate Programs in History" - Interesting article in Perspectives in History

[aspiringhistorian]

I ran across this article by Anthony Grafton and Jim Grossman in the AHA's "Perspectives on History" magazine that I thought you all might be interested in. It talks about the job market for History PhDs and how graduate institutions should adapt to the decrease in employment opportunities in academic settings.

I thought it was particularly interesting because it doesn't necessarily paint a bleak portrait for our futures and, in fact, encourages us to pursue our interests within the field exactly because there are simply new types of jobs out there for us that aren't what the traditional path would have typically led to. Grafton and Grossman also emphasize the need for the graduate programs to alter what they are training us for given the current situation, advocating a blend of the traditional approach with an understanding of the new options that are out there... because they are out there.

Feel free to share your thoughts!

Here is the link: http://chronicle.com/article/No-More-Plan-B/129293/