The Mixtape as Historical Understanding and Synthesis

Abstract

Creating a Mixtape represents a crucial form of cultural and historical documentation and synthesis. It serves as a personal archive and an intellectual reflection for the individual. The methodology of Mixtape creation, involving selection, arrangement, and contextual annotation, mirrors historiographical practices of source evaluation and narrative construction. The individual selects a particular historical event for examination while developing a playlist of songs. The songs either directly relate to the event or provide the individual with lyrical and musical guidance in understanding the event. Music platforms (such as Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube) play a crucial role in researching and cultivating the Mixtape. The individual then deconstructs the event, in collaboration with the songs, to synthesize new interpretations. The resulting written narratives serve as historical objects and methodological models for understanding how individuals synthesize and transmit historical knowledge through cultural artifacts. The Mixtape represents a fundamental, hybrid creative form for learning about the past. It adds elements of popular culture while relying on digital music platforms for accessibility. The preservation of personal and collective memory is equally important. The Mixtape itself becomes a primary source. The Mixtape, living in a cloud, can be exchanged across different nation-state boundaries in ways mirroring how mixtape cassettes were exchanged by individuals in past decades. It also allows individuals the opportunity to present marginalized narratives in educational settings.

Presenters

Tommy Ender
Associate Professor, Educational Studies, Rhode Island College, Rhode Island, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Educational Studies

KEYWORDS

Education, History Pedagogy, Social Studies, Pedagogy, Technology Studies, Cultural Studies