Things That Talk for International Studies
Starting this semester, Things That Talk will venture into the BA International Studies program. ‘Things’ (be it objects, tools, or artifacts of everyday life) are the material expressions of the human experience, and therefore deserve a strong voice within our research and studies. This Faculty of Humanities-made platform is a place for learning the language of things. Their voices may corroborate, complement or challenge all the information that we consume through the written and spoken word. The main storytellers are students. This academic year, already more than twenty courses within our faculty will use Things That Talk to build a durable, living archive of stories that are of direct relevance to the courses!
Professor Isabelle Duyvensteyn will take the first step. She will introduce Things That Talk into the Global History course. We will interweave Things That Talk with the chapters that our lecturers and tutors will write for a brand new Global History textbook next year. This semester, Things That Talk will be introduced into the Global History tutorials as a trial to see how this new platform can play a role within the course and the program as a whole. But why wait? Start telling stories now. You will learn a lot by writing up a story. You will have access to professional editing and will reach a worldwide audience. Give your work a chance to leave your notebooks and computers. We are quite sure that, just like all the things around us, you too have a valuable story to tell.
Our ultimate hope is that Things That Talk will give students the opportunity to see firsthand the important contributions that academic work can make within society as a whole. Hardly confined to museums, things are all around us, from our homes to our streets. Things That Talk does not distinguish between artifacts in museums, objects in private collections, and knick knacks forgotten in our grandparents’ drawers. To meaningfully contribute to the platform, students will have to leave their classrooms and books to go out into the world and discover objects in their everyday setting, as well as the people and places that surround them. So, take that role of researcher and storyteller and try to make sense of society and its objects!
Things That Talk also provides an accessible, attractive platform for publishing your works. This is fundamental because most student assignments never see the light of day. Things That Talk offers a space for taking even greater pride in their work. This also underscores Leiden University’s philosophy that students grow and learn more from their success than from their mistakes. Perhaps most of all, it gives students a tangible means of showcasing research, writing, critical thinking, and digital skills as they move forward in their careers.
So, take this introduction as your invitation. Do you have classwork about ‘Things’ that deserves a broader audience? Maybe you wrote something nice for the object study as part of the Culture by Area course; maybe you feel that you are the right person to translate tough political, cultural or historic theory in the form of a story about a tangible object? Do you want to tell stories about objects in the city or at home? Just know that we’ve got your back. Write to Fresco Sam-Sin. He is the chief curator and platform manager of Things That Talk. By becoming a trailblazer in this project, you will experience the excitement that comes with building a new platform.
Want to know more about Fresco Sam-Sin, and Things That Talk? Check out this interview with him.
