The Evolution of Digital Humanities as a Field

Description

Patrik Svensson (Director of HumLab at Umea University) speaks at the Digital Humanities Seminar.

Abstract

Over the last couple of years, in the UK and elsewhere, the digital humanities have attracted considerable interest and increased institutional leverage. Currently we see a pronounced expansion as well as a fairly intense debate about the scope and direction of the digital humanities. This debate has an epistemic, disciplinary, historical and institutional basis. In this talk I will attempt to broadly trace the evolution of the field, and some of the current tensions and challenges. I will also discuss the visionary sentiment often associated with the digital humanities and possible future trajectories. I am interested in critically looking at the digital humanities as a project as well as engaging with the possibilities and futures of that very project. The talk will draw on material from field trips, institutional documents, web-based resources, scholarly work as well as my own experience from 10+ years as the director of HUMlab at Umeå University.

About the speaker

 

Patrik Svensson is a docent in the digital humanities and director of HUMlab at Umeå University. His research interests include educational technology, the development of digital humanities, research infrastructure and screen research. He has just finished a series of four articles on the digital humanities for Digital Humanities Quarterly. Personal website: http://patrik.humlab.umu.se