Bob Bain discusses what makes history useable, and shares outcomes of his class researching the history of Detroit's moving patterns.
December 13, 2025 at 8:52 AM
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Watch the video, "What makes history useable?"
How might looking at the stories of the history of our city or community help you understand the present better?
Looking at stories of the history of one’s city can help one learn to frame events from the past in different ways, and use those different stories to make sense of the past, the present and the future. Narratives from the past to present show the complexity of history with multiple perspectives, multiple levels and across an extended period of time to understand what is happening in the present. We need to make decisions in the present using stories of the past (usable history).
How might looking at the stories of the history of your city help you understand the future better?
Using the power of narrative and stories from the past helps one to see or do things in a particular way to understand the future better. We need these critical thinking skills to make informed judgements that influence the actions we take that will shape the future.
