Partnerships with Public Institutions: Reflecting on Applied History and Social Justice Principles

Abstract

This article emphasizes that social justice – as both a process and a goal – should be put forward as guiding principle for applied historians who want to engage in partnerships with public institutions. While ethical issues are intrinsically intertwined with addressing contemporary problems and facilitating social change, I argue that reflective and reflexive questioning before, during and after a partnership with institutions in power can bring ethical responsibility to the applied history field. The principles of reflection and reflexivity align with social justice by creating greater transparency in both the actions of applied historians, as well as in the actions of the advised institutions.