Participatory Past Questions

1.During the past 12 months have you

• looked at photographs with family and friends

• taken photos or videos to preserve memories

• watched movies or tv about the past

• attended a family reunion of another type of reunion

• visited any history museum or historic site?

• read any (nonassigned) books about the past?

2.How trustworthy do you think any of these are as sources of information about the past(on a scale of 1-lowest to 10-highest)

• personal accounts from grandparents or relatives

• conversations with someone who was there

• college history professors

• high school history teachers

• nonfiction books

• movies or tv programs about the past

3.How connected to the past do you feel when (on a scale of 1-lowest to 10-highest)

• gathering with your family

• visiting a museum or historic site

• celebrating holidays

• reading a book about the past

• watching a movie or tv program about the past

• studying history in school

4.Knowing about the past of which of the following four areas or groups is most important to you? (Ranks from 1 highest to 4 lowest)

• your family

• your racial or ethnic group

• the community in which you now live

• the United States

 

Source: Rosenzweig and Thelen, Presence of the Past (1998)