The times, they are a-changing. But how?

The election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America is one for the history books. If he accomplishes nothing else, he has already made history as the first African American elected to the highest office in his land. But, as he said in his victory speech on November 4th, the victory isn’t his alone. It belongs to, and is a result of, the actions of at least 53% of the American people.

What can history students and educators learn from Obama’s rise to power? A key concept in history, one that is fundamental to understanding the past, is the concept of agency. Historical agency is concerned with the question, “who made change, and how did this person or group make change happen?” Change is rarely the result of one individual’s actions. Much has been made about Obama’s experience as a community organizer and his use of the internet to garner support (financial and otherwise). But will the young of today recognize that Obama’s success is a result of not only his ability to inspire millions and effectively use various tools to spread his message, but of their decision (and the decisions made by other voters) to vote for him? Will they understand the complex social, economic and political factors that were at work during the presidential campaign?

Research on students’ ideas about historical agency has found that, for the most part, students locate the impetus for change in iconic individuals who saw something wrong with their society and decided to fight for change, rather than in group struggles or actions. Only in a few cases (in research studies) do students attribute change and agency to societal or group movements. Most students do not seem to understand historical agency in its larger socio-cultural, political or economic contexts.

In work I’ve done with colleagues (and notably, Dr. Peter Seixas, UBC), when asked about some key moments in the history of Canada, some students noted that, “It was John A. Macdonald’s dream to unite the nation. So he did”, or, even more simply (and problematic), “Canada confederated.” Nowhere in these statements is there recognition of the struggles over Confederation, the social, economic and political factors that were at play, the fact that there were other people and institutions involved in “Canada confederating.”

An analysis of the election of Barack Obama provides a perfect opportunity to help students understand the connections amongst historical actors and factors which contribute to change. Change does occur in particular contexts, with opportunities and constraints that support or hamper change. Historical actors work within particular socio-cultural, economic and political contexts and these must be understood in order to understand how and why historical change occurred. Neither Confederation, nor the election of Barack Obama, is an example of political Immaculate Conception. Rather, both occurred as a result of the actions of particular agents of change and in the context of a complex array of factors that made change possible.