Controversial History Research Paper Topics Is Out of Style

Controversial History Research Paper Topics Is Out of StyleA few years ago, one of my students brought up the idea of using controversial history research paper topics in the class. She asked me to suggest a topic, but, before I could think about it, she jumped in with a suggestion for a topic of her own.I appreciated the idea, but I have no idea what it would mean to bring up controversial topics during discussion time in the class. I started thinking about this, but I didn't think there was anything more I could do. As is often the case, I realized that my perception was narrow.Instead of just letting her think about it for a while, I decided to do some research. It turns out that some other students in the class are already using controversial history research paper topics for their papers. That was the first hint that something had changed.The second hint came from the fact that the teacher I am working with (a professor) has used controversial history research paper topics in th e class before. It turns out that, when he was teaching, the topics were more controversial than they are now. So the topic I chose may not be as controversial now. So now, instead of just being politically correct, it seems like a lot of students are considering it taboo.Maybe it's time to consider a different approach, or we could consider changing the current research topics to something else. I've never been that concerned about the political correctness of history, but, at this point, it seems to me that politics are getting in the way of accuracy. History really is the story of our time, and there is no way to avoid the fact that our times are much more complicated than our parents, grandparents or great-grandparents ever imagined.I can appreciate how hard it is to teach history and know that it will be more difficult in the future, but that is the only reality of it. It might be even harder to figure out what the right approach is going to be in the future. But, as a historic al writing professor, I've learned a lot about writing, and I know that every single change we make in how we write history is one step in the right direction.My point here is not to discredit controversial history research paper topics, it's just that I have seen a growing trend toward more politically correct writing and, as a result, more political correctness in the classroom. The point I'm trying to make is that, while we need to be careful to avoid using political terms as they are often vague, it's just as important to maintain the accuracy of the paper. There is no perfect solution to this problem, but I hope that it will help students think about controversial history research paper topics differently.I want to continue to be a historical writing professor, but, unfortunately, I don't think I have enough time to devote to it. What are your thoughts?