Heather M. Romano
Ph.D. Student
heathero@sas.upenn.edu
Education
B.A. Magna Cum Laude in History, University of California, Berkeley
Research Interests
nineteenth and early twentieth century French political history and the development of national and local political cultures and identities
ADVISOR
Proposed Dissertation
Dissertation in Progress: "Vivre la Révolution! The Use and Development of Republican Political Culture in France, 1876-1880." This dissertation asserts that the use and development of republican political culture inspired allegiance to France’s Third Republic affecting the demise of France’s generational turn to revolution and reaction. The Third Republic was declared in 1870, but the suppression and legacy of the revolutionary Paris Commune in 1871 set the tone for political developments in France over the next decade. The research on the development of political culture in official and popular expressions and, specifically, its relationship to the memory of the Paris Commune, integrates an analysis on efforts to create a republican political identity founded on France’s revolutionary heritage and the tension between celebrating France’s revolutionary past and fears of perpetuating revolutionary behavior.
Personal Statement
My interest in history is founded in the discpline's concern with the human condition. Prior to studying history I worked as a grassroots political activist in several states on issues across the political spectrum. This has helped to inform my approach to historical topics specifically in my passionate for understanding how political identities are formed and the influence that culture, community memory, and personal ties have on political reception and agency.
