معرفی
Samuel Backer is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Maine, specializing in American cultural and economic history with a focus on the long 20th century. He holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins University and cohosts the podcast 'Money 4 Nothing,' examining intersections of music and capitalism. His research explores the pre-mechanical era foundations of the American entertainment industry, offering comparative insights into contemporary mass culture dynamics. Backer co-directs the DiSH (Digital and Spatial Humanities) lab, fostering computational and digital humanities collaborations.
His academic work spans cultural history, capitalism's historiography, music/theater studies, and race studies. Recent publications analyze Tin Pan Alley's role in mass culture emergence, vaudeville's informational economy, and pedagogical uses of sound in teaching historical periods. Backer actively engages in public scholarship through media interviews and articles addressing modern music industry controversies and streaming economies.
He is affiliated with the Department of History at UMaine, located in Stevens Hall, and contributes to both undergraduate and graduate programs. His research emphasizes interdisciplinary methods, blending traditional historical analysis with digital tools like computational close reading and big data approaches.
