Aceh.b-cdn.net



Constructing History Study NotesClassical Characteristics:no clear organising principlehistory done by a range of people for a range of purposesworld not globalised; some regionality to the way history is approachedform → histories are all similar forms (ie: narrative?→ chronological, tell organised story of particular set of events)History was connected to a number of different things:History as:Myth (Herodotus)Religion -> major religious texts taking shape in this period -> had strong historical focus (Bede)Politics -> scholars began to talk about politics in historical ways and history in political ways. History as a political tool to inform leaders of present day (Polybius)The historian:Collects and interprets evidenceWrites and publishes workPurpose - to inform about important people and events of the pastSources:Collected by historiansDepending on historical context, much may have been oral (e.g.: Herodotus). Not many libraries existed.Focus of sources on elites of societiesHistorians and Sources:Herodotus: 5th Century BCSignificant work:?The HistoriesWhat are the purposes of history??→?Entertain, compare, explain, interpret Explain “why the two peoples fought each other” Preserve memory of heroes’ greatest deeds (history from above) - appearance of fantastic Teach or explain wider issues (political, moral, religious) - Herodotus was teaching a lesson concerning the demise of Persia which was beginning to happen for Athens in Peloponnesian War DEBATE: Purpose of history -> didactic (teach a lesson) DEBATE: History from below vs above -> above How has history been constructed and recorded??→Dense narrative of contemporary events Mostly oral evidence as no access to written records Myth - giant gold-digging ants (translation error from Persian -> Greek?) - “I cannot deny the truth in prophecies” - Sometimes attributed events to God & used elements of Greek mythology Sometimes recorded stories he heard as if he experienced it Tendency to readily believe something is true Began a critical mode of inquiry based on reason & knowledge over religious & emotional response - Did not accept every story - Interviewed many from both sides of story - Selected what to record (his interpretation, not impartial) - Named sources - However, no set method for research DEBATE: How is history recorded? -> Oral Bede: 8th century AD Significant work:?Ecclesiastical History of the English PeopleWhat are the purposes of history??→?Highly propagandist (propagating the truth of faith- teaching purpose) Persuade & inform Record deeds of good men to guide believers in their Christian faith “For if history records good things of good men, thoughtful hearer is encouraged to imitate what is good” DEBATE: Purpose of history -> didactic (teach a lesson) How has history been constructed and recorded??→Miracles - Recorded when St Alban was executed the executioner’s eyes fell outCites sources (had great access to libraries) & used primary accounts Evangelical & didactic Acknowledges translation & partiality errors ?ModernCharacteristics:History in the Western world became narrowed →?legitimate forms of history are connected with the idea of professionalismLinked with general trend in this period towards disciplinarity →?different forms of knowledge are seen as distinct (e.g.: emergence of distinct faculties such as natural sciences, philosophy, theology, history, sociology, etc.)Within each faculty are groups of professionals who had been trained rigorously, been given entitlement to idea that they were guardians of that particular profession.To be become a professional historian in this period, you would generally have to complete a PhD over several years, demonstrate ability to work critically with historical documents and that you were able to write clearly and academically.Debates about history & truth - no clear how to ‘do’ history (narrative, etc) - complex history: rigorous analysis, testing sources - no universal purpose of historian Historians:Larger numbersGreater access to information and sources'Schools' of history developChange from chroniclers (a person who writes accounts of important or historical events) to historiansscientific objectivity and truthFocus shift to broader studiesSources:Greater/more widespread education = greater/more wide interpretation and accessExplosion of archaeological discoveriesTechnological advances = greater publication of historical textsHistorians and Sources:Von Ranke: 19th -20th century Significant work:?History of the Latin and Teutonic NationsWhat are the purposes of history??→?“you have reckoned that history ought to judge the past & to instruct the contemporary world as to the future…. It will merely tell how it really was” (criticising that history can teach -> simply just a recount) Objective analysis of history to uncover facts Aimed to write world history Emphasis on factsSee every period & nation as unique- history within context rather than a universal story (can’t judge past w/ present theories -> reconstructionist approach) DEBATE: Who are the historians? (Academic vs Public) -> Academic -> tell the truth -> follow historical protocol- source analysis, rigorous research -> qualification DEBATE: Empiricism vs Relativism & Postmodernism -> Empiricism -> Truth can be found through rigorous research -> Written documents are official evidence -> Reject imagination DEBATE: What is the purpose of history? -> Tell the truth -> Through rigorous & empirical research DEBATE: History from below vs above -> above -> Since he was a Prussian aristocrat, he heavily relied on archived documents that centred around military history How has history been constructed and recorded??→Objective (not present centred) Analytical not opinionated Historicism- believed historical forces rather than humans determined the outcome of events History from above Central role of sources (if read critically) “the scrupulous use of primary sources to present… the facts” “strict presentation of facts… is undoubtedly the supreme law” of history -> historians should only say what they can verify (including motives & thoughts)DEBATE: How is history recorded? (Written vs Oral & TV) -> Written -> Rankean method -> Empiricist -> Many documents kept records of ‘important people’ (elite, educated men) E.H. Carr: 20th century Significant work:?What is History?What are the purposes of history??→?Historical determinism -> history governed by historian not facts Broad approach – look for rational forces & causes e.g. class conflict Belief in subjectivity but objectivity can be achieved Learn from the past to assist future DEBATE: Who are the historians? (Academic vs Public) -> Academic -> tell the truth -> follow historical protocol- source analysis, rigorous research -> qualification DEBATE: Empiricism vs Relativism & Postmodernism -> Empiricism -> Truth can be found through rigorous research -> Written documents are official evidence -> Reject imagination DEBATE: What is the purpose of history? -> Tell the truth -> Through rigorous & empirical research How has history been constructed and recorded??→“The facts speak only when the historian calls on them… decides which facts to give the floor & in what order or context” (facts are open to interpretation) History is scientific not literary - single purpose proven by scientific method to achieve objectivity Christopher Hill: 20th Century (Marxist Historiography) Significant work: The English Revolution 1640 What are the purposes of history? -> Present the past from Marxist perspective -> “to ascertain the interrelationships between the intellectual & social aspects of the world” History follows a pattern of class struggles where the final society is communist Study of ordinary people -> history from below DEBATE: History from below vs above -> below How has history been constructed and recorded? -> Social class & struggle of classes is central to historical development Gave direction to history by putting into systems which ends with a creation of classless human society - E.g. argued the English revolution was result of actions of growing bourgeoisie Narrative & narrow (not detailed) March Bloch: 20th Century (Annales School of History) Significant Work: The Historian’s Craft What are the purposes of history? -> To write ‘total history’ that encompasses beliefs, practices, ideas, culture & psychology Write a more human history that embraces social, cultural, linguistic, geographical & economic factors Analyse a problem rather than just write about an event Show how perspective affects one’s history Avoid anachronism (placing a modern idea into the past) Identify the truth, false & plausible DEBATE: History from below vs above -> below -> Emphasised on creating a more human history How has history been constructed and recorded? -> Less on individual events & great men, more on ‘macro-history’ (large scale history that considers perspective of common people) Study of the past, not documents - “History should not be trapped by documents” Interdisciplinary approach History largely involves description, narrative & a myriad of interpretations- “Where calculation is impossible we are obliged to employ suggestion” Wide evidence range (maps, documents) interpreted in light of context (refraining from judging past on one’s moral standards) ?Post-ModernCharacteristics:A criticism/reaction to modernist approach to historyA re-emergence of the kind of disorder that defined pre-Enlightenment period.History done by all sorts of different people, which is celebrated.History became ‘fragmented’ again → history done by professionals and journalists, filmmakers, documentary makers, fictional accounts, etc.‘Democratised’ history → positive way to understand fragmentation: history is something anybody can do. The more voices, the better. More people written about.Some professional historians lament the success of other writers. That films are more popular than history peting ideas, new directions, new applied theories from other disciplines → Relativism; Post-modernism; Post-structuralism; Deconstructionism; Revisionism; NegationismSocial and economic changes → spread of higher education, rise of middle classesRise of digital technologiesHistory is written in familiar genresNo absolute truth, impossible to be objective Historians:Use of language is crucial to their interpretation of historyKnowledge and skills in creating history is up for debate?→ who is a historian?Sources:Not 'the past' encapsulated, but written created versions of the pastSources interpreted by historians adds another layer of unreliability about our connectedness to the pastHistorians and Sources:Jenkins: Late 20th century Significant work:?Rethinking HistoryWhat are the purposes of history??→?“The past is never the past itself” -> never have direct access to the past as we are working in the present (past is different to history) Historians “cannot achieve an objective truth” Rejects upper case history (grand narratives that serve a particular ideology) & lower-case history (claims to be objective) No single explanation of history (different forces, can’t be certain or use a universal method) DEBATE: Empiricism vs Relativism & Postmodernism -> Relativism & Postmodernism -> Truth is subjective to the historian because they have the power to select the evidence How has history been constructed and recorded??→“Past is irrecoverable, the aim of the historian is to present a perspective that attempts to explain what happened” -> Can never directly access past, only present selective & partial view Must acknowledge various forces under which history is written & weaknesses of historians’ methods Wind-Shuttle: 21st century (Revisionist) Significant work: The Killing of History What are the purposes of history? -> To examine to reliability of historians & expose the inaccuracy & fabrication of Australian history Criticises Reynolds & the ‘Black arm band view of history’ for using myth to criticise the ‘traditional’ view of history of imperialism & exploitation (sympathises w/ Aboriginals) Propose a counter-history -> Expose the inferiority of the indigenous in communication which resulted in conflict DEBATE: What is the purpose of history? -> Political -> History is used to form a national identity -> Because history greatly influences identity, any form of revisionism of the past becomes politically tense (History Wars) How has history been constructed and recorded? -> Relies heavily on official white colonial records, declared Aboriginal sources unreliable - “If evidence cannot be found in the official colonial records, then it could not have happened” DEBATE: How is history recorded? (Written vs Oral & TV) -> Written -> Rejects Aboriginal sources since he believes they’re unreliable Reynolds: 21st century (Revisionist) Significant work: The other side of the frontier: Aboriginal resistance to the European invasion of AustraliaWhat are the purposes of history? -> Question the ‘traditional’ view of Australian history Supports the ‘Black arm band view of history’ (bias for empathising with Aboriginal perspective?) Be a voice to the historical silence of Aboriginals in Australian history DEBATE: What is the purpose of history? -> Political -> History is used to form a national identity -> Because history greatly influences identity, any form of revisionism of the past becomes politically tense (History Wars) DEBATE: History from below vs above -> below -> The danger in emphasising on social history is that some historians will exaggerate events to create a dichotomy between good & evil (E.g. exaggerating death statistics of Aboriginals) How has history been constructed and recorded? -> Lack of analysis Drawn widely on written historical evidence Uses opinion from what he has seen & heard as well as researched Popular HistorySchama: 21st centurySignificant work:?A History of BritainWhat are the purposes of history??→?“Historians are left forever chasing shadows... their inability to ever reconstruct a dead world in its completeness” Focus on microhistory (individuals over theoretical paradigms) Rejection of historical determinism -> individuals determine history rather than forces Empathise w/ individuals from the past; “reach towards their world” Moral duty to engage w/ the truth before others use the past to serve their own agenda DEBATE: Who are the historians? (Academic vs Public) -> Public -> History should be for the masses -> Be accessible (easy to read & access) -> Don’t have to have any qualifications -> Influence of the internet- increased accessibility to sources DEBATE: What is the purpose of history? -> Commercial -> Aim to create an entertaining version of the past -> Create a ‘narrative’ How has history been constructed and recorded??→“fictitious dialogue… from my own understanding of the sources as to how such a scene might have taken place” Engaging narrative style DEBATE: How is history recorded? (Written vs Oral & TV) -> TV -> Produced for the masses -> Consumable version -> Often condenses historical events & is dramatized -> Entertainment purpose DunkirkUse fictional characters; “We’re not trying to tell anyone’s story” Popular history intended to help people gain an interest in the subject to lead them to academic history; “inspire people… to look into the stories of the real people” Focus on experiences rather than analytical depth Still uses sources for the main picture, may make changes to details (e.g. changes to the noses of the planes)Post-TruthDEBATE: What is the purpose of history? -> Political -> History can be misused to promote a political agenda (E.g. Trump’s view on the U.S. ‘winning 2 world wars & bringing communism to its knees’) ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download