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Books > History > Theory & methods
Niketas Choniates' History is the single most important source for
a crucial period in Byzantine history, which began with the death
of Alexios I Komnenos in 1118 and culminated with the capture of
Constantinople by the armies of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. In this
first book-length study of the History in English, Simpson reviews
the complex manuscript tradition and transmission of the text, and
examines the substantial differences in style, content, and purpose
between the two main versions in which it has been preserved.
Investigating issues related to historical narrative and imperial
biography, including genre and characteristic features, narrative
structure, and character depiction, the volume also explores the
sources from which Niketas Choniates compiled his account and the
literary models and historical concepts which guided him. It
emphasizes his literary mimesis of earlier writers, his creative
and often innovative use of rhetorical forms and techniques, and
his historical methodology and outlook. Finally, the book delves
into the author's world in order to uncover his personal prejudices
and preoccupations, and takes into account his other works, namely
the orations and letters as well as the theological treatise, the
Dogmatike Panoplia.
Bodies of Evidence: The Practice of Queer Oral History is the first
book to provide serious scholarly insight into the methodological
practices that shape lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer
oral histories. Each chapter pairs an oral history excerpt with an
essay in which the oral historian addresses his or her methods and
practices. With an afterword by John D'Emilio, this collection
enables readers to examine the role memory, desire, sexuality, and
gender play in documenting LGBTQ communities and cultures.
The historical themes addressed include 1950s and '60s lesbian bar
culture; social life after the Cuban revolution; the organization
of transvestite social clubs in the U.S. midwest in the 1960s;
Australian gay liberation activism in the 1970s; San Francisco
electoral politics and the career of Harvey Milk; Asian American
community organizing in pre-AIDS Los Angeles; lesbian feminist "sex
war" cultural politics; 1980s and '90s Latina/o transgender
community memory and activism in San Francisco; and the war in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
The methodological themes include questions of silence, sexual
self-disclosure and voyeurism, the intimacy between researcher and
narrator, and the social and political commitments negotiated
through multiple oral history interviews. The book also examines
the production of comparative racial and sexual identities and the
relative strengths of same-sexuality, cross-sexuality, and
cross-ideology interviewing.
This is a collection of studies on ancient (especially Latin)
poetry and historiography, concentrating especially on the impact
of rhetoric on both genres, and on the importance of considering
the literature to illuminate the historical Roman context and the
historical context to illuminate the literature. It takes the form
of a tribute to Tony Woodman, Gildersleeve Professor of Classics at
the University of Virginia, for whom twenty-one scholars have
contributed essays reflecting the interests and approaches that
have typified Woodman's own work. The authors that he has
continuously illuminated - especially Velleius, Horace, Virgil,
Sallust, and Tacitus - figure particularly prominently.
The field of American history has undergone remarkable expansion in
the past century, all of it reflecting a broadening of the
historical enterprise and democratization of its coverage. Today,
the shape of the field takes into account the interests,
identities, and narratives of more Americans than at any time in
its past. Much of this change can be seen through the history of
the Organization of American Historians, which, as its mission
states, "promotes excellence in the scholarship, teaching, and
presentation of American history, and encourages wide discussion of
historical questions and equitable treatment of all practitioners
of history."
This century-long history of the Organization of American
Historians-and its predecessor, the Mississippi Valley Historical
Association-explores the thinking and writing by professional
historians on the history of the United States. It looks at the
organization itself, its founding and dynamic growth, the changing
composition of its membership and leadership, the emphasis over the
years on teaching and public history, and pedagogical approaches
and critical interpretations as played out in association
publications, annual conferences, and advocacy efforts. The
majority of the book emphasizes the writing of the American story
by offering a panorama of the fields of history and their
development, moving from long-established ones such as political
history and diplomatic history to more recent ones, including
environmental history and the history of sexuality
The history of sexuality has progressed from its earlier marginal
status to a central place in historiography. Not only are its foci
of research intriguing, but the field has initiated important
theoretical advances for the discipline as a whole, especially
through the work of Michel Foucault. The editors of this new
four-volume Routledge collection define sexuality in a broader
sense than sexual identity, to include sexual emotions, desires,
acts, representations, and relationships. And while the history of
sexuality began in the American and European spheres, the volumes
also integrate studies of Asian, African, and other sexual
cultures. Similarly, the collection integrates studies from early
periods (such as classical Greece and Rome and the medieval era)
with modern histories of sexuality. The editors of this new
four-volume Routledge collection define sexuality in a broader
sense than sexual identity, to include sexual emotions, desires,
acts, representations, and relationships. And while the history of
sexuality began in the American and European spheres, the volumes
also integrate studies of Asian, African, and other sexual
cultures. Similarly, the collection integrates studies from early
periods (such as classical Greece and Rome and the medieval era)
with modern histories of sexuality.
HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of
best-loved, essential classics. Plato's Republic has influenced
Western philosophers for centuries, with its main focus on what
makes a well-balanced society and individual.
Today there is much talk of a 'crisis of trust'; a crisis which is
almost certainly genuine, but usually misunderstood. Trust: A
History offers a new perspective on the ways in which trust and
distrust have functioned in past societies, providing an empirical
and historical basis against which the present crisis can be
examined, and suggesting ways in which the concept of trust can be
used as a tool to understand our own and other societies. Geoffrey
Hosking argues that social trust is mediated through symbolic
systems, such as religion and money, and the institutions
associated with them, such as churches and banks. Historically
these institutions have nourished trust, but the resulting trust
networks have tended to create quite tough boundaries around
themselves, across which distrust is projected against outsiders.
Hosking also shows how nation-states have been particularly good at
absorbing symbolic systems and generating trust among large numbers
of people, while also erecting distinct boundaries around
themselves, despite an increasingly global economy. He asserts that
in the modern world it has become common to entrust major resources
to institutions we know little about, and suggests that we need to
learn from historical experience and temper this with more
traditional forms of trust, or become an ever more distrustful
society, with potentially very destabilising consequences.
From the headlines of local newspapers to the coverage of major
media outlets, scenes of war, natural disaster, political
revolution and ethnic repression greet readers and viewers at every
turn. What we often fail to grasp, however, despite numerous
treatments of events is the deep meaning and broader significance
of crisis and disaster. The complexity and texture of these
situations are most evident in the broader personal stories of
those whom the events impact most intimately. Oral history, with
its focus on listening and collaborative creation with
participants, has emerged as a forceful approach to exploring the
human experience of crisis. Despite the recent growth of crisis
oral history fieldwork, there has been little formal discussion of
the process and meaning of utilizing oral history in these
environments. Oral history research takes on special dimensions
when working in highly charged situations often in close proximity
to traumatic events. The emergent inclination for oral historians
to respond to document crisis calls for a shared conversation among
scholars as to what we have learned from crisis work so far. This
dialogue, at the heart of this collection of oral history excerpts
and essays, reveals new layers of the work of the oral historian.
From the perspective of crisis and disaster oral history, the book
addresses both the ways in which we think about the craft of oral
hsitory, and the manner in which we use it. The book presents
excerpts from oral histories done after twelve world crises,
followed by critical analyses by the interviewers. Additional
analytical chapters set the interviews in the contexts of
pyschoanalysis and oral history methodology.
The Histories Against the Pagans of Orosius, written in 416/7, has
been one of the most influential works in the history of Western
historiography. Often read as a theology of history, it has been
rarely been set against the background of ancient historiography
and rhetorical practice in the time of Orosius. Arguing for the
closeness of rhetoric and historiography in Antiquity, this book
shows how Orosius situates himself consciously in the classical
tradition and draws on a variety of rhetorical tools to shape his
narrative: a subtle web of interextual allusions, a critical
engagement with traditional exempla, a creative rewriting of the
sources, and a skilled deployment of the rhetoric of pathos. In
this way, Orosius aims at opening the eyes of his adversaries;
instead of remaining blinded by the traditional, glorious view of
the past, he wishes his readers to see the past and the present in
their true colours. The book paints a more complex picture of
theHistories, and argues against the tendency to see Orosius as a
naive apologist of the Roman empire. In fact, he can be shown to
put the Church at the heart of view of Roman history. Setting
Orosius in the context of contemporary historiography and
literature, it sheds new light on the intellectual life in the
early fifth century AD.
Doing Oral History: A Practical Guide is considered the premier
guidebook to oral history, used by professional oral historians,
public historians, archivists, and genealogists as a core text in
college courses and throughout the public history community. Over
the past decades, the development of digital audio and video
recording technology has continued to alter the practice of oral
history, making it even easier to produce quality recordings and to
disseminate them on the Internet. This basic manual offers detailed
advice on setting up an oral history project, conducting
interviews, making video recordings, preserving oral history
collections in archives and libraries, and teaching and presenting
oral history. Using the existing Q&A format, the third edition
asks new questions and augments previous answers with new material,
particularly in these areas: 1. Technology: As before, the book
avoids recommending specific equipment, but weighs the merits of
the types of technology available for audio and video recording,
transcription, preservation, and dissemination. Information about
web sites is expanded, and more discussion is provided about how
other oral history projects have posted their interviews online. 2.
Teaching: The new edition addresses the use of oral history in
online teaching. It also expands the discussion of Institutional
Review Boards (IRBs) with the latest information about compliance
issues. 3. Presentation: Once interviews have been conducted, there
are many opportunities for creative presentation. There is much new
material available on innovative forms of presentation developed
over the last decade, including interpretive dance and other public
performances. 4. Legal considerations: The recent Boston College
case, in which the courts have ruled that Irish police should have
access to sealed oral history transcripts, has re-focused attention
on the problems of protecting donor restrictions. The new edition
offers case studies from the past decade. 5. Theory and Memory: As
a beginner's manual, Doing Oral History has not dealt extensively
with theoretical issues, on the grounds that these emerge best from
practice. But the third edition includes the latest thinking about
memory and provides a sample of some of the theoretical issues
surrounding oral sources. It will include examples of increased
studies into catastrophe and trauma, and the special considerations
these have generated for interviewers. 6. Internationalism: Perhaps
the biggest development in the past decade has been the spreading
of oral history around the world, facilitated in part by the
International Oral History Association. New oral history projects
have developed in areas that have undergone social and political
upheavals, where the traditional archives reflect the old regimes,
particularly in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and
Latin America. The third edition includes many more references to
non-U.S. projects that will still be relevant to an American
audience. These changes make the third edition of Doing Oral
History an even more useful tool for beginners, teachers,
archivists, and all those oral history managers who have inherited
older collections that must be converted to the latest technology.
The decades since the 1980s have witnessed an unprecedented surge
in research about Latin American history. This much-needed volume
brings together original essays by renowned scholars to provide the
first comprehensive assessment of this burgeoning literature.
The seventeen original essays in The Oxford Handbook of Latin
American History survey the recent historiography of the colonial
era, independence movements, and postcolonial periods and span
Mexico, Spanish South America, and Brazil. They begin by
questioning the limitations and meaning of Latin America as a
conceptual organization of space within the Americas and how the
region became excluded from broader studies of the Western
hemisphere. Subsequent essays address indigenous peoples of the
region, rural and urban history, slavery and race, African,
European and Asian immigration, labor, gender and sexuality,
religion, family and childhood, economics, politics, and disease
and medicine. In so doing, they bring together traditional
approaches to politics and power, while examining the quotidian
concerns of workers, women and children, peasants, and racial and
ethnic minorities.
This volume provides the most complete state of the field and is an
indispensible resource for scholars and students of Latin America.
Does history matter? Is it anything more than entertainment? And if
so, what practical relevance does it have? In this fully revised
second edition of a seminal text, John Tosh persuasively argues
that history is central to an informed and critical understanding
of topical issues in the present. Including a range of contemporary
examples from Brexit to child sexual abuse to the impact of the
internet, this is an important and practical introduction for all
students of history. Inspiring and empowering, this book provides
both students and general readers with a stimulating and practical
rationale for the study of history. It is essential reading for all
undergraduate students of history who require an engaging
introduction to the subject. New to this Edition: - Illustrative
examples and case studies are fully updated - Features a postscript
on British historians and Brexit - Bibliography is heavily revised
Daughter. Wife. Mother. Mystic. Discover the life of this fifteenth
century merchant's wife from King's Lynn who despite being unable
to read or write created the first autobiography in English.
Explore Margery's world of visions, pilgrimages and the constant
threat of being burned for heresy.
After three years in his own time, Chris Lennox is again thrown
back to Georgian England where wars are raging against the Danes
and the French. His life is on the line at home and abroad as he
fights to live another day. Ed Lane is a former member of the
Parachute Regiment T.A. In civilian life he ran his own graphic
design business where he honed his writing skills working for
multi-national companies. He lives in the tranquil Lincolnshire
Wolds with his wife Barb. To Live Another Day is his tenth novel.
In interviews with Amin Maalouf, Thierry Hentsch, Sara Suleri,
Marlene Nourbese Philip and Ackbar Abbas, history is discussed from
a non-European perspective. "What's remarkable is the scope Samuel
allows his interview subjects."--"Now""There is no shortage of
thought-provoking material here."--"Books in Canada"
One of the twentieth century's most influential books, this classic
work of anthropology offers a groundbreaking exploration of what
culture is With The Interpretation of Cultures, the distinguished
anthropologist Clifford Geertz developed the concept of thick
description, and in so doing, he virtually rewrote the rules of his
field. Culture, Geertz argues, does not drive human behavior.
Rather, it is a web of symbols that can help us better understand
what that behavior means. A thick description explains not only the
behavior, but the context in which it occurs, and to describe
something thickly, Geertz argues, is the fundamental role of the
anthropologist. Named one of the 100 most important books published
since World War II by the Times Literary Supplement, The
Interpretation of Cultures transformed how we think about others'
cultures and our own. This definitive edition, with a foreword by
Robert Darnton, remains an essential book for anthropologists,
historians, and anyone else seeking to better understand human
cultures.
How did the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution affect everyone's
lives? Why did people re/negotiate their identities to adopt
revolutionary roles and duties? How did people, who lived with
different self-understandings and social relations, inevitably
acquire and practice revolutionary identities, each in their own
light?This book plunges into the contexts of these concerns to seek
different relations that reveal the Revolution's different
meanings. Furthermore, this book shows that scholars of the
Cultural Revolution encountered emotional and intellectual
challenges as they cared about the real people who owned an
identity resource that could trigger an imagined thread of
solidarity in their minds.The authors believe that the Revolution's
magnitude and pervasive scope always resulted in individualized
engagements that have significant and differing consequences for
those struggling in their micro-context. It has impacted a future
with unpredictable collective implications in terms of ethnicity,
gender, memory, scholarship, or career. The Cultural Revolution is,
therefore, an evolving relation beneath the rise of China that will
neither fade away nor sanction integrative paths.
Why have the influences of the Great Proletarian Cultural
Revolution (roughly 1966-1976) in contemporary China been so
pervasive, profound, and long-lasting? This book posits that the
Revolution challenged everyone to decide how they can and should be
themselves.Even scholars who study the Cultural Revolution from a
presumably external vantage point must end up with an ideological
position relative to whom they study. This amounts to a focused
curiosity toward the Maoist agenda rivaling its alternatives. As a
result, the political lives after the Cultural Revolution remain,
ulteriorly and ironically, Maoist to a ubiquitous extent.How then
can we cleanse, forget, neutralize, rediscover, contextualize,
realign, revitalize, or renovate Maoism? The authors contend that
all must appropriate ideologies for political and analytical
purposes and adapt to how others use ideological discourses. This
book then invites its readers to re-examine ideology contexts for
people to appreciate how they acquire their roles and duties. Those
more practiced can even reversely give new meanings to reform,
nationalism, foreign policy, or scholarship by shifting between
Atheism, Maoism, Confucianism, and Marxism, incurring alternative
ideological lenses to de-/legitimize their subject matter.
Rooted in the day-to-day experience of teaching and written for
those without specialist technical knowledge, this is a new edition
of the go-to guide to using digital tools and resources in the
humanities classroom. In response to the rapidly changing nature of
the field, this new edition has been updated throughout and now
features: - A brand-new Preface accounting for new developments in
the broader field of DH pedagogy - New chapters on 'Collaborating'
and on 'Teaching in a Digital Classroom' - New sections on
collaborating with other teachers; teaching students with learning
differences; explaining the benefits of digital pedagogy to your
students; and advising graduate students about the technologies
they need to master - New 'advanced activities' and 'advanced
assignment' sections (including bots, vlogging, crowd-sourcing,
digital storytelling, web scraping, critical making, automatic text
generation, and digital media art) - Expanded chapter
bibliographies and over two dozen tables offering practical advice
on choosing software programs Accompanied by a streamlined
companion website, which has been entirely redesigned to answer
commonly asked questions quickly and clearly, this is essential
reading for anyone looking to incorporate digital tools and
resources into their daily teaching.
Throughout the twentieth century, scholars, artists and politicians
have accused each other of "historicism." But what exactly did this
mean? Judging by existing scholarship, the answers varied
enormously. Like many other "isms," historicism could mean nearly
everything, to the point of becoming meaningless. Yet the questions
remain: What made generations of scholars throughout the humanities
and social sciences worry about historicism? Why did even musicians
and members of parliament warn against historicism? And what
explains this remarkable career of the term across generations,
fields, regions, and languages? Focusing on the "travels" that
historicism made, this volume uses historicism as a prism for
exploring connections between disciplines and intellectual
traditions usually studied in isolation from each other. It shows
how generations of sociologists, theologians, and historians tried
to avoid pitfalls associated with historicism and explains why the
term was heavily charged with emotions like anxiety, anger, and
worry. While offering fresh interpretations of classic authors such
as Friedrich Meinecke, Karl Loewith, and Leo Strauss, this volume
highlights how historicism took on new meanings, connotations, and
emotional baggage in the course of its travels through time and
place.
This volume approaches the broad topic of wonder in the works of
Tacitus, encompassing paradox, the marvellous and the admirable.
Recent scholarship on these themes in Roman literature has tended
to focus on poetic genres, with comparatively little attention paid
to historiography: Tacitus, whose own judgments on what is worthy
of note have often differed in interesting ways from the
preoccupations of his readers, is a fascinating focal point for
this complementary perspective. Scholarship on Tacitus has to date
remained largely marked by a divide between the search for veracity
- as validated by modern historiographical standards - and literary
approaches, and as a result wonders have either been ignored as
unfit for an account of history or have been deprived of their
force by being interpreted as valid only within the text. While the
modern ideal of historiographical objectivity tends to result in
striving for consistent heuristic and methodological frameworks,
works as varied as Tacitus' Histories, Annals and opera minora can
hardly be prefaced with a statement of methodology broad enough to
escape misrepresenting their diversity. In our age of
specialization a streamlined methodological framework is a virtue,
but it should not be assumed that Tacitus had similar priorities,
and indeed the Histories and Annals deserve to be approached with
openness towards the variety of perspectives that a tradition as
rich as Latin historiographical prose can include within its scope.
This collection proposes ways to reconcile the divide between
history and historiography by exploring contestable moments in the
text that challenge readers to judge and interpret for themselves,
with individual chapters drawing on a range of interpretive
approaches that mirror the wealth of authorial and reader-specific
responses in play.
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