历史学专业英语06-Comparative_History.ppt

Comparative History Dr Mark J Crowley E-Mail: MJC83LIVE.CO.UK Who wanted comparative history? Adam Smith John Stuart Mill Marc Bloch Max Weber Otto Hintze Henri Pirenne Emile Durkheim How has it developed? Exchange programmes Globalisation Little impact in Britain To succeed, it needs to be linked with theory Different types of comparison Nation-states Regions Micro and macro comparisons Smaller comparisons can be more detailed Weber religion and economics Purpose of comparison Individualising Universalising Encompassing comparisons (e.g. nationalism) Variation-finding (e.g. comparative Fascism) Complex analysis and detailed understanding Establish similarities and differences Aims Question national explanations Stress diversity Encourage scepticism Enrich research through comparison Multiple identities created by context Examine what went wrong Moral judgements Promises of comparative history Gain better knowledge Adapt positive elements from other societies Early histories didnt look at European Experience Why was there no significant Marxism in Britain and the USA? Importance of comparison 1895 Durkheim said comparison was crucial Can now distinguish between good and bad 1930 economic slump Hitler came to power BUT no Fascism in UK and USA! Key questions How did similar events produce different results? German industrialisation social problems Britain a success A good way to test theories Looks at many development possibilities Problems Need to know more than one social context Spatial and time constraints Theoretical and conceptual frameworks Linguistic problems Archives Archives from two countries are not similar Different research traditions Different questions produce different views Do we need to experience the region/country? Geographical and time boundaries Justify why you have chosen these boundaries Borders need to be chosen carefully Why do we choose to start and end at this point? Do we compare the same or different times? What do we choose to compare? What questions do we want to ask? Establish causal relationships Why does this phenomenon/problem exist? Need to find explanations Using theory Be aware of the restrictions E.g. labour movements created by industrialisation (Weber and Marx) Postmodernism Postcolonial theory Development and modernisation important in western history How useful is this to answer our questions? Language Different connotations in different languages In some countries, it has positive meanings, but negative elsewhere Functionary (in English, bureaucracy and stupid rules) Funktionar (German positive) Cultural differences History of cultural transfers Studies of France and Germany do this Establish similarities and differences Criticisms Historical sociologists 1980s too descriptive and couldnt give a causal explanation Not compatible with new questions raised by cultural historians and post-structuralists What does comparative history examine? Structural similarities and differences Processes Motives Interests Conflicts Decisions Associated actors What does it try to do? Stereotypes Interaction with countries Identify cultural differences The self and other What does it explore? Cultural and social difference Universal human relation models Development is influenced by culture Tensions between general and particular Quantitative and qualitative methods Development Since 1980s: Europeanisation Global History Comparative social history Comparative economic history Comparative social and cultural history Themes Family Education Work Law Politics Power Economy More recent themes Local, regional and trans-national myths Cultural recollections Historiography Differences between sexes internationally Why did it develop? A response to dominant history of power, state and leaders (1970s Germany) Response to Marxism (western Europe) Response to generalisations of “industrial society” What did it argue? “pre modern traditions” “successful revolutions” “failed processes of liberalisation and democracy” “historical factors” Con