历史学专业英语06-Comparative_History

1、编辑pptComparative HistoryDr Mark J Crowley编辑pptWho wanted comparative history? Adam Smith John Stuart Mill Marc Bloch Max Weber Otto Hintze Henri Pirenne Emile Durkheim编辑pptHow has it developed? Exchange programmes Globalisation Little impact in Britain To succeed, it needs to be linked with theory编辑

2、pptDifferent types of comparison Nation-states Regions Micro and macro comparisons Smaller comparisons can be more detailed Weber religion and economics编辑pptPurpose of comparison Individualising Universalising Encompassing comparisons (e.g. nationalism) Variation-finding (e.g. comparative Fascism) C

3、omplex analysis and detailed understanding Establish similarities and differences编辑pptAims Question national explanations Stress diversity Encourage scepticism Enrich research through comparison Multiple identities created by context Examine what went wrong Moral judgements编辑pptPromises of comparati

4、ve 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?编辑pptImportance of comparison 1895 Durkheim said comparison was crucial Can now distinguish between good and bad

5、 1930 economic slump Hitler came to power BUT no Fascism in UK and USA!编辑pptKey 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编辑pptProblems Need to know more th

6、an one social context Spatial and time constraints Theoretical and conceptual frameworks Linguistic problems编辑pptArchives Archives from two countries are not similar Different research traditions Different questions produce different views Do we need to experience the region/country?编辑pptGeographica

7、l 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?编辑pptWhat do we choose to compare? What questions do we want to ask? Establish causal relationships Why do

8、es this phenomenon/problem exist? Need to find explanations编辑pptUsing 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

9、questions?编辑pptLanguage 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)编辑pptCultural differences History of cultural transfers Studies of France and G

10、ermany do this Establish similarities and differences编辑pptCriticisms Historical sociologists 1980s too descriptive and couldnt give a causal explanation Not compatible with new questions raised by cultural historians and post-structuralists编辑pptWhat does comparative history examine? Structural simil

11、arities and differences Processes Motives Interests Conflicts Decisions Associated actors编辑pptWhat does it try to do? Stereotypes Interaction with countries Identify cultural differences The self and other编辑pptWhat does it explore? Cultural and social difference Universal human relation models Devel

12、opment is influenced by culture Tensions between general and particular Quantitative and qualitative methods编辑pptDevelopment Since 1980s: Europeanisation Global History Comparative social history Comparative economic history Comparative social and cultural history编辑pptThemes Family Education Work La

13、w Politics Power Economy 编辑pptMore recent themes Local, regional and trans-national myths Cultural recollections Historiography Differences between sexes internationally编辑pptWhy 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”编辑pptWhat did it argue? “pre modern traditions” “successful revolutions” “failed processes of liberalisation and democracy” “historical factors”编辑pp