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HIS 2800: Writing History: Select Historical Frameworks

Political History

"The study of the formation and dissolution of fiefdoms, kingdoms, empires, and nation-states and the rulers who governed them has driven much of our knowledge of how human societies were organized in the past." (Pojmann, p. 20, 2016)

Possible Areas of Interest:

  • Politics
  • Economic
  • Technology
  • Culture
  • Military

Types of Resources You Might Use:

  • Academic books focused on a particular empire, country, time period, etc.
  • Scholarly articles
  • Foreign policy and laws
  • Government documents
  • Political biographies
  • Personal papers, interviews, speeches, etc.
  • First-hand experiences from various classes
  • Economic statistics

Social History

"The study of the formation and dissolution of fiefdoms, kingdoms, empires, and nation-states and the rulers who governed them has driven much of our knowledge of how human societies were organized in the past." (Pojmann, p. 20, 2016)

Possible Areas of Interest:

  • Cultural
  • Social relations
  • Social classes
  • Religion
  • Recreation
  • Education
  • Women's Study
  • BIPOC Experiences
  • Gender Identity

Types of Resources You Might Use:

  • Academic books and articles
  • First-hand experiences
  • Church records
  • Demographic information
  • Archaeological evidence
  • Oral history

Cultural History

"Looking at the role of culture in historical development and change" (Pojmann, p. 27, 2016)

Possible Areas of Interest:

  • Identity
  • Religion
  • Artistic expressions (film, art, music, dance, etc.)
  • Traditions and values
  • Propaganda
  • Politics

Types of Resources You Might Use:

  • Academic books on select identities
  • Scholarly articles
  • Artistic objects (film, photos, art, music, dance, etc.)
  • Propaganda, ephemera, posters, flyers, zines
  • Oral history
  • Archaeological evidence
  • Artifacts

Intellectual History

"The study of intellectuals, ideas, and intellectual patterns over time...best understood in some larger context" (Peter Gordon cited by Pojmann, p. 29, 2016)

Possible Areas of Interest:

  • Philosophy
  • Intellectual production and circulation
  • Social movements
  • Theories and interpretations
  • Politics
  • Literary criticism and linguistics
  • Deconstructionism and postmodernism

Types of Resources You Might Use:

  • Academic books on select identities
  • Scholarly articles
  • Manifestos and essays
  • Biographies
  • Discourse

Librarian

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Breanne Crumpton
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