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Historical Methods: International History in the Twentieth Century

Vak
2019-2020

Tags

WP, HD

Admissions requirements

Successful completion of Global Challenges: Diversity and at least one 100-level course in the Major.

Description

This course offers an introduction to the theories and methods of history as a field of knowledge. Our general area of enquiry for this course will be the study international history in the twentieth century, will take up independent research projects related to some aspect of this field.

The first section of the course is dedicated to the analysis of history as a discipline. We will explore how historians operate; the assumptions they work from; their methods and sources; as well as their disagreements. We will touch upon on the evolving methods of diplomatic and international history, and the impact of successive epistemic ‘turns’ in the field. We will consider such questions as: what distinguishes history from the social sciences; historical sources, methods, organization, and framing; the assumptions historians make their ability to infer causation; and how the recent rise of transnational and global history challenges (and complements) more traditional approaches to international history.

The second section shifts the focus to methodology, and particularly to the use of archival sources. First, we will learn to identify these sources and work with archival catalogues. Then we will hone our skills of analysis. What methods should we use to collect and interpret different forms of historical evidence? What can our sources tell us about historical causation? How do we incorporate different types of sources, such as oral history and memoirs, into our analysis? Finally, how do we critically evaluate our sources, and interpret silences and omissions? On a more practical note, how do we avoid drowning in the seas of evidence that can spill out from the archive?

Throughout the course, students will pursue an independent research project on a chosen subject within the field of international history which will reflect, in condensed form, the process of devising and executing a piece of historical research. Students will select a topic, devise a research question, assess historiographical literature, identify and select relevant sources, dig into the sources, managing notes, and finally, putting their analysis to paper – one of our last classes will be a writing workshop. Students will be strongly encouraged to make use of the sources available in various repositories throughout the Netherlands, and will have the option of visiting one or more archives as part of an organized excursion.

Course objectives

Successful completion of the course will enable students to:

  • identify the various aims and methods of historical scholarship, within the (broadly defined) field of international history

  • effectively navigate online and archival repositories of primary sources

  • skillfully analyze and synthesize both primary and secondary sources

  • devise and justify the design of a substantial research project

  • practice the skills required for writing a capstone proposal in history

Timetable

Once available, timetables will be published in the e-Prospectus.

Mode of instruction

This is a research workshop demanding active class participation and substantial independent reading beyond the syllabus. The class will require students to conceive and develop a substantial and original research project.

Assessment

  • class participation (15%)

  • initial proposal and annotated bibliography (15%)

  • research journal (30%)

  • final project (40%)

Blackboard

There will be a Blackboard site available for this course. Students will be enrolled at least one week before the start of classes.

Reading list

Readings will be made available via Blackboard. The following titles offer an introduction to the themes of the course:

  • Arnold, John, History: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2000)

  • Evans, Richard J., In Defense of History (New York, 1999)

  • Gaddis, John Lewis,The Landscape of History: How Historians Map the Past (Oxford, 2004)

  • Trachtenberg, Marc, The Craft of International History: A Guide to Method (Princeton, 2006)

Registration

This course is open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Registration is coordinated by the Curriculum Coordinator. Interested non-LUC students should contact course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.