Admission requirements
Required course(s):
None, but Birth of the Modern World and/or Historical Approaches: Environmentalisms Rich and Poor are recommended.
Description
This course offers an introduction to the theories and methods of history as a form of knowledge, with a thematic focus on human-nature relations. By the end of the block you will produce a detailed proposal for a larger research project, as well as a report on your preliminary findings. The course is great practice for preparing a capstone proposal, but it also a fun way of getting into a historical project of your choosing: visiting archives, finding sources, engaging the work of other scholars, and – above all – learning how to tell meaningful stories about the (more-than-human) past.
To give you a sampling of what is possible: past students in the course have written on topics ranging from the politics of forest management under socialist rule in Romania; to the evolution of animal narratives in children’s games in Germany; to representations of Egyptian nature in nineteenth-century British travel writing; to the place of nature and agency in the Suske and Wiske comics series, to the role of songs about nature in Nepalese national identity formation, to the effects of the Laki fissure eruption on Dutch science during the eighteenth century. While most students come from the CHS and WP majors, many have come from other majors (and particularly EES) to broaden their disciplinary horizons.
Now a bit more about what we will do together. First, we will learn what distinguishes (environmental) history from other disciplinary ways of knowing. From here, we will critically examine the ways historians have written about our chosen theme. Working with a handful of example essays, we will consider such questions as: the words historians use; their narrative style, sources, methods, organization, and framing; their assumptions about historical causation and human nature; and their application (or avoidance) of social-scientific theory.
We will also work with primary sources. First, we will get experience locating such sources, using online and traditional archival repositories. Then we will hone our skills of analysis. What methods should we use to interpret documentary, visual, or oral evidence? Why, where, when, and how were various sources created, circulated, and received—and why does it matter? How can we read for and interpret silences and omissions? Why are certain sources collected, while others evade preservation?
Along the way, as noted above, we will pursue independent projects in which we will apply historical methods and theories to own research questions. We will gain experience in narrowing down a topic, devising a research question, synthesizing historiographical literature, identifying and interpreting a body of sources, managing notes and data, and, finally, putting it all into writing. In this respect, our seminar will function as a workshop, where students will present on their progress and share ideas about the challenges, joys, and frustrations of historical research.
Course Objectives
By successfully completing this course, you should be able to:
Identify the various aims and methods of historical scholarship, with a particular eye toward environmental history.
Navigate online and archival repositories of primary sources.
Analyze and synthesize both primary and secondary sources.
Devise and justify the design of a substantial historical research project.
Understand and appreciate different modes of historical writing, from academic monographs to essays aimed at a general audience.
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2024-2025 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
Methods courses have a reputation for being demanding because they require quite a lot of independent work beyond the shared readings of the syllabus. This course is no exception, but this should be seen as an opportunity, rather than a burden: you will have a chance to design a research project that is fully your own, and to develop skills that will serve you well in writing your capstone. Each week, we will strike a balance between shared readings and research skills development. We will also go on excursions to historical archives both in The Hague and in Amsterdam – using one Wednesday afternoon for that purpose. This is always one of the most fun and satisfying elements of the course: getting to rifle through old historical documents and to experience the thrill of discovery.
Assessment Method
Class participation (10%)
Preliminary proposal (25%)
Weekly research journal (25%)
Final project (40%)
Reading list
Readings will be made available digitally.
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Ann Marie Wilson, a.m.wilson@luc.leidenuniv.nl
Remarks
-