HISTORIOGRAPHY

Question 1

how is methodology characterized in social sciences? (3 ways)

Answer 1

(1) defines the info to be analyzed
(2) provides the conceptual tools and procedures necessary to perform an analysis
(3) sets for the limits of the analysis

Question 2

the research process:

Answer 2

1. determine the research topic and formulating the research question(s)
2. construct a study design (type of research)
   > 2 types of research: quantitative and qualitative
3. collect data
4. the data are analyzed, interpreted, and put into a format accessible to others

Question 3

quantitative vs. qualitative analysis

Answer 3

> QUANTITATIVE: concerned w/ measurement and sampling and often use deductive reasoning

> QUALITATIVE: focuses on content and use induction w/ more frequency

Question 4

define states, nations, and nation-states:

Answer 4

1. states: defined by sovereignty over territory and a group of people (EX. the US)
2. nations: generate identity and loyalty
3. nation-state: a sovereign territory w/ one group of individuals who share a common history (EX. Mesopotamian civilization)
   > today, a true nation-state doesn’t exist

Question 5

define theocracy

Answer 5

a form of gov. in which priests rule in the name of (a) God

• a most classical form: caesaro-papism: power is shared between a secular ruler (emperor) and a religious leader (pope)
• theocracy can also be ruled by the clergy (EX. Iran)

Question 6

define the Mandate of Heaven and Dynastic Cycle

Answer 6

a. Mandate of heaven: created in 1027 BCE and used by the Zhou Dynasty to overthrow the Shang empire - the idea that there could be only one ruler of China at a time. the ruler’s power was destined by the gods, only using his power for good.
- if the king was unfair, he would lose approval and the right to govern and the empire would suffer disasters
- the mandate was used to explain the rise and fall of dynasties in China

b. this pattern was called the dynastic cycle.
- the dynasty would be considered to have the mandate of heaven → that dynasty would rule in a fair way and better the land and its people → natural disasters would occur in response to the dynasty’s corruption → the dynasty loses the mandate → new dynasty rules, and the cycle keeps going
- the cycle lasted until the end of the Ming Dynasty in 1644 CE

Question 7

define collectivization

Answer 7

the act of making something apply to a group of people as a whole rather than as individuals

Question 8

origins of collectivization (1929-1933)
- Stalin’s five-year plan
- farmers lands
- ^ caused?
- terra famine

Answer 8

a. (1929-33) policy adopted by Joseph Stalin to reduce economic power of wealthy farmers (kulaks) and to industrialize the Soviet Union
b. under collectivization, farmers were forced to give up their individual farms and join large collective farms, called kolkhozes
c. those who refused were arrested, deported, or killed
d. collectivization led to a decrease in crops and food, which led to famine and starvation throughout the USSR, but mainly in Ukraine
e. this period known as the terra famine continued until 1933. death toll in the Ukraine ~3,000,000 (~8,000,000 across the USSR)

Question 9

define globalization

Answer 9

a. increasing global interconnections
b. countries interacting more and becoming more interdependent

Question 10

origins of the modernization theory

Answer 10

a. emerged in the 1950s by social scientists of EU descent as an explanation of how the industrial societies of North America and Western EU developed
b. modernization is a process that involves:
> industrialization, urbanization, rationalization, bureaucracy, mass consumption, and democracy

Question 11

define chronology

Answer 11

a. any method used to order time and to place events in the sequence in which they occurred.

Question 12

define periodization

Answer 12

a. a period of history is a specific time frame containing common characterisitics
b. the most well-known periodization scheme: B.C and A.D
c. other popular schemes:
1. ancient period (3600 BC- AD 500)
2. middle ages (500-1500)
3. modern period (1500-present)

Question 13

cause and effect in history

Answer 13

a. in historical terms, every event has a cause, and is itself the cause of subsequent events, which may therefore be considered its effect(s) or consequences

Question 14

primary vs. secondary sources (EX)

Answer 14

a. primary: raw information and first hand evidence (i.e. interviews, letters, photos, works of art, etc.)
b. secondary: interpretations or analysis of primary sources

Question 15

fact vs. opinions

Answer 15

a. fact: objective info that’s true for everyone
b. opinion: a perspective or belief that may not be true for everyone

Question 16

inferences and conclusions

Answer 16

drawing conclusions refers to information that’s implied or inferred.
- using clues to gain a deeper understanding = infer

Question 17

writing in history

Answer 17

a. the process of shaping known facts into a coherent whole, one that explains cause and effect and addresses the meaning or broader impact of an event
b. involves answering a “historical question”
> important to pick a question that allows you to find good primary sources to investigate
> may need to adjust question based on avail sources
c. next step is to investigate as many primary sources as possible to come up w/ a coherent, chronological story that answers your question
d. last and most important step: make a historical argument in answer to original questions
> the argument or thesis will help organize material into a strong essay
> the argument should stress how something changed over time

Question 18

the writings of Karl Marx

Answer 18

a. Marx (1818-33) wrote about the problems of capitalism
b. the Communist Manifesto and the Das Kapital
c. believed communism was the solution

Question 19

the frontier thesis by Fredrick Jackson Turner

Answer 19

a. formulated in 1893, theorized that the availability of unsettled land (the frontier) throughout much of American history was the most important factor determining national development
b. the frontier thesis was the dominant interpretation of American history for a long time