What is history and how should we practice it?  This course looks at the ways scholars have theorized and practiced history from antiquity to the present.  Here, the focus will be on the most influential approaches to history writing (in the West and the world at large), including: Marxism, gender and sexuality, social history, cultural history, race and ethnicity and digital history.  An important focus of the course will be on developing the ability to synthesize and apply complex approaches, both orally and in writing. 

Week 1 (Jan 14): Introduction: Historical knowledge and the historian’s craft.  How to read/skim a book workshop. 

Prologues to Livy, Thucydides, Herodotus [in pdf on Blackboard].

Collingwood, R.G., “Who killed John Doe? The problem of testimony” from The Idea of History, in Winks, R.W., ed., The Historian as Detective (New York: Harper & Row, 1968), pp.39-60.

Week 2 (Jan 21): Marx, Weber and other theorists and historical research

Marx, Manifesto of the Communist Party. (14-27)

Wang, Q. Edward. “Between Marxism and Nationalism: Chinese Historiography and the Soviet Influence, 1949-1963.” Journal of Contemporary China 9, no. 23 (2000): 95-111 [via library catalog]

Yale lecture on Weber

Week 3 (Jan 28): Examples of historical research: from political/institutional history to social history

Thompson, The Making of the English Working Class (reserve in UB)

WEB DuBois, The Souls of Black Folk, Forethought & sections I-II

Week 4 (Feb 4): Cultural history and historical research

Skim: P Burke, What Is Cultural History? [Online via Blackboard]

Grafton, Anthony. “The Footnote from De Thou to Ranke.” History and Theory, vol. 33, no. 4, 1994, pp. 53–76. [via library catalog]

Skim: Grafton, Anthony. “The History of Ideas: Precept and Practice, 1950-2000 and Beyond.” Journal of the History of Ideas 67.1 (2006): 1-32 [via library catalog]

Week 5 (Feb 11): No class – Lunar New Year!

N.B. INTERRUPTION TO CLASSES!

Tutorial 1 (Marx, Weber, social history cultural history) – TBC

All students must bring one very short extract from historical sources (c. 250 words, or image, object) of their choosing to class and discuss how they might apply one of the methodologies studied to them.  In advance of the tutorial students should submit the source to the TA and a 1-page outline of how one of the methodologies might be applied to it.  This will aid the subsequent discussion. 

Week 6 (Feb 18): Historical geography and historical research

Adelman, “Is global history still possible..?” https://aeon.co/essays/is-global-history-still-possible-or-has-it-had-its-moment

Skim: Carlo Ginzburg, The Cheese and the Worms [Online via Blackboard]

Skim: Timothy Brook, Vermeer’s Hat [Book review only via catalog; no digital copy currently available]

Tutorial 2 (Geography) – TBC

All students must bring one very short extract from historical sources (c. 250 words, or image, object) of their choosing to class and discuss how they might apply one of the methodologies studied to them.  In advance of the tutorial students should submit the source to the TA and a 1-page outline of how one of the methodologies might be applied to it.  This will aid the subsequent discussion. 

Week 7 (Feb 25): Gender, Sexuality and Intersectionality

Scott, J.W., “Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis,” in J.W. Scott, ed., Feminism and History [online on Blackboard]

Kimberlé Crenshaw, “Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: a Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics“. University of Chicago Legal Forum. 1989: 139–168.

Tutorial 3 (gender & sexuality) – TBC

All students must bring one very short extract from historical sources (c. 250 words, or image, object) of their choosing to class and discuss how they might apply one of the methodologies studied to them.  In advance of the tutorial students should submit the source to the TA and a 1-page outline of how one of the methodologies might be applied to it.  This will aid the subsequent discussion. 

Week 8 (March 4): Economic history and historical research

Douglas North, “Economic Performance Through Time,” Nobel Prize Lecture (1993). 

Haskell, Thomas L. (October 2, 1975). “The True & Tragical History of ‘Time on the Cross‘“. The New York Review of Books

Skim: Braudel, F., trans. Ranum, P.M., Afterthoughts on Material Civilization and Capitalism (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1977). [read book review via online catalog]

Tutorial 4 (economic history) – TBC

All students must bring one very short extract from historical sources (c. 250 words, or image, object) of their choosing to class and discuss how they might apply one of the methodologies studied to them.  In advance of the tutorial students should submit the source to the TA and a 1-page outline of how one of the methodologies might be applied to it.  This will aid the subsequent discussion. 

Week 9 (Mar 11) Legal history

Neil MacCormick, “Law and Values: Reflections on Methods” [on blackboard]

Duve, Thomas. “Legal Traditions: A Dialogue between Comparative Law and Comparative Legal History.” Comparative Legal History 6.1 (2018): 15-33. [via library catalog]

You, Chenjun. “How a “New Legal History” Might Be Possible: Recent Trends in Chinese Legal History Studies in the United States and Their Implications.” Modern China 39.2 (2013): 165-202. [via library catalog]

*Digital History Component*

Week 10 (Mar 18): Basics of historical research (i): identifying errors in source materials and the challenges of digital history

Introduction to Digital Humanities, “Concepts and Readings,” 1A-1B (just read, do not do exercises) [on Blackboard]

Introduction to Statistics, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyYifTHIcyw

CS50 Lecture 0 (put on CC for transcript), do the Scratch tutorial.  Save and email game to professor.    

Skim: http://www.slavevoyages.org/

Week 10 (Mar 25): Basics of historical research (ii): data, examining archives and conducting field work

Read: “Introduction to Digital Humanities” 2B-5A (just read, do not do exercises) [on Blackboard]

Download Transatlantic Slave Trade Database EXCEL sheets (.csv files): transatlantic data.  Here is the manual for understanding it all [questions: what is the data; how was it created; what are the potential problems with it; how is it presented?]

Do Tableau tutorial: http://dh101.humanities.ucla.edu/?page_id=163 (this might also be helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT1iHLGawIM)

Create some Tableau visualizations answering a hypothetical research question about Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database using the EXCEL sheets, and bring them to class (USB or email to TA and we can discuss them). 

If we are meeting in person and you have a laptop, please bring it to class. 

For the final projects, students might also be interested in: Scottish Witchcraft Trials ; Civil Unrest Events ; US government data, Historical laws of Hong Kong, etc. 

Week 11 (Apr 1): Reading week!

Week 12 (Apr 8): Basics of historical research (iii): analyzing and inferring from historical documents and other sources

Read https://medium.com/@priestleyal/voyant-tools-a-tutorial-for-text-analysis-df265d85d214 and https://medium.com/dh-tools-for-beginners/voyant-tools-2-0-less-common-tools-for-text-analysis-a922cfcd85cb

Apply one of these techniques to a text of your choice and come prepare to discuss it.

Google My Maps Tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLhyr5MGi2g

Read: https://programminghistorian.org/en/lessons/googlemaps-googleearth

Set up a Google account and make one map of relevance to history (it can be very simple and come prepare to discuss it). 

If we are meeting in person and you have a laptop, please bring it to class. 

Week 13 (Apr 15): Displaying historical research and public history: cases of historical research.

Read “Introduction to Digital Humanities” 2A, 8B-10B (just read, do not do exercises) [on Blackboard]

and “Tutorials” on Omeka and HTML.

Glassberg, David. “Public History and the Study of Memory.” The Public Historian 18.2 (1996): 7-23 [via library catalog].

Either visit the Hong Kong Museum of History (“The Hong Kong Story” wing), if you have not already, or Slavery and Global Public History.

If we are meeting in person and you have a laptop, please bring it to class. 

Final Projects due April 21 at 9pm. 

Week 14 (Apr 22):  Presentations and Discussions of Digital Projects. 

You will each give a 5 minute (maximum!) presentation of your project.  This is very informal and you can show a few PP slides with the graphs etc. using share-screen.  We will then have a final discussion. 

20% Attendance and Active Participation in class.  Active participation entails making at least one and preferably twocomments/asking questions per class. 

30% 6*1-page Response Papers (=300 words) on readings from weeks 2-8 that answer the question: “What is the key point of this week’s reading?” (each worth 5%).  Due via email to the Professor 1-hour (60mins!) before the lecture.  You may submit more, but only the best 6 grades will count. 

25% Digital Essay.  Produce one data-driven inquiry and present it in weeks 15 (5 mins).  It should be at least 5 pages in pdf of text, images, screen shot, etc.  Topics to be covered will include, e.g. discussion of research problem, data, methodology, conclusions, problems encountered, areas for future research).    Some examples are here and here.

25% Tutorial Case-Study Exercises (5% for pre-submitted sources and 1-page discussions of how methodology might be applied to it (due 1hr before tutorial via email to TA); 20% for participation in discussions).   

The Tutorials will be focused on applying the historiographical techniques learned in the lectures. 

All students must bring one very short extract from historical sources (c. 250 words, or image, object) of their choosing to class and discuss how they might apply one of the methodologies studied to them.  In advance of the tutorial students should submit the source to the TA and a 1-page outline of how one of the methodologies might be applied to it.  This will aid the subsequent discussion. 

梁啟超：《中國歷史研究法》

嚴耕望：《治史經驗談》

黃進興：〈論方法及方法論－－以近代中國史學意識為系絡〉，載康樂、黃進興編：《歷史學與社會科學》

龐卓恆等：《史學概論》

許冠三：《史學與史學方法》（上、下）

龐卓恆等：《史學概論》

姚蒙：《法國當代史學主流》

徐浩、侯建新：《當代西方史學流派》

賴建誠譯著：《年鑑學派管窺》（上）

項觀奇編：《歷史比較研究法》

張玉法：《歷史學的新領域》

周樑楷：〈年鑑學派的史學傳統及其轉變〉，載周樑楷著：《近代歐洲史家及史學思想》

王淵明：〈美國公共史學〉，《史學理論》，3（1989）

〈婦女史與社會性別的啟示〉，《史學理論研究》，3（2004）

余英時：〈中國史的現階段：反省與展望〉，載氏著：《史學與傳統》

古偉瀛、王晴佳：《後現代與歷史學：中西比較》

楊念群等主編：《新史學》(下)

Elton, G. R., The Practice of History

Carr, E.H., What is History?

Barzun, J. & H.F. Graff, The Modern Researcher

Bloch, M., The Historian’s Craft

Burke, P., ed., New Perspectives on Historical Writing

Barraclough, G. Main, Trends of Research in the Social and Human Sciences: History

Himmelfarb, Gertrude, The New history and the Old: Critical Essays and Reappraisals

Berger, S., et al., eds., Writing History: Theory and Practice

Clark, Stuart, ed., The Annales School: Critical Assessments, Vol. 1.

Mahoney, J. & D. Rueschemeyer, eds., Comparative Historical Analysis in the Social Sciences

Kelley, R., Public History: Its Origins, Nature, and Prospects? The Public Historian, 1:1 (1978)

Thompson, P., The Voice of the Past: Oral History

Jorgensen, D.L., Participant Observation

Hunt, L., ed., The New Cultural History

Scott, J.W., “Introduction,” “Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis,” in J.W. Scott, ed., Feminismand History

Iggers, G.G., Historiography in the Twentieth Century: From Scientific Objectivity to the Postmodern Challenge

Introduction to Digital Humanities, http://dh101.humanities.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IntroductionToDigitalHumanities_Textbook.pdf

Attention is drawn to University policy and regulations on honesty in academic work, and to the disciplinary guidelines and procedures applicable to breaches of such policy and regulations. Details may be found at here.

With each assignment, students will be required to submit a signed declaration that they are aware of these policies, regulations, guidelines and procedures.

• In the case of group projects, all members of the group should be asked to sign the declaration, each of whom is responsible and liable to disciplinary actions, irrespective of whether he/she has signed the declaration and whether he/she has contributed, directly or indirectly, to the problematic
• For assignments in the form of a computer-generated document that is principally text-based and submitted via VeriGuide, the statement, in the form of a receipt, will be issued by the system upon students’ uploading of the soft copy of the assignment. 
• Students are fully aware that their work may be investigated by AI content detection software to determine originality.
• Students are fully aware of the AI approach(es) adopted in the course. In the case where some AI tools are allowed, students have made proper acknowledgment and citations as instructed by the course teacher.

Assignments without the properly signed declaration will not be graded by teachers.

Only the final version of the assignment should be submitted via VeriGuide.

The submission of a piece of work, or a part of a piece of work, for more than one purpose (e.g. to satisfy the requirements in two different courses) without declaration to this effect shall be regarded as having committed undeclared multiple submissions. It is common and acceptable to reuse a turn of phrase or a sentence or two from one’s own work; but wholesale reuse is problematic. In any case, agreement from the course teacher(s) concerned should be obtained prior to the submission of the piece of work.

The copyright of the teaching materials, including lecture notes, assignments and examination questions etc., produced by staff members/ teachers of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) belongs to CUHK. Students may download the teaching materials produced by the staff members/ teachers from the Learning Management Systems, e.g. Blackboard adopted by CUHK for their own educational use, but shall not distribute/ share/ copy the materials to a third-party without seeking prior permission from the staff members/ teachers concerned.