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What Happened to History?

What Happened to History?

Willie Thompson

(2000)

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Book Details

Abstract

This original study explores the development of the postmodern turn in history, brought on by the social, political and cultural changes of the 1970s and 1980s. Challenging notions of certainty and objectivity, postmodernism has questioned traditional models and methods in studying history. A timely intervention in an increasingly contentious area, this book evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of postmodern history.

Beginning with a brief account of historiography as an academic discipline, with its origins in the 'scientific historiography' of the nineteenth century, Willie Thompson charts the growth and development of the historical method in the twentieth century. He examines the impact of Marxist historiography, particularly in Britain and the United States, and the emergence of new approaches to history exemplified by the work of E.P. Thompson and others. In addition, Thompson assesses the impact of feminist, black and minority history.
'A brilliant explication of history'
Times Literary Supplement

Table of Contents

Section Title Page Action Price
Contents v
Preface vii
Notes 185
1. The Tradition Established 1
The US 14
Marxists and socialists 18
Notes 1-17 185
18-36 186
37-48 187
2. War, Cold War and the 1960s Revolution 24
Cold War 26
The 1960s revolution 34
Consequences 41
The cutting edge 49
Notes 1-6 187
7-29 188
30-54 189
55-56 190
3. Continuing Revolution or Counter-Revolution 55
Adventures of the dialectic - social history in the backwash 55
The French connection 58
Anglo-American responses 62
Why postmodernism? 65
Notes 1-18 190
19-38 191
39-53 192
4. Institutions and Personnel 71
Teaching 73
Postgraduates 77
Employment 82
Archives 85
Journals and publishers 88
Other institutional frameworks 92
Notes 1-6 192
7-20 193
21-28 194
5. Reality, Representation, Truth and Narrative 96
Being and seeing 96
Historiographical implications 103
Hayden White and others 111
Other deconstructionists 118
Historical emplotment 122
Notes 1-9 194
10-27 195
28-56 196
57-70 197
6. Grand Narrative 128
Teleologies 129
Evolution and culture 138
Marxism 142
Nietzsche and Foucault 149
Grand narrative or long-term explanation? 154
Notes 1-8 197
9-26 198
27-44 199
7. Identity and Morality 157
Whose history? 160
Evaluation in history 167
Notes 1-4 199
5-21 200
22-26 201
Conclusion 175
Notes 1-16 201
17-20 202
Brief Bibliography 203
Abstract Expressionism, 178 178
Acton, John [Lord] 10