Topic2 Diving into Historiography Event Vs Narrative
Summary
TLDRIn this lecture, Dr. Vicki Kis delves into the dual nature of history as both factual events and narrative storytelling, highlighting the complexities of historiography. She emphasizes the importance of understanding historical events from multiple perspectives to avoid bias and the significance of causation in creating coherent historical explanations. The discussion on global and Filipino experiences, including Martial Law and World War II, illustrates the need to balance determinism and chance for a comprehensive historical understanding.
Takeaways
- đ History can be approached as both an event and a narrative, with the former focusing on factual occurrences and the latter on storytelling.
- đ The global Asian and Filipino experiences are used to illustrate the complexity of history and the importance of considering multiple perspectives.
- đ The recording of factual events in history is essential but can be criticized for potentially leading to a biased understanding if done without context.
- đ Narrative storytelling in history helps to appreciate the deeper understanding and context that can be lost in a purely factual recounting.
- đ€ Selection bias is a significant challenge in documenting history as events, where historians may choose facts that align with their own inclinations.
- âł Time is needed to properly understand contemporary events before they can be accurately recorded as history, as interpretations can evolve with new data.
- đ Causation is a crucial concept in historiography, helping to create a coherent explanation of the past by identifying and analyzing the causes of events.
- đ Determinism and chance both play critical roles in shaping history, with determinism highlighting the influence of preceding causes and chance introducing unpredictability.
- đ The Treaty of Versailles, the rise of fascism, and the Great Depression are recognized as causes of World War II, showing the interconnectedness of events.
- đ”đ In the Philippines, understanding events like martial law has been shaped by time and varying perspectives, emphasizing the evolving nature of historical interpretation.
- đł A full understanding of history requires considering both determinism and chance, as well as combining factual events with narrative storytelling for a richer perspective.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the lecture given by Dr. Vicki Kis?
-The lecture focuses on exploring the perspectives of history as both an event and a narrative, with a specific emphasis on the global Asian and Filipino experiences.
What are the two fundamental ways to approach history mentioned in the script?
-The two fundamental ways to approach history are the recording of factual events and the crafting of narrative storytelling.
How does the perception of the Treaty of Versailles by different nations exemplify the narrative aspect of history?
-The perception of the Treaty of Versailles by different nations exemplifies the narrative aspect of history because it shows how varying interpretations of a single event can lead to different narratives.
What criticisms does the script raise about learning history solely from a nationalistic perspective?
-The script criticizes the nationalistic perspective for potentially omitting crucial opposing viewpoints, which can lead to a biased understanding of history.
What is the challenge of selection bias when historians document history as events?
-Selection bias challenges historians to avoid choosing facts that align with their own inclinations, such as emphasizing only the positive aspects of a country's history.
Why is it important for historians to consider both determinism and chance when analyzing history?
-Considering both determinism and chance is important because it allows historians to account for both the predictable influences of preceding causes and the impact of unpredictable factors on historical events.
How does the script describe the process of understanding causation in history?
-The script describes understanding causation in history as a process where historians assign causes to events to create a coherent explanation of the past, often starting by identifying multiple causes before determining the ultimate cause.
What is an example of a historical event that has required time to be properly understood before being recorded as history?
-The interpretation of the 2008 financial crisis is an example of an event that has evolved as new data became available, requiring time to be properly understood.
How has the understanding of historical events like Martial Law in the Philippines been shaped over time?
-The understanding of historical events like Martial Law in the Philippines has been shaped by time and varying perspectives, reflecting the evolving nature of historical interpretation.
What does the script suggest as a method to gain a fuller picture of historical events?
-The script suggests that a fuller picture of historical events can be gained by integrating both factual events and narrative storytelling, such as analyzing personal stories alongside a record of events.
What does the script imply about the enriching nature of studying history?
-The script implies that studying history is most enriching when both perspectivesâfactual events and narrative storytellingâare combined, allowing for a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in our past.
Outlines
đ Perspectives on History: Event vs. Narrative
Dr. Vicki Kis, a professor in historiography, introduces the concept of history from two fundamental perspectives: as a factual event and as a narrative. The lecture will explore the global Asian context, with a focus on Filipino experiences, to understand how the recording of factual events and the crafting of narrative storytelling can shape our understanding of history. The Treaty of Versailles serves as an example to illustrate how different nations' perceptions form narratives. The lecture also addresses the criticisms of a purely factual approach to history, which can lead to a biased understanding if done solely from a nationalistic perspective.
đ The Challenges of Documenting History
This section delves into the challenges of documenting history as events, highlighting the issue of selection bias where historians may choose facts that align with their own inclinations. It discusses the importance of time in understanding contemporary events, using the 2008 financial crisis as an example of how interpretations evolve with new data. The concept of causation in history is introduced, emphasizing the role of historians in assigning causes to create coherent explanations of the past, such as the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the causes of World War II.
đ Global Impact and Historical Causation
The script examines the global impact of historical events, such as the Treaty of Versailles, the rise of fascism, and the Great Depression, as causes of World War II. It explains how historians identify multiple causes for an event before determining the ultimate cause, using the execution of Gorza in the Philippine Revolution and the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand in World War I as examples. The importance of understanding both determinism and chance in historiography is also discussed, with Spanish colonization's influence on Filipino culture and the unpredictable impact of Typhoon Haiyan as examples.
đ Integrating Factual Events and Narrative Storytelling
Concluding the lecture, Dr. Kis emphasizes the importance of combining factual events and narrative storytelling for a richer understanding of history. The analysis of Martial Law in the Philippines is used to illustrate the need for both a record of events and an exploration of personal stories that bring these events to life. The integration of these approaches is advocated for a fuller picture of historical events, from global conflicts to local revolutions, and the lecture ends with a hope that the discussion has deepened the audience's appreciation of the complexities involved in understanding our past.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄHistoriography
đĄFactual Events
đĄNarrative Storytelling
đĄBias
đĄCausation
đĄDeterminism
đĄChance
đĄNationalistic Perspective
đĄMartial Law
đĄGlobal Conflicts
đĄLocal Revolutions
Highlights
Introduction to historiography and its focus on global Asian and Filipino experiences.
Exploration of history as both an event and a narrative.
Understanding the recording of factual events versus the crafting of narrative storytelling.
The dual perspective of history and its appreciation of complexity.
Criticisms of history taught solely from a nationalistic perspective leading to bias.
Challenges of selection bias when documenting history as events.
The importance of time in understanding and interpreting contemporary events.
The evolution of interpretation of events like the 2008 financial crisis.
Causation as a crucial concept in understanding history.
Assigning causes to events to create a coherent explanation of the past.
The layered understanding of history involving determinism and chance.
The impact of unpredictable factors like Typhoon Hyan on history.
The study of history enriched by combining factual events and narrative storytelling.
Analyzing the history of Martial Law in the Philippines as an example.
The need for a record of events and exploration of personal stories in historiography.
Gaining a fuller picture of historical events by integrating different approaches.
Conclusion emphasizing the complexities involved in understanding our past.
Transcripts
hello I'm Dr Vicki kis a professor
specializing in historiography today we
will explore the intricate perspectives
of history as an event versus history as
a narrative with a focus on global Asian
and specifically Filipino experiences
we'll start by understanding two
fundamental ways to approach history the
recording of factual events and the
crafting of narrative storytelling
consider the signing of the Treaty of
a factual event and how different
nations perceived its implications which
forms the narrative aspect this dual
perspective helps us appreciate the
complexity of history history as an
event focuses on the meticulous
recording of factual occurrences for
example the chronological listing of
World War II events however this method
isn't without its criticisms often wrote
learning of dates and facts can strip
away the deeper understanding and
context for instance history taught
solely from a nationalistic perspective
can omit crucial opposing viewpoints
leading to a biased understanding when
documenting history as events selection
bias becomes a significant challenge
historians may choose facts that align
with their own inclinations such as
emphasizing only the positive aspects of
a country's history additionally
contemporary events require time to be
properly understood before being
recorded as history the interpretation
of the 2008 financial crisis for example
has evolved as new data became available
in the Philippines understanding
historical events like martial law has
been shaped by time and varying
perspectives causation is a crucial
Concept in understanding history
historians assign causes to events to
create a coherent explanation of the
past
take the causes of the Philippine
Revolution against Spain taxation Force
labor and lack of representation all
played roles globally the Treaty of
Versailles the rise of fascism and the
Great Depression are recognized as
causes of World War II understanding
these causes allows us to connect the
dots between events historians often
start by identifying multiple causes for
an event before determining the ultimate
cause for example the execution of gorza
is seen as a catalyst for the Philippine
Revolution similarly the assassination
of arch Duke France Ferdinand is often
viewed as the immediate cause of World
War I though long-term factors like
nationalism and militarism played
crucial roles this layered understanding
is vital in historiography in analyzing
history determinism and chance both play
critical roles determinism suggests that
that events are shaped by preceding
causes like how Spanish colonization
influenced Filipino culture however
chance also has a role unpredictable
factors like typhoon hyan have
significantly impacted the Philippines a
full understanding of History requires
considering both these elements to
conclude the study of history is most
enriching when we combine both
perspectives factual events and
narrative storytelling for example
analyzing the history of Martial law in
the Philippines requires not just a
record of events but also an exploration
of the personal stories that bring these
events to Life by integrating these
approaches we gain a fuller picture of
historical events from Global conflicts
to local revolutions thank you for
joining me in this exploration of
history as both an event and a narrative
I hope this discussion has given you a
deeper appre appreciation of the
complexities involved in understanding
our past
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