History vs Historiography

Summary

This educational video script delves into the nuanced differences between history and historiography. It clarifies that history is not merely the past or a collection of facts, but a complex, evolving discourse shaped by historians' interpretations and evidence. Historiography, on the other hand, is a meta-analysis, examining the methods and evolution of historical study itself. The script emphasizes the importance of understanding historiography to transition from passive consumers to active producers of historical knowledge.

Takeaways

• 🎭 The script discusses a scene from the movie 'White Christmas', highlighting the difference between dance and choreography as a metaphor for the differences between history and historiography.
• 📚 The lecturer introduces the topic of historiography by comparing it to choreography, suggesting that historiography is a more complex and intellectual approach to history.
• 🤔 The script challenges the simplistic view of history as just 'what happened', emphasizing that history is an interpretation and argument made by historians based on evidence.
• 🧩 History is described as not being the past itself, but the work of historians who interpret and argue about the past, making it a dynamic and complex field.
• 🔍 Historians are portrayed as 'present-minded workers' who produce history within a certain cultural, epistemological, methodological, ideological, and practical context.
• 📈 The script explains that history is empirical, meaning it is rooted in evidence and makes claims about what actually happened, distinguishing it from fictional stories.
• 🌟 History is presented as having multiple perspectives, with no single definitive version, which is why it is referred to as a 'shifting, problematic discourse'.
• 🕵️‍♂️ The study of history is about understanding the past in its historical context, focusing on the contingent nature of events and their causes.
• 📖 Historiography is defined as a meta-analysis of history, which can include the history of the historical discipline itself or the historical writing on a particular topic.
• 🔑 Understanding historiography is crucial for moving from being a consumer of history to a producer, as it involves assessing previous historical scholarship and contributing new insights.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the dance number 'Choreography' in the movie 'White Christmas'?

The dance number 'Choreography' in 'White Christmas' is a commentary on how actors in theater have moved from traditional dance to more complex and intellectual forms of movement, which are referred to as choreography.

What is the difference between history and historiography according to the script?

History is the work of historians, involving argument and interpretation based on evidence about the past. Historiography, on the other hand, is a meta-analysis of history, which includes the history of the historical discipline itself and the historical writing on specific topics.

Why is it important to distinguish between history and historiography?

Distinguishing between history and historiography is important because it helps to understand the evolution of historical thought and the various approaches to studying the past. It also allows historians to avoid repeating the same narratives and to find new ways to describe and explain history.

What does Keith Jenkins define history as in the script?

Keith Jenkins defines history as a shifting, problematic discourse about the past, produced by present-minded workers, which is subject to various uses and abuses that correspond to power bases and distribute the meanings of histories.

What are the three main aspects that differentiate history from mere facts or stories about the past?

History is differentiated from mere facts or stories about the past by being the work of historians involving argument and interpretation, being an empirical discipline based on the interpretation of evidence, and being complex and continuous with many different perspectives.

How does the script describe the nature of history as a discipline?

The script describes history as a complex and continuous discipline, with no single definitive version. It is a collection of arguments and interpretations that change over time and is fundamentally rooted in evidence.

What is the purpose of studying historiography in the context of the script?

The purpose of studying historiography is to understand the ways historians have investigated the past, both in terms of the development of the historical discipline and the specific historical writing on various topics.

Why does the script suggest that historians make terrible fortune tellers?

The script suggests that historians make terrible fortune tellers because they respect the past as different from the present and the future, and they focus on understanding the past in its historical context rather than predicting the future.

What is the role of historiography in the process of writing history, as per the script?

Historiography plays a crucial role in the process of writing history by providing an assessment of what has been written about a topic before, allowing historians to build upon previous scholarship and find new ways to describe and explain the past.

How does understanding historiography help students and researchers, according to the script?

Understanding historiography helps students and researchers move from being consumers of history to producers of history by providing them with knowledge of previous historical scholarship and different approaches to studying the past.