How do historians apply different methods of analysis?

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

HIS 530

Topic 2: Historical Eras Matrix

Directions: Use the matrix below to familiarize yourself with the different historical schools of thought. Research various aspects of each school of thought as listed in the columns. Provide brief responses for each section to gain a basic understanding of each.

School of Thought	Definition	Major/Key Thinker/Theorists/Scholars	Strengths and Weaknesses	Example of Method(Book, Article, etc.)
Modernism
Post-Modernism
Marxism
Classical
Social History

Directions: After completing the matrix above, use the data you collected to thoughtfully respond to the questions below. Your responses should be a minimum of 300 words per question.

1. How do historians apply different methods of analysis? Provide an example that shows how an historian used a particular method, to defend your claims.

2. Which methods do you or would you employ in your historical analysis?

3. Select an historical event and three methods, how would these methods analyze your selected event?

4. Does the method use change the final analysis of a historical event?

Sample Solution

1. Historians apply different methods of analysis to gain a deeper understanding of the past and to approach history from different perspectives. One example of a method is social history, which focuses on the experiences of everyday people and the impact of broader social, economic, and political forces on their lives. An historian who employs this method might examine the lived experiences of working-class people during the Industrial Revolution. They might look at primary sources such as diaries, letters, or photographs, and analyze how changes in the economy and technological innovations affected the daily lives of these individuals.
2. In historical analysis, it depends on the historian’s research question and the sources they have available. If they are interested in understanding the experiences of everyday people, they might employ social history methods. If they want to examine the impact of power structures and systemic inequalities, they might use Marxist analysis. If they are interested in exploring the impact of cultural and intellectual movements, they might employ postmodernist or modernist methods.
3. For example, if the event selected is the American Civil War, the three methods used could be Marxist analysis, social history, and classical history. Marxist analysis would examine the conflict as a struggle between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, with a focus on the economic motivations behind the war. Social history …Order a customized and more comprehensive answer here