10.04.04 on historical sociology

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What is Historical Sociology?

Nick Wilson—Berkeley SociologySoc 5—Evaluation of Evidence

April 13, 2010

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Roadmap

1. Introduction2. Data3. Substance4. Analysis5. Explanation6. Coda

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Roadmap

1. Introduction2. Data3. Substance4. Analysis5. Explanation6. Coda

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What is Historical Sociology?

• Simple answer:The sub-discipline of sociology that attempts to mount social-scientific analysis of the human past

• Begs the question

Why would you want to?

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Why Care?

• All of the founders of the discipline were historical sociologists– Weber– Durkheim– Marx

6Max Weber (1864-1920)

7Emile Durkheim (1858-1917)

8Karl Marx (1818-1883)

9Karl Marx (1818-1883)

10Groucho Marx (1890-1977)

11Richard Marx (b. 1963)

12Karl Marx (1818-1883)

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Why Care?

• All of the founders of the discipline were historical sociologists– Weber– Marx– Durkheim

• Conservative count: 7 of the last 12 years of the ASA Best Book award have gone to historical sociology

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Lecture Themes

1. Complexity– Instead, family resemblance

• What do things we call historical sociology share?

2. Hybridity– Science

• Gathers generalizeable knowledge about the social world

– Humanities• Uncovers the meaning of being human

3. Particularity/Generality– Particular events?

• The American Revolution as a singular event

– General patterns?• Revolutions in general, with the American Revolution as an example

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Roadmap

1. Introduction2. Data3. Substance4. Analysis5. Explanation6. Coda

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Sources

Two major families• Primary Data– Produced by the historical actors or during the

episode under study

17Magna Carta (1215 C. E.)

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East India Company Court of Director’s Patronage Ledger (19th Century, India Office Records, London)

19John Speed World Map (1626?)

20James Cape

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James Cape’s Slave Narrative, Transcribed during the Federal Writer’s Project, 1936-1938

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Sources

Two major families• Primary Data– Produced by the historical actors or during the

episode under study– Usually found in archives

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Sources

Two major families• Primary Data– Produced by the historical actors or during the episode

under study– Usually found in archives

• Secondary Data– Produced after the historical episode by scholars.– Historical monographs

• Specialized texts exploring an episode in great depth

– Usually found in libraries

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How Are Sources Used?

• Scholars read primary and secondary texts for information about the past

• Judging what the text says and doesn’t say• Construct as accurate a picture of possible of

past events

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Roadmap

1. Introduction2. Data3. Substance4. Analysis5. Explanation6. Coda

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Substance (I): Focal Object

Western Capitalist Modernity

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Substance (II): Capitalism

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Substance (III): The State

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Substance (IV): Civil Society

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Substance (V): Science and Culture

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Substance (VI): Civility and the Self

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Roadmap

1. Introduction2. Data3. Substance4. Analysis5. Explanation6. Coda

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Analysis: Time Matters!

The passage of time is analytically central 1. The past gives more data about rare events– Example: Revolutions

2. The past constrains the present– QWERTY keyboards

3. Events in the past constrain AND enable– The French revolution

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Roadmap

1. Introduction2. Data3. Substance4. Analysis5. Explanation6. Coda

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Methods of Explanation

1. Causal Narrative2. Teleology3. Experimental-Comparative4. Conjuncture

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Methods of Explanation

1. Causal Narrative2. Teleology3. Experimental-Comparative4. Conjuncture

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Causal NarrativeSecondary Cause

Secondary Cause

Primary Cause

Historical Event

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Methods of Explanation

1. Causal Narrative2. Teleology3. Experimental-Comparative4. Conjuncture

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Methods of Explanation

1. Causal Narrative2. Teleology3. Experimental-Comparative4. Conjuncture

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Method of Agreement

[Cause 1, Cause 2, Cause 3] = Positive Outcome

[Cause 2, Cause 3, Cause 4] = Positive Outcome

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Method of Agreement

[Cause 1, Cause 2, Cause 3] = Positive Outcome

[Cause 2, Cause 3, Cause 4] = Positive Outcome

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Method of Agreement

Cause 2 + Cause 3 = Outcome

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Method of Difference

[Cause A, Cause B, Cause C] = Positive Outcome

[Cause A, Cause B, Cause D] = Negative Outcome

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Method of Difference

[Cause A, Cause B, Cause C] = Positive Outcome

[Cause A, Cause B, Cause D] = Negative Outcome

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Method of Difference

Cause C = Outcome

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Methods of Explanation

1. Causal Narrative2. Teleology3. Experimental-Comparative4. Conjuncture

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Conjunctural ExplanationCause Cause

Cause

Historical EventCausal Conjuncture

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Roadmap

1. Introduction2. Data3. Substance4. Analysis5. Explanation6. Coda

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