4. 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? 4
5. Why Care? All of the founders of the discipline were historical sociologists Weber Durkheim Marx 5
13. 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 13
14. Lecture Themes Complexity Instead, family resemblance What do things we call historical sociology share? Hybridity Science Gathers generalizeable knowledge about the social world Humanities Uncovers the meaning of being human Particularity/Generality Particular events? The American Revolution as a singular event General patterns? Revolutions in general, with the American Revolution as an example 14
24. 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 24
25. 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 25
36. Analysis: Time Matters! The passage of time is analytically central The past gives more data about rare events Example: Revolutions The past constrains the present QWERTY keyboards Events in the past constrain AND enable The French revolution 36