Historiographical Research Theories and Methodologies

Catalog description

Advanced seminar in current methodological and historiographical debates and trends in the historical profession. Introduces students both to the ways in which the writing of history has evolved and changed over time, and to the wide variety of theories and methods that dominate approaches to historical research and writing today. Through focused readings and discussions, students learn to recognize and critically evaluate the underlying assumptions, starting questions, methodologies and theoretical models at work in some of the most important historical debates of the past few decades. Individual historiographical research projects serve as the first step toward the students' primary research for their senior theses in HIST 497 . Required of all History majors, and ordinarily taken in the fall of a student’s senior year.