10.04.04 On Historical Sociology

What is Historical Sociology? : 

What is Historical Sociology? Nick Wilson—Berkeley Sociology Soc 5—Evaluation of Evidence April 13, 2010 1

Roadmap : 

Roadmap Introduction Data Substance Analysis Explanation Coda 2

Roadmap : 

Roadmap Introduction Data Substance Analysis Explanation Coda 3

What is Historical Sociology? : 

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

Why Care? : 

Why Care? All of the founders of the discipline were historical sociologists Weber Durkheim Marx 5

Max Weber (1864-1920) : 

Max Weber (1864-1920) 6

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) : 

Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) 7

Karl Marx (1818-1883) : 

Karl Marx (1818-1883) 8

Karl Marx (1818-1883) : 

Karl Marx (1818-1883) 9

Groucho Marx (1890-1977) : 

Groucho Marx (1890-1977) 10

Richard Marx (b. 1963) : 

Richard Marx (b. 1963) 11

Karl Marx (1818-1883) : 

Karl Marx (1818-1883) 12

Why Care? : 

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

Lecture Themes : 

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

Roadmap : 

Roadmap Introduction Data Substance Analysis Explanation Coda 15

Sources : 

Sources Two major families Primary Data Produced by the historical actors or during the episode under study 16

Magna Carta (1215 C. E.) : 

Magna Carta (1215 C. E.) 17

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

East India Company Court of Director’s Patronage Ledger (19th Century, India Office Records, London) 18

John Speed World Map (1626?) : 

John Speed World Map (1626?) 19

James Cape : 

James Cape 20

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

James Cape’s Slave Narrative, Transcribed during the Federal Writer’s Project, 1936-1938 21

Sources : 

Sources Two major families Primary Data Produced by the historical actors or during the episode under study Usually found in archives 22

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Sources : 

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

How Are Sources Used? : 

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

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Roadmap : 

Roadmap Introduction Data Substance Analysis Explanation Coda 27

Substance (I): Focal Object : 

Substance (I): Focal Object Western Capitalist Modernity 28

Substance (II): Capitalism : 

Substance (II): Capitalism 29

Substance (III): The State : 

Substance (III): The State 30

Substance (IV): Civil Society : 

Substance (IV): Civil Society 31

Substance (V): Science and Culture : 

Substance (V): Science and Culture 32

Substance (VI): Civility and the Self : 

Substance (VI): Civility and the Self 33

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Roadmap : 

Roadmap Introduction Data Substance Analysis Explanation Coda 35

Analysis: Time Matters! : 

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

Roadmap : 

Roadmap Introduction Data Substance Analysis Explanation Coda 37

Methods of Explanation : 

Methods of Explanation Causal Narrative Teleology Experimental-Comparative Conjuncture 38

Methods of Explanation : 

Methods of Explanation Causal Narrative Teleology Experimental-Comparative Conjuncture 39

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Causal Narrative Secondary Cause Secondary Cause Primary Cause Historical Event 40

Methods of Explanation : 

Methods of Explanation Causal Narrative Teleology Experimental-Comparative Conjuncture 41

Methods of Explanation : 

Methods of Explanation Causal Narrative Teleology Experimental-Comparative Conjuncture 42

Method of Agreement : 

Method of Agreement [Cause 1, Cause 2, Cause 3] = Positive Outcome [Cause 2, Cause 3, Cause 4] = Positive Outcome 43

Method of Agreement : 

Method of Agreement [Cause 1, Cause 2, Cause 3] = Positive Outcome [Cause 2, Cause 3, Cause 4] = Positive Outcome 44

Method of Agreement : 

Method of Agreement Cause 2 + Cause 3 = Outcome 45

Method of Difference : 

Method of Difference [Cause A, Cause B, Cause C] = Positive Outcome [Cause A, Cause B, Cause D] = Negative Outcome 46

Method of Difference : 

Method of Difference [Cause A, Cause B, Cause C] = Positive Outcome [Cause A, Cause B, Cause D] = Negative Outcome 47

Method of Difference : 

Method of Difference Cause C = Outcome 48

Methods of Explanation : 

Methods of Explanation Causal Narrative Teleology Experimental-Comparative Conjuncture 49

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Conjunctural Explanation Cause Cause Cause Historical Event Causal Conjuncture 50

Roadmap : 

Roadmap Introduction Data Substance Analysis Explanation Coda 51

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