Theories and methods in the study of history

Lectures: 1 session / week, 3 hours / session

This subject examines some of the many ways that contemporary historians interpret the past, as well as the multiple types of sources on which they rely for evidence. It is by no means an exhaustive survey, but the topics and readings have been chosen to give a sense of the diversity of work that is encompassed in the discipline of history.

Readings for this course include examples of agrarian history, historical demography, environmental history, microhistory, among other fields. Class discussions and topics are drawn from European, American, and Asian history.

MIT students were required to obtain permission of the instructor.

This course requires:

18th c. Political Culture and 21st c. Digital Humanities

Guest: Prof. Jeff Ravel

History and Material Evidence

Guest: Prof. William Broadhead

Transnational History

Guest: Prof. Sana Aiyar

Public History

Guest: Prof. Chris Capozzola

Environmental History

Guest: Prof. Anya Zilberstein

History of Technology and Business

Guest: Prof. JoAnne Yates

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