Historical Method: Introduction, Definitions and Need for Historical Methods in Sociological Study
Get unlimited access to the best preparation resource for competitive exams : get questions, notes, tests, video lectures and more- for all subjects of your exam.
Introduction
- Origin – Historical Sociology
- Can be traced in writings of Marx and Weber
- ‘All history is a history of class struggle’
- Qualitative method from Quantitative or Scientific temperament
- Interdisciplinary like study of cultural history
- Study of events and institutions of past civilizations to find the origin of contemporary society
Definitions
- If sociology is defined as the study of human society, with an emphasis on generalizations about its structure and development then , Burke would say, history is defined as the study of human societies … placing the emphasis on the differences between them -Burke
- G. E. Howard regard history to be past Sociology, and Sociology present History.
Need for Historical Methods in Sociological Study
- To understand the role of past events in the society՚s structure today
- Changeability of entities and ideas with time and context
- Time and space-based change in society
- To find roots of our present forms of life
- Clearer picture of the subject
Sources
- Primary: Images, songs, recordings, published or unpublished writings
- Secondary: Journal articles, Government documents, autobiographies, and memoirs, etc.
Use of archives:
- Archives are repositories, places where relevant materials are deposited and stored.
- Material stored as holdings in form of records, books, private collections, microfilms, etc.
Narrow Scope
- No evidence if literature and texts can be trusted
- They are mostly in the form of life stories
- Lack of objectivity and scientific investigation
- Not capable of addressing all problems of society today
- Relies on interpretation
Conclusion
- Examining changes in society over time
- Use of sources from the past to re-construct an event or happening in contemporary society
MCQ
Q.1. Assertion: When using the historical method, language knowledge is even more important.
Reason: Historical method often means also being able to work comfortably with multiple languages other than English since often ‘primary sources’ are available in local languages and not English.
1. A is false, and R is the wrong explanation of A
2. A is correct, and R is the correct explanation of A
3. A is false, but R is true
4. R is false, but A is true
Ans: 2
Q.2. Consider the following statements:
a) Archives maintain records while libraries are repositories for books and journals.
b) Archives do not necessarily subscribe to journals or retain books.
A. a is true
B. b is true
C. Both are false
D. Both are true
Ans: D
#Methodology
#QuantitativeMethods
#HistoricalMethod (New2019)
#UGC-NET
✍ Manishika