Assignment task:
In this discussion we will be considering a few elements of creating history that scholars grapple with - think of them as addition things within the "toolbox" of historical methods - the rules and guidelines that all historians follow when creating their historical works. You will want to use two of the assigned readings this week in your initial posts to the questions below: "Cause and Effect" and "Long 19th Century? Long 20th Century? Retooling that Last Chunk of World History Periodization" (Stearns)
1. What is the principle of cause and effect (as understood by historians - not the scientific definition), and why is it a fundamental feature of creating history?
2. So far, we have looked at the following interpretive approaches: Marxism (class-based history), the Annales School (Social History) and Quantitative History (History with Numbers). How do each of these approaches view cause and effect? Or in other words, what do they view as the core causes of historical change?
3. Another issue in organizing history is the principle of periodization, which Peter Stearns discusses in his article this week. Why do you think historians aim to create specific historical periods (or eras), and what are some of the pros and cons in this endeavor? Stearns talks about the specific challenges within the context of world history, so you should organize your initial post around this.