Between History and Reality: Understanding and Theoretical Development of the Social Function of Historiography since the 21st Century of New China

Abstract

In the 70 years of the founding of New China, the research on the social function of historiography is not only characterized by stage development, but also has continuity and inheritance.In the 17 years after the founding of New China, historians attached importance to the study of the political function of historiography because of its special background of the times; in the 1980s, in order to adapt to socialist modernization, historians attached importance to the study of the educational function of historiography patriotism and the reference function of serving economic construction; in the 1990s, the study of the social function of historiography attached importance to the unity of the academic function of historiography and the social function of historiography; in the 21 century, with the development of the media, under the new era conditions, emphasis was placed on the study and discussion of the social function of historiography in accordance with the characteristics of the times, more comprehensive and in-depth. In general, the theoretical and methodological construction of the social function of historiography still needs to strengthen the interaction between historiography and reality, and the construction of theory and methodology still needs to be strengthened.