Crossroads Of History Research Articles

Atrakcyjność projektu metodologii praktycznej i epistemologii cnoty dla badań historyczno-gospodarczych

Ewa Domańska, Professor at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Poland) and Stanford University (USA), historian of historiography and methodologist of history, formulated interesting comments about the state of humanities and social sciences. The development of interdisciplinary research causes the interpenetration of different disciplines. Although this kind of research is promising, inspiring as well as influencing the development of science, careless research may cause some threats in the longer term. According to Domańska, the lack of qualifications and reliability in this area (especially in the area of theory and methodology) undermines the authonomy of the main disciplines and decline in the professionalism of research. This led the author to create the project, which aims to defend the independence of the threatened disciplines as well as their ‘re-professionalisation’. It can be achieved by strongly emphasizing the role of theory in science; a strong embeddement of a discipline in the theory. Domańska’s concept can be a recipe, which is a dichotomic project. Firstly, it supposes a ‘practical methodology’, which is a constructing of the theory thanks to empirical research material. Secondly, it supposes a ‘virtue epistemology’, which is the ethical aspect of the researcher’s attitude and his work. The aim of the paper is to discuss Domańska’s project and underline the originality of her concept in the context of economic and social sciences. The economic history is a specific discipline which develops at the crossroad of history and economics. It lets me put forward the thesis that Domańska’s suggestions are relevant to the research of economic history. I will show what cognitive chances are the result of the ontology of economic history. I will question what the possible threats are for the main disciplines (history and economics) as a result of the lack of professionalism in the interdisciplinary research of the economic past, and ask if Domańska’s project is attractive for the economic history research thanks to the strong setting in the ‘practical methodology’ in the theory. I also ask what the role of new theoretical approaches in that area is, and whether it is possible to formulate innovatory conceptions in the economic history. Finally, I question the role of ‘virtue epistemology’ or the ethical aspect of an economic historian’s work.

Red, Black, and Left: Communist Counterdiscourses

Red, Black, and Left:Communist Counterdiscourses Aneeka A. Henderson (bio) Mary Helen Washington’s The Other Blacklist: The African American Literary and Cultural Left of the 1950s, New York: Columbia University Press, 2014 Erik S. McDuffie’s Sojourning for Freedom: Black Women, American Communism, and the Making of Black Left Feminism, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2011 There is no better time to read Mary Helen Washington’s The Other Blacklist: The African American Literary and Cultural Left of the 1950s. As the United States decides if it will formally authorize Cold War II or if our current battle with Vladimir Putin is a mere extension of the first Cold War, and as our own domestic protest against racial violence intensifies, The Other Blacklist draws our collective attention to the twin conflicts at play on the domestic and global scene. Superbly woven together, Washington’s groundbreaking book uncovers how black writers affiliated with or sometimes loosely connected to the Communist Party (CP) were able to write about race in their work, when other writers such as Langston Hughes and Alain Locke felt pressured by McCarthyism to eschew race and emphasize more “universal” themes (39). In the introduction, Washington unravels the anti-Communist propaganda of her Catholic school education during the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, when teachers and Catholic leaders disparaged Communist politics and “hasty” black civil rights activism. Washington, professor of English at the University of Maryland, College Park, brings a wide range of CP-affiliated artists and writers to bear on her Catholic school teachers who fomented the “threat” of Communism and radical black civil rights activism ex cathedra. By staging the dissonance between her tutelage and her research, Washington unsettles an all-too-familiar story of a whitewashed Communist Party and McCarthyism. Though Washington calls her research a series of “portraits,” it also materializes as bricolage; with six chapters, an introduction, and epilogue, The Other Blacklist skillfully exhumes and analyzes the historical archive of five [End Page 72] writers and visual artists, including Lloyd L. Brown, Charles White, Alice Childress, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Frank London Brown. Readers conversant with Washington’s research know that some of these writers and artists are new terrain, while others such as Gwendolyn Brooks and Frank London Brown are more familiar fixtures in her scholarship. Nonetheless, The Other Blacklist sets out to do something different at the crossroads of history, literature, and culture. In the first chapter, “Lloyd L. Brown: Black Fire in the Cold War,” Washington puts Brown’s Iron City (1951) in conversation with Richard Wright’s Native Son (1940), challenging Native Son as a representative black proletarian novel. Visual artist Charles White is the subject of chapter 2, where Washington explains how his artistry benefited from black cultural, modernist, and realist aesthetics. Primarily known for her novel A Hero Ain’t Nothing but a Sandwich (1973) and brilliant book of short stories Like One of the Family: Conversations from a Domestic’s Life (1953), Alice Childress is the hallmark of chapter 3, where Washington examines Childress’s FBI file along with her prodigious writing. With analytical panache, The Other Blacklist insists that past emphasis on Childress’s radical politics has eclipsed her modernist experimentation, relegating her work to the annals of “social protest” and forfeiting her place within the canon. Careful not to pin Gwendolyn Brooks down as a Communist, The Other Blacklist reexamines Brooks’s work in chapter 4 with a consideration of her ties to left-wing organizations and artists. Unlike Childress’s overemphasized activism, critics attenuate intersectionality in Brooks’s work, thereby granting her a place within the canon as a consummate modernist. For those of us who teach the canon, Washington’s meditation on Brooks’s work in this chapter is indispensable. Concluding her portraiture in chapter 5, Washington paints Frank London Brown as a study in improvisation: a writer who tried to meld an assortment of political strategies together, but whose syncretic impulse also marked the end of the Black Popular Front and helped usher in black civil rights activism. Washington’s final chapter settles on the American Society of African Culture (AMSAC) conference. Financed by the CIA, the AMSAC...

From the JQ archive: Essay ‘At the Crossroads of History’ by Zygmunt Bauman

From the JQ archive: Essay ‘At the Crossroads of History’ by Zygmunt Bauman

At the crossroads: culture and cultural identity in the novels of Achebe

This article examines culture and cultural identity in the novels of the African writer Chinua Achebe (1930–). Culture may be studied from the viewpoint of Weber and Durkheim as an analysis of cultural patterns in a society or from Rosaldo's postmodernist perspective as an exploration of cultural borderlands. In Things fall apart and Arrow of God, novels set in the period before colonisation, Achebe sketches cultural patterns in social institutions to counter stereotypes of Africa. However, even as he traces these patterns, he reveals schisms in Igbo society that foreshadow change in the existing social order. Colonialism fractures the society further, accelerating change. While delineating the processes of change, Achebe outlines the complex nature of cultural identity, a result of both the intrinsic nature of Igbo society and the advent of colonialism. In the postcolonial novels, No longer at ease, A man of the people and Anthills of savannah, cultural identity becomes problematic since the margins between the centre and the periphery become indistinct and social institutions collapse. Dominant Weberian patterns now yield to Rosaldo's cultural borderlands where cultural hybrids, equally sceptical about African and western values, struggle for identity. Stationed at the crossroads of history, these characters embrace the complexities of cultural change, demonstrating the vibrancy of Igbo society as they adapt to move on.

Crossroads of History: Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon

Crossroads of History: Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon

Exorcising of a Cage: A Review of American Zoo Exhibits, Part III

Enlargement of captive space has become a trend in zoos, frequently designed with geographic and mixed species themes. Geographic exhibits, however, often mislead the public; in mixed species exhibits, welfare of individual animals and their breeding potentials in some species are ignored. Another popular “natural” open and outdoor exhibit system commonly runs contrary to nature and the requirements of the inhabitants. In all this, the quality of space is forgotten. Zoos need to reevaluate the advantages of cages as well as animal housing in buildings, to ensure management of diverse species in a larger number of taxonomic groups. As zoos reach a crossroad in history, renewed significance of wildlife conservation must be realized in exhibit design consideration. The importance of cohesive and proper exhibit design processes cannot be over-emphasized.

Crossroads of History: Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon

Crossroads of History: Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon

APRENDIZAGEM SIGNIFICATIVA CRÍTICA E ENSINO DE HISTÓRIA: algumas reflexões a partir do Labhum.

Under a theoretical-methodological approach, which emphasizes the connectivity between teaching and research at the crossroads of History and Education discourses, the Laboratory of Humanities of Colegio Pedro II in Niteroi is the subject of this study. It draws up an analysis of interdisciplinary didactic and pedagogical innovations toward the meaningful learning process according to Marco Antonio Moreira (2000), which focused the criticism of students regarding the basic education. Besides that, the importance of sounds and images registers as the sources and objects of History Teaching is highlighted.

The Selected Poetry and Prose of Andrea Zanzotto: A Bilingual Edition

Italian literature is usually neglected by ecocriticism. This lack of attention is only partly explained by the fact that Italian ecocritical studies are few and recent. The main reason might be that Italian literature entails ecocritical questions of its own, in which the environment is present more as a crossroads of history, society, and culture than as a focus for nature writing. Italian literature thus appears to be the environmentally sensitive scholar as an unexploited resource. Patrick Barron is perfectly aware of this opportunity. His collection of Andrea Zanzotto's poetry and prose follows in the footsteps of Italian Environmental Literature, a useful anthology of Italian environmental literature that he co-edited in 2003 with Anna Re. Some poems by Zanzotto were already included in this earlier book. Born in 1921, Zanzotto is considered Italy's most influential living poet. His writing deals with many subjects, from linguistics and landscape to political historiography and the natural sciences. His life and work resonate within a complex socio-political and cultural moment of Italian history. As Barron notes in his introduction, Zanzotto “straddles generations and historical geographical realities—specifically the shift from a pre-war, largely agrarian, and dialectal Italy to the current highly industrialized and urbanized one” (2). In this shift, Zanzotto molds his artistic personality by shaping his own “tradition”—one consisting of earlier and recent poetry (from Dante and Petrarch to Vittorio Sereni and Pier Paolo Pasolini, passing through Hölderlin, Rilke, and García Lorca), as well as theoretical stances taken from postmodernism, existentialism, and psychoanalysis (Barthes, Heidegger, Lacan, Freud). Most of all, Zanzotto builds the bridge between language and landscape that has characterized his work since his first book, Dietro il paesaggio (Behind the Landscape), was published in 1951.

Logics of History: Social Theory and Social Transformation

While social scientists and historians have been exchanging ideas for a long time, they have never developed a proper dialogue about social theory. William H. Sewell Jr. observes that on questions of theory the communication has been mostly one way: from social science to history. Logics of History argues that both history and the social sciences have something crucial to offer each other. While historians do not think of themeselves as theorists, they know something social scientists do not: how to think about the temporalities of social life. On the other hand, while social scientists' treatments of temporality are usually clumsy, their theoretical sophistication and penchant for structural accounts of social life could offer much to historians. Renowned for his work at the crossroads of history, sociology, political science, and anthropology, Sewell argues that only by combining a more sophisticated understanding of historical time with a concern for larger theoretical questions can a satisfying social theory emerge. In Logics of History, he reveals the shape such an engagement could take, some of the topics it could illuminate, and how it might affect both sides of the disciplinary divide.

ON THE HISTORY OF INTERPRETING IN CHINA

This is a brief outline of the history of interpreting in China. It describes and analyses the status, roles, and identities of interpreters in the diplomatic history of China up to the early 20th century. The article aims to give a general introduction of the subject and to highlight points of interest for further enquiry, in a Chinese as well as other national contexts in which conditions may be different. Interpreting is far more intangible than translation, which can always refer to written records. Its history is therefore obscure. This is ironic: at important cross-roads in history, internationally and cross-culturally, there have always been interpreters. They have usually been anonymous, but their presence is sometimes mentioned in the records of a given nation and they have participated in making and, at the same time, have been witnesses to history. Since the earliest Chinese records, when junior interpreters had the title of ‘Tongue Men’, the status and acknowledgement of interpreters have developed tremendously. Some of the earliest historical records of meetings between Chinese and foreigners are dialogues, which, under scrutiny, suggests not only that interpreters were present for diplomatic exchanges, but also that they might have been used for recording history.

The Eagle and the Rising Sun: the Japanese-American war, 1941-1943, Pearl Harbor through Guadalcanal

Alan Schom's histories and biographies have been celebrated for their iconoclastic approach and a dramatic focus on extraordinary personalities meeting at the crossroads of history. In this magisterial history of World War II in the Pacific, he shows how the conflict was in neither the United States's nor Japan's best interest. On one hand, the American government and people were as inadequately prepared for war as any major power has ever been; on the other hand, Schom's close reading of Japanese military and political documents reveal that their supreme command knew they could not possibly win. From time to time, we are privileged to be given extraordinary insights into the history of our age. Alan has given us a tapestry, into which he has woven figures of immense proportions, yet he has not lost sight of their humanity. He writes...in the grand tradition of Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August.-Thomas F. Marfiak, CEO and publisher, U.S. Naval Institute; Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, Ret. Schom is a master of narrative technique.-Booklist

Independent Belarus: Domestic Determinants, Regional Dynamics, and Implications for the West ed. by Margarita M. Balmaceda, James I. Clem, Lisbeth L. Tarlow (review)

Independent Belarus: Domestic Determinants, Regional Dynamics, and Implications for the West ed. by Margarita M. Balmaceda, James I. Clem, Lisbeth L. Tarlow (review)

From Atomic Fragments to Memories of the Trinity Bomb: A Bridge of Oral History over the Pacific

This paper first introduces the background of the making of Memories of the Trinity Bomb, a Japanese documentary film based on the book Atomic Fragments: A Daughter's Questions, authored by Mary Palevsky. Yoshihiko Muraki, an independent filmmaker, revealed his unique approach in filming the spiritual journey of Mary, a daughter of the Manhattan Project scientists, in her search of the true meaning of the atomic bomb. While the documentary primarily focused on the narratives of Mary Palevsky and several Project scientists, this paper introduces Japanese perspectives on the film through interviews with Japanese viewers varying both in generation and background. Through this endeavor, the paper explores the meaning of this trans-media as well as transnational collaboration on the topic of the atomic bomb, which remains at the crossroads of history and personal memories.

Writing New H(er)stories for Francophone Women of Africa and the Caribbean

ethic of the female culture ^^^^^p£iennium, the Wrk of contemporary has been one of the most francophone women authors must be consideffective psychological blocks ered as situated at the crossroads of historY and philosophy. On the historical level, womto women's open r rebellion , .L. . K, . JlU r ,, r ens , writing .L. in . Africa K, . and JlU the Caribbean r ,, was and demand for selfrarely referenced for the first half of the past determination. It has century. Women have usually had their , , , r histories written for them by J men, interjectJ also , been , a major tool , of r J J ing rarely to alter masculine depictions, male manipulation Both colonial and even/ to some extent/ post. of females. colonial historical perspectives have left Phyllis Chesler women in the lurch, with little voice and Women and Madness presence on the page.1 Philosophically, literary movements such as Nigritude,2 while promoting the revitalization (and, as some would say, the reinvention) of African thought, have left women out of the literary loop, circumscribing their selfhood within the larger, what V. Y. Mudimbe calls, African gnosis.3 How do African and Caribbean

Ethnicity, Markets, and Migration in the Andes: At the Crossroads of History and Anthropology. Edited by Brooke Larson and Olivia Harris with Enrique Tandeter (Durham and London: Duke University Press, 1995. viii plus 428pp.)

Ethnicity, Markets, and Migration in the Andes: At the Crossroads of History and Anthropology. Edited by Brooke Larson and Olivia Harris with Enrique Tandeter (Durham and London: Duke University Press, 1995. viii plus 428pp.)

Ethnicity, Markets, and Migration in the Andes: At the Crossroads of History and Anthropology

Ethnicity, Markets, and Migration in the Andes: At the Crossroads of History and Anthropology. BROOKE LARSON and OLIVIA HARRIS with ENRIQUE TANDETER, eds. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1995 x + 428 pp., tables, glossary, references, contributors, index.

Translation at the crossroads of history: Interview with Ana Blandiana in South Africa

Translation at the crossroads of history: Interview with Ana Blandiana in South Africa

Ethnicity, Markets, and Migration in the Andes: At the Crossroads of History and Anthropology

Ethnicity, Markets, and Migration in the Andes: At the Crossroads of History and Anthropology

Ethnicity, Markets, and Migration in the Andes: At the Crossroads of History and Anthropology.

Ethnicity, Markets, and Migration in the Andes: At the Crossroads of History and Anthropology.