1. Spotting the Differences: Understanding Historical Approaches
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2. What is a Historical Approach?
An organizing framework that shapes the questions you ask, the sources you read, and the “glasses” you use to interpret that material

3. What is a Historical Approach?
An organizing framework that shapes the questions you ask, the sources you read, and the “glasses” you use to interpret that material
A set of principles or assumptions you use to analyze a body of evidence

4. What is a Historical Approach?
An organizing framework that shapes the questions you ask, the sources you read, and the “glasses” you use to interpret that material
A set of principles or assumptions you use to analyze a body of evidence
A widely-embraced pattern of thought

5. What is a Historical Approach?
An organizing framework that shapes the questions you ask, the sources you read, and the “glasses” you use to interpret that material
A set of principles or assumptions you use to analyze a body of evidence
A widely-embraced pattern of thought
The way that you (the viewer) make sense of your subject (the viewed)  (a postmodern definition)

6. Example: Gender History
This includes the study of how men and women define their roles in society and how they construct gender roles

7. Example: Gender History
This includes the study of how men and women define their roles in society and how they construct gender roles
Questions often revolve around definitions of masculinity and femininity

8. Example: Gender History
This includes the study of how men and women define their roles in society and how they construct gender roles
Questions often revolve around definitions of masculinity and femininity
Usually relies on a “bottom up” perspective

9. Example: Gender History
This includes the study of how men and women define their roles in society and how they construct gender roles
Questions often revolve around definitions of masculinity and femininity
Usually relies on a “bottom up” perspective
Gender is “a socially constructed series of behaviors that code one as male or female, but that vary across time and space in such a way as to reveal their constructed nature” (Downs, Writing Gender History, 3)
Quotation is from Laura Lee Downs’ book, Writing Gender History.

10. Why Do These Approaches Matter?
Many different approaches, when considered together, bring us closer to the “truth”  Creates DIVERSITY

11. Why Do These Approaches Matter?
Many different approaches, when considered together, bring us closer to the “truth”  Creates DIVERSITY
Help shape the questions you believe the documents can answer

12. Why Do These Approaches Matter?
Many different approaches, when considered together, bring us closer to the “truth”  Creates DIVERSITY
Help shape the questions you believe the documents can answer
Help you make sense of a myriad of documents

13. Why Do These Approaches Matter?
Many different approaches, when considered together, bring us closer to the “truth”  Creates DIVERSITY
Help shape the questions you believe the documents can answer
Help you make sense of a myriad of documents
Help historians understand where other historians are coming from and, consequently, the strengths and limitations of the analysis