HSR - "Historical Social Research / Historische Sozialforschung"

HSR Vol. 33 (2008) Nr. 1 - Special Issue: Discourse Analysis

Andrea D. Bührmann, Rainer Diaz-Bone, Encarnación Guitérrez Rodriguez, Gavin Kendall, Werner Schneider & Francisco J. Tirado (Eds.): Discourse Analysis in the Social Sciences

The term ‘discourse’ describes the ordered and well-regulated processes of (re)producing sets of propositions in and with which the social construction of ‘truth’ takes place in terms of implementing valid knowledge about reality. Discourses—understood as forms of practice in social fields or social spheres— aim for the (re)production of collectively shared orders of knowledge as ‘objective’ (intersubjective) realities.
Using this notion of discourse, ‘discourse analysis’ has boomed particularly in the social sciences but also in other disciplines during the last 15 years. Thus discourse analysis comprises a relatively heterogeneous and evolving scientific field mainly located within qualitative social research. It generally refers to a perspective introduced by Michel Foucault in several ways, but also extends to a wider area of approaches, directions and traditions of reception of discourse research. The collected papers in this special issue of HSR attend to methodological discussions of various research approaches as well as to research strategies and their application in the research process. This volume gives an introductory view of theoretical concepts, methodological foundations and research practices in discourse analysis.
 

We offer the new HSR to all private orderers for a special price of € 12 (delivery included; invoice enclosed). Orders and more information at: zhsf[at]gesis.org
top

HSR Vol. 32 (2007) Nr.4 - Special Issue: New Political Economy in History

Johannes Marx & Andreas Frings (Eds.): New Political Economy in History

The cultural turn has reached Political History; German scholars focusing on political history are trying to reconceptualise political history as “history of the political”. They are receptive to theories, methods and concepts from other disciplines. Still, there is a remarkable desideratum in his search for theories that may be related to historical research: Theories and methods discussed in the empirical-analytical branch of political science that is systematically concerned with political phenomena are seldom discussed and applied to historical phenomena. There are however several exceptions to this rule. Some social scientists have applied rational choice theory and considerations from new political economy to history in recent years. This issue of Historical Social Research is intended to contribute to this bridging of Political Science and History. It presents case studies applying rational choice considerations (mainly new political economy and public choice theories) to history as well as methodologically interested articles discussing chances and limits of this interdisciplinary endeavour.

We offer the new HSR to all private orderers for a special price of € 12 (delivery included; invoice enclosed). Orders and more information at: zhsf[at]gesis.org
top

HSR Vol. 32 (2007) Nr. 3 - Special Issue: Disasters

Part I: Special Issue

Gerrit Jasper Schenk & Jens Ivo Engels (Eds.): Historical Disaster Research. Concepts, Methods and Case Studies

Almost every week the media report on disasters somewhere in the world, or on disasters on a global scale, such as climate change. They discuss the frequency and gravity of disasters or unprecedented events like nuclear plant explosions and global warming. Yet while humanity has always been haunted by disasters, historical disaster research is a comparatively recent trend. This volume presents the research approach and work of the young academics’ network of the German Research Foundation “Historical disaster research with a view to comparative cultural study“ (Historische Erforschung von Katastrophen in kulturvergleichender Perspektive). The emphasis is on discussing concepts, methods and theoretical models for the specifically historical analysis of natural disasters. A number of case studies illustrate the potential of this line of research. The geographical focus is on Europe and the Mediterranean cultures, while the timescale extends from antiquity to the present. The spotlight is not just on the destructive consequences of disasters, but also on the culturally constructive follow-up. Questions are asked about the perception and interpretation of disasters in the interface between nature and culture, and on reactions to them. What makes cultures differently vulnerable to disasters and what can we learn from them? This joint research effort aims inter alia to contribute to a history of the concept (Begriffsgeschichte) of ‘disaster’ with a view to comparative cultural study in an interdisciplinary spirit.

Part II: Mixed Issue: Articles; Cliometrics; Events

We offer this HSR to all private orderers for a special price of € 12 (delivery included; invoice enclosed). Orders and more information at: zhsf[at]gesis.org
top

HSR Vol. 32 (2007) Nr.2 - Special Issue: Geburtenbeschränkung /  Family Limitation

Part I: Special Issue

Rolf Gehrmann (Ed.):  Geburtenbeschränkung in historischer Perspektive / Family Limitation in Historical Perspective

Fragen zur Geburtenbeschränkung standen schon im Zentrum der klassischen Debatten der Historischen Demographie. Die vorliegenden Beiträge werfen ein neues Licht auf diese Fragen, auf die man eigentlich keine Antworten mehr erwartete.
Geburtenbeschränkung konnte offensichtlich in Europa auf eine längere Tradition auch als innereheliche Geburtenbeschränkung zurückblicken. Das relativiert ihren revolutionären Charakter und macht zugleich den demographischen Übergang verständlicher. Der Streckung von Geburtenabständen („spacing“) kommt in diesem Zusammenhang eine neue Bedeutung zu. Hier zeigt sich die Notwendigkeit, über das Methodenarsenal der Princeton-Gruppe hinauszugehen. Auch erweist sich das mit der klassischen Transitionstheorie verbundene Schema angesichts der Fertilitätsschwankungen im „demographischen Ancien Régime“ und dem gerade vor dem „Fertility Decline“ zu beobachtenden Anstieg der Fruchtbarkeit („ski-jump“) zumindest als problematisch.
Im Übrigen erweisen sich bewährte Erklärungsansätze weiterhin als fruchtbar, wenn man sie auf überschaubare Populationen anwendet, für welche die verschiedenen Einflussfaktoren genauer bestimmt werden können: so für die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung, die soziale Lage und die kulturellen Faktoren, wobei hier insbesondere die Religionszugehörigkeit in den Vordergrund gerückt wird. Hinzu kommt eine Einbeziehung von demographischen Determinanten, die auf die Familien zurückwirken und, nicht zuletzt, die Erweiterung der Perspektive um den Gender-Aspekt.

Part II: Focus

Creating a Nationally Representative Individual and Household Sample

This publication is a direct result of an earlier scoping study undertaken for the ESRC’s Research Resources Board which investigated the potential for creating a new longitudinal database of individuals and households for the period 1851 to 1901 – the Victorian Panel Study (VPS). The basic concept of the VPS is to create a unique longitudinal database of individuals and households for Great Britain spanning the period 1851-1901. The proposed VPS project raises a number of methodological and logistical challenges, and it is these which are the focus of this publication.
The basic idea of the VPS is simple in concept. It would take as its base the individuals and households recorded in the existing ESRC-funded computerised national two per cent sample of the 1851 British census, created by Professor Michael Anderson, and trace these through subsequent registration and census information for the fifty-year period to 1901. The result would be a linked database with each census year between 1851 and 1901 in essence acting as a surrogate ‘wave’, associated with information from registration events that occurred between census years.
Although the idea of a VPS can be expressed in this short and simple fashion, designing and planning it, together with identifying and justifying the resources necessary to create it, is a complex set of tasks, and it is these which this publication seeks to address. The primary aims and objectives of the project described in this publication were essentially as follows:
- to estimate the potential user demand for a VPS and examine the uses to which it may be put;
- to test the suitability of the existing 1851 census sample as an appropriate starting point for a VPS;
- to test differing sampling and methodological issues;
- to investigate record-linkage strategies;
- to investigate the relationship between the VPS and other longitudinal data projects (both contemporary and historical); and
- to recommend a framework and strategy for creating a full VPS.

We offer this HSR to all private orderers for a special price of € 12 (delivery included; invoice enclosed). Orders and more information at: zhsf[at]gesis.org
top

HSR Vol. 32 (2007) Nr.1 - Special Issue: Sport und Diktatur / Sports and Dictatorship

Part I: Special Issue

Jutta Braun & René Wiese (Eds.): Sport und Diktatur: Zur politischen und sozialen Rolle des Sports in den deutschen Diktaturen des 20. Jahrhunderts / Sports and Dictatorship: On the Political and Social Role of Sports in the German Dictatorships of the 20th Century

Spiel, Spaß und Lebensfreude sind spontane Assoziationen, die mit dem Gegenstand Sport verbunden werden. Dementsprechend wird der Erkenntnisgewinn, den der Gesellschaftsbereich Sport als Objekt geschichtswissenschaftlicher Analyse bietet, häufig unterschätzt. Dies gilt insbesondere für die Diktaturforschung, die den Sport zuweilen gänzlich aus ihren Darstellungen ausblendet. Hingegen spielte der Sport eine prominente Rolle sowohl im Selbstverständnis als auch in der Machttechnologie moderner Diktaturen. Der organisierte Sport verdrängt bis heute weitgehend, welche politische und soziale Funktion er in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus ebenso wie im Realsozialismus der DDR einnahm. Dieser Sammelband bündelt deshalb verschiedene Forschungsergebnisse zur Verstrickung von Sport und diktatorischer Herrschaft und konturiert einige Schwerpunkte des wissenschaftlichen Ertrages.

Der vermeintlich harmlose Sport erleichterte auf verschiedenen Ebenen den beiden deutschen Diktaturen im 20. Jahrhundert, ihr innen- wie außenpolitisches Machtstreben effektiv zu forcieren. Sport als Arena internationalen Wettbewerbs bot Diktaturen nahezu kontinuierlich einen idealen Repräsentationsraum. Bemerkenswert ist, dass die Bundesrepublik den Sport der DDR sowohl zur Zeit des Kalten Krieges als auch nach seinem Ende teilweise als Organisationsvorbild betrachtete. Somit stellt sich die Frage, ob der Sport ernsthaft eine kulturelle „Eigenwelt“, die sich indifferent zu den politischen Verhältnissen verhält, für sich in Anspruch nehmen kann.

Part II: Mixed Issue

Articles; Methods; Data, New Media & Archives; Cliometrics; Events; Publications 

We offer this HSR to all private orderers for a special price of € 12 (delivery included; invoice enclosed). Orders and more information at: zhsf[at]gesis.org
top

HSR-Supplement 19 (2007)
Günter Mey & Katja Mruck (Eds.): Grounded Theory Reader

Today Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM) is one of the most prominent approaches, which reached – besides its origins in sociological research – psychology, health, management and technical sciences, and many other disciplines. The intention of the Grounded Theory Reader is to provide a collection of texts, interviews, and commentaries, allowing interested readers to rethink some of the methodological and theoretical ingredients of GTM, and helping them to get an idea of doing GTM research beyond a simple “recipe” approach. Part 1 provides some insights into concepts and theoretical perspectives that are important for GTM. Part 2 presents different experiences of doing GTM research.

It is our hope to reach a wide readership: those already familiar with GTM, who are interested in additional stimulation for the own research and reflection, as well as those who have just started doing GTM research and who are interested in some orientation within this complex and somewhat controversial methodological terrain. And it is our hope that the Grounded Theory Reader will give all readers – independent of their research experiences and academic status – an idea of the vividness and usefulness of GTM research. 

We offer this HSR to all private orderers for a special price of € 12 (delivery included; invoice enclosed). Orders and more information at: zhsf[at]gesis.org
top