We explain what historical context is, what its different types are and how to analyze it.
What is the historical context?
The historical context It is a concept that is used in the social sciences to define the set of circumstances and situations in which an object of study is found. It is a notion that aims to understand what features of society, politics and economics affect or influence the object, work or event that is being studied.
The analysis of the historical context is important because it modifies our understanding of the object of study. It allows us to better understand its reason for being, its importance and its relationship with its environment. Failure to identify the historical context can lead to an erroneous analysis.
For example, to analyze the historical context of a literary work, the identity of the author must be recovered, in what period he lived and wrote, his place of origin, what his society was like, what his economic position was or what features of the historical environment are incorporated into the text. If these elements are not taken into account, there may be errors in the interpretation of the meaning of the words, allusions or actions described in the text.
See also: History
Types of historical context
In many cases, the social sciences analyze specific characteristics of the historical context of a work, object, or event. For this, the political context, the economic context, the social context and the cultural context of a society are usually differentiated.
- Political context. It refers to the analysis of the government regime, institutions, the division of powers and the relationship of the State with individuals and with other States. For example, to understand the Lutheran Reformation, it is important to recognize the organization of the political power of the Church of the time and its links with the institutions of the different States.
- Economic context. It refers to the characteristics of the productive organization, the distribution of wealth and labor relations within society. For example, to study the work of Karl Marx, it is essential to understand the features of the capitalist productive system that characterized European society at the time.
- Social context. It refers to the recognition of the different groups and social movements, the disputes or claims that a society is going through at a given time. For example, in the analysis of the speeches of the Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, it is important to recognize the existence of different social classes, the emergence of the Russian proletariat and its demands.
- Cultural context. It is linked to the identification of forms of thought, worldview, religious beliefs, values and artistic currents. For example, to understand the campaigns of North American feminists in the 1960s and 1970s, it is essential to identify the emergence of a new way of thinking linked to the role of women in the family and in society.
How to analyze the historical context?
In order to carry out an analysis of the historical context, it is important to identify a temporal and spatial framework, delimit a series of features that are relevant to our object of study and have a neutral perspective.
1. Identify a temporal and spatial framework
To carry out an analysis of the historical context, the temporal and spatial framework that corresponds to the object of study must be delimited.
For example, to analyze the literary work of Aristotle, an analysis of the historical context can be done focused on the society of Ancient Greece, specifically the polis of Athens, in the 4th century BC. c.
2. Delimit relevant features
It is essential to determine which features of the historical context are relevant to the analysis of the object of study.
For example, to study the artistic work of Marcel Duchamp, it is very important to understand the cultural features of the time, the aesthetic currents and the artistic avant-garde. Likewise, it is relevant to identify the existing intellectual debate on the position of the artist as a worker.
3. Maintain a neutral look
In order to analyze an object of study, it is essential to have a neutral perspective that transcends the way of understanding the world today. For this, it is essential to understand that the values and forms of a society of the past are different from those of the different societies that exist today.
For example, to understand the nature of the power of the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt, it is essential to understand that the values and worldview of the Egyptians four thousand years ago were very different from those of today's society.
document.addEventListener(“DOMContentLoaded”, (e) => {
var sliderContainer, slider;
sliderContainer = document.getElementById(‘block_35cf967f702877dbead2db93fd3127b3’);
if (typeof initSlider !== ‘function’) {
console.log(‘Swiper haven\’t been loaded’);
sliderContainer.className += ‘ fw scroll-snap’;
return;
};
options = {
direction: ‘horizontal’,
speed: 1000,
slidesPerView: ‘auto’,
// slidesPerGroup: 1,
centerInsufficientSlides: true,
// centeredSlides:true,
spaceBetween: 15,
breakpoints: {
720: {
// centeredSlides: false,
// slidesPerGroup: 2,
spaceBetween: 25
},
},
pagination: {
el: ‘.swiper-pagination’,
type: ‘bullets’,
clickable: true
},
}
slider = initSlider(sliderContainer, options);
})
References
- Galliano, A., Katz, M and others. (2015). The work of historians. Social Sciences. History and geographical spaces from the origin of man to the Middle Ages. Edelvives.
- González, MP and Massone, M. (2002). The work of historical reconstruction. Societies. Vicens Vives.
- Marquez, M and Cassano, K. (2010). The study of history. Social Sciences 1. Cassava.
