Definitions are tough. ‘Transnational’, ‘Global’, ‘Shared’, ‘Comparative’… the list goes on. However, Sebastian Conrad’s book Globalisation and the Nation in Imperial Germany has enlightened me on the differences between these terms. More than that, this book, particularly its introduction, has
‘Nation’ in Transnational History
During our discussion in week two I struggled with reconciling or understanding the parameters and definitions of ‘nation’ under which transnational history operates under. This weeks reading helped me understand the development of nations and why they exist he way
True History of the Kelly Gang
Reading Clare Anderson’s piece this week has inspired me to return to a novel which I began reading earlier this year: Peter Carey’s True history of the Kelly Gang. Having little knowledge of Irish-Australian history, it was not transnational motivations
Seeing Transnational History in Practice
Following the introduction to this module, the readings for this week’s tutorial have been very useful in witnessing transnational history ‘in action’. I had read in broader articles on transnational history about the significance of Sugata Bose’s work in the
The Individual in The Transnational Balancing Act
The readings from this week really helped clarify to me the meaning of transnational history approaches in practice. Particularly, what that means for the role of the individual lived experience. Generally, using personal accounts in history can accent the narrative
The Creation of Mentalities
Where to start with this week’s readings? There was something just so exciting about the overturning of some teleological perceptions which we have about Empire. Firstly, George Morgan, what an absolute badass (except for the part where he stole from
The ‘National’ in Transnational History
After doing the readings from week one and two I thought that the discipline of transnational history was starting to become a bit clearer. However, after doing this week’s readings (Conrad in particular) I’ve come to realise that whilst historians
The Significance of the Individual
When reading our key texts last week, I was surprised to see how important individual people were to understanding transnational history. The oxo article demonstrated the significance of individuals as connectors who connected places to allow the oxo brand to
The Threads that Tether Us?
When the inevitable question of: “What modules are you taking this semester?” appears between friends and family the most typical reaction to the name “Transnational History” is usually that of “isn’t that very broad?”. As echoed by my fellow students
Transnational History and Postcolonialism in Latin America
In his article ‘Global History, Imperial History and Connected Histories of Empire’ S.J. Potter speaks of a ‘fruitful cross-fertilization’ that can be achieved between Imperial and Global histories in order to bring together Imperial histories ‘top-down’ approach and Global histories
An Introduction to the Possibilities of Global and Transnational History
When I first glanced at the readings for Week 1, I was perhaps even more perplexed than when I knew nothing about the course at all… However, after persevering and delving into the text, the notion of transnational and global
My Transnational History
Despite what the title might first suggest, with my still limited experience of practising transnational history, I did not feel I could construct said history for someone who’s transnational story is limited to one childhood migration across the Scottish border.
Lending Meaning to Words
The issue raised here is perhaps not one which is exclusive to transnational history, but it is perhaps important to recognise due to the focus which transnational history places on “transcultural” and “transnational” actors. ‘The conceptual toolbox of the social
Subrahmanyam, Connected Histories, and Columbus
According to Simon Potter and Jonathan Saha, with his 1997 essay entitled “Connected Histories: Notes Towards a Reconfiguration of Early Modern Eurasia”, Sanjay Subrahmanyam largely introduces the term “connected histories” into the academic field (Potter and Saha, ‘Global History’, p.
Transnational and Global History: A Shifting Focus on the Past
What is transnational history? And, how does it differ from global history? Transnational and global histories are on the rise and offer an alternative way of doing history. An increased emphasis on the movement flows which transcend the rigid borders