While musing over this week’s core readings I have found myself distracted and reflecting on some of the current implications of a transnational or global approach to history. Interactions between countries, nations, and cultures shape who we are and how
What differences in style and approach can tell us about Clavin and Subrahmanyam’s approaches to the field.
The first thing of note in comparing Clavin and Subrahmanyam’s two monographs is the difference in time between the two. Clavin published Defining Transnationalism in 2005, a full eight years after Subrahmanyam’s own Connected Histories, published in 1997. That debates
Condensing the Incondensable – ‘Transnational’ History
Upon reading the article Defining Transnationalism by Patricia Clavin, I was immediately mused by the breadth and ambition of what – in no easy terms – is ‘transnational history’. From the perspective of a history student studying at the University
So What?
“If you don’t know history, you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.” I’m reminded of the above quote, penned by late author Michael Crichton, in my attempts to process what
Crossing Disciplinary Borders
Even at first glance, major overlaps can be identified between the topic of transnational history and comparative literature – the other subject comprising my joint honours degree. Both are concerned with challenging traditional national categorisations, refusing to remain constrained by
A Precarious Balance
A theme that was consistently signposted throughout our seminar this week was the methodological difficulty that came with doing transnational history. Melinda and Bernhard both said something to this effect: ‘There is no one way to do or define “transnational
Looking Backwards
Taking MO3351 has been the most unusual and unique academic experience I’ve had at St. Andrews. While I enjoy historiography, I didn’t know much about transnational and global history as a topic and field. So the terminology used was entirely
Reflections on my ‘final’ project
As was probably quite telling from my presentation, my project has gone through a bit of a rollercoaster over the past week and as I didn’t really have enough time to explain it then, I thought it would be worth
To The Newcomers
I’m often frustrated by the lack of module description provided by the School of History when I’m picking my modules for the forthcoming year, so this week I’ve decided to give a run-down of MO3351 for the prospective ‘next-gen’. Fingers
Thoughts on a semester of transnationalism.
As the semester finishes, so does one of the more academically challenging modules I’ve taken and I have a few thoughts still left over. At various points throughout, I have been fascinated, frustrated and confused by transnationalism and its methodology
From the Embers
When people think of France what comes to mind, for many it is the Eiffel tower and Notre Dame. So when Notre Dame’s roof went up in flames last week the outpouring from across the world was momentous. In our
Reflections on the Final Project: Expectations Versus Reality
As the semester draws to a close and we find ourselves rapidly approaching the throes of week eleven, I have the strong sense that some reflection is now in order. And, since I have been mostly preoccupied with my project
Transnational History – reaching the public?
A comment made by Sophie towards the end our last tutorial regarding transnational history’s restricted engagement with the public got me thinking more about the current divides and how it could be better bridged. In particular, I began wondering why
Reflection Post
Looking back at this module over the course of the semester, I have gained incredible knowledge and a new understanding of history as a discipline. I was never interested in medieval or ancient history, always wanting the material I was
A Field Guide to Transnational History
Listing the key terms of transnational history in class helped me to visualise the vast array of components involved in its historiography. From “nodal points” to “NGOs” it seemed daunting to pin down a small number of categories that could