Historiography & The Historical Imagination for University Applicants
What is historiography and why is it relevant?
Why does historiography matter to A-Level students aspiring to study history at university? Put simply, historiography underpins and defines the discipline of history; it is a history of historians and their arguments, and to understand history we must first understand the historian. One would not accept a primary source at face value: even at GCSE level, students are taught to consider a text’s audience, tone, purpose and other criteria. To think historiographically, therefore, is to apply this approach to how one reads a historian’s work.
A human’s outlook is shaped by the environment in which they live, and the experiences they have. Two people can look at the same subject matter and come to polar opposite conclusions. We all have different tastes in music, people, politics and more. In other words, our views are subjective, rather than objective; they cannot be above personal feelings and experiences.
Applying this logic to history means that the historian is not above reproach. To truly understand their arguments, we must consider factors such as their political, cultural, national and/or religious identity, and other formative experiences that may impact their worldview. For example, a conservative historian might write more favourably about Margaret Thatcher compared to a left-leaning academic.
To construct their argument, a historian must select the relevant facts. Since no historian is capable of forming a truly objective view, it is the job of other historians to evaluate their argument, their choice of facts, and understand why they have come to a particular conclusion. From this emerge counter-arguments, because other historians will attach greater significance to facts dismissed or neglected in the initial work.
History, however, would become quite dull if historians simply argued over the significance of the same small group of facts. Thankfully, historiography is constantly evolving because of societal influences, which in turn creates a wider pool of facts. What might have been deemed irrelevant several decades ago can become highly relevant to a given historical topic. Take the example of the Tudors. Historians today do not restrict their study just to the role of monarchs and nobles. Academics have turned their attention the different social classes, women and children, fashion and clothing, “common” people’s views of sweeping religious change, and what objects from the period can tell us about it.
When reading a work of history, it is therefore important to think about when the book was written, as well its author. In today’s society, one might consider how concepts such as diversity have shaped the pursuit of history. Historians have become interested in the experiences of disabled people, women and non-European histories and perspectives. Climate change, too, has become an increasingly significant electoral issue, which has similarly impacted the discipline of history. Many academics now consider how geography and the weather have affected history, as well as the impact of mankind on the environment.
Hence, new subfields of history emerged to challenge the predominance of high politics as the main area of historical interest. Women’s history was a by-product of the feminist movement’s demand for equality between the sexes; trans-national history came about primarily because the world was becoming increasingly globalised, and the boundaries between nation-states were becoming blurred by the movement of people, goods and services.
In the 1960s, history was considered to be simply the study of high politics; it is clear that the field has changed considerably. Consequently, it is important to be aware of developments which occurred within a historian’s life and understand how they shaped their historical arguments.
So, next time you read a history book think about the author and consider how their background might have shaped their conclusions. Remember, a historian’s work is a secondary source, and should never be taken as gospel. Rather, you should interrogate it just as you would a primary source. Arguably, the historian has arranged merely their preferred selection of primary materials in a way which pleases them. It is your job, as a historian, not just to evaluate these decisions, but to understand why they were made.
So how should you analyse a source?
Source analysis is the other critical skill to hone as you begin to think about your application to read history at Oxford or Cambridge. As a rule of thumb, you can break the requirements down into three elements: (a) context, (b) content, and (c) significance.
(a) Context. This is an opportunity for you to display your intimate acquaintance with the set texts, your detailed factual knowledge of the period, and your understanding of how to interrogate an historical source. This category can in turn be broken down into different elements.
(i) Creation. Who wrote/created this source? What was their standing in society, their profession, their kinship group or faction? Do we know anything about their politics, or their religious convictions? What was their objective in producing this source?
(ii) Publication. Was this source in manuscript or print, or a material artefact? When was it produced, and how? Does it use symbolism? Is the form we have here the result of later transmission and/or translation?
(iii) Audience. Who saw this source at the time? Was it intended for a particular audience, and if so, did it reach that audience, or another one? Do we have any recorded responses to it?
(b) Content. Do not merely repeat what the extract says — only explain it if it needs explanation, for example if it contains technical terms (an opportunity to demonstrate your own knowledge) or if it uses terms freighted with contemporary significance
(c) Significance. This is an opportunity for you to display your analytical skills as a historian. What do you think this extract suggests about the history of the period? Is there a link to other sources you have studied which might heighten its significance? Does it relate to a particular historical debate? You may want to mention the work of other historians at this point, but you do not have to. Does the source support any existing interpretations, or suggest any new ways of looking at a subject?
There is no right or wrong answer to analyse a source. It is all about the use of historical evidence, and every historian will see something slightly different in the sources which he or she uses. The facts must be accurate (that part you can get wrong) but the interpretation can only be plausible, persuasive and well-argued, or unlikely, inconsistent, and unconvincing.
These approaches can be applied to secondary sources, too. Think about the context of a historian’s work, and how that may have impacted the author and their views. Consider its content and whether this challenges or reaffirms arguments that have already been put forward, as well. Also weigh up the text’s significance: some works can have a seismic impact on a field of history and radically transform the debate. Has the work in question had this effect? If it has or has not, why might that be the case?
You can set your analysis apart from others. What you need to demonstrate above all else is historical imagination. This does not mean ungrounded speculation about a source, but rather intelligent detective work that demonstrates your critical thinking skills. In the HAT paper, for instance, this is known as historical imagination. Students will be confronted by unusual sources about which they will know very little. It is therefore crucial to understand that a given source is the product of its own time, and must be treated with empathy.
This can, at first, seem like a very vacuous, meaningless concept. It often makes more sense with an example. In one past HAT paper, students are asked to comment on a guide published by the French government setting out how slave owners in the Caribbean should behave. Students might demonstrate historical imagination by considering, for instance, why the government felt the need to publish such a guide in the first place. What might the new regulations tell us about the current behaviour of slave owners? If plantation owners were behaving according to these rules, there would be no need for them, therefore one might speculate that these ideals are not upheld in the government’s view.
Historical imagination is therefore about your originality of thought. In other words, how can you take your analysis further, to think outside the box? Tutors, of course, are looking for students who are bright and eager to learn; but they are also looking for people who think differently and creatively. Improving your historical imagination is the best way to demonstrate this skill to them.
You can therefore maximise your chances of receiving an invitation to the interview stage if you signpost your historiographical literacy and historical imagination at every available opportunity. Show your understanding of the discipline of history in your persona statement, and how you have taken this interest further, and demonstrate your original and critical thinking in the aptitude tests.
Further Reading:
E. H. Carr, What is History? — the definitive introductory historiographical text which will introduce you to some of the key issues that continue to be debated to this today, such as the nature of a historical fact, and objectivity versus subjectivity
D. Cannadine (ed), What is History Now? — ten renowned historians, writing from a range of historical vantage points, answer Carr's question for a new generation of historians; this is an essential follow up to Carr’s work
J. Tosh, The Pursuit of History — the critical handbook that will guide students through all things historiographical; this should be your point of reference as you begin to think about your university applications, especially for Oxbridge
Eric Hobsbawm, 'Age of Revolution'
Michael Bentley, 'Introduction to Historiography'
It is not the number of historiographical books a student reads that will impress tutors during interviews, but rather the depth and breadth of their knowledge and analysis. It is therefore sensible to focus on developing a well-grounded, nuanced understanding of historiographical trends, rather than reading as many theoretical history books as possible. Follow and develop your own historical and historiographical interests, not what you think will impress an academic!
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