Small History and Big History: The Concept, Methodology, and Practice of Regional Social History

Author: Zhao Shiyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: The so-called "little history" here refers to the "local" history, such as personal or regional history; it is also the history of "normal" life—daily, lived experiences, the history of joys and sorrows, and the history of social conventions. The so-called "big history" refers to the history of the whole picture, such as the history of dynastic changes, the history of rise and fall, the history of major events, important figures, and institutions, etc. Our traditional historiography has achieved many significant results in studying big history, but the problem lies in people using some absolutized, singular grand narrative models to study these issues, stripping away the living foundation of this "big history." What we aim to do is to return this living foundation to "big history"—this living foundation is what we call "little history." Once this "restoration" is complete, the distinction between big and little history may no longer be necessary. History is fundamentally one, just as life is. This book is one of the Historical Fieldwork Series and is a theoretical monograph on the study of social development history. Our traditional historiography has achieved many significant results in studying big history, but the problem lies in people using some absolutized, singular grand narrative models to study these issues, stripping away the living foundation of this "big history." What this book does is to return this living foundation to "big history"—this living foundation is what we call "little history." Once this "restoration" is complete, the distinction between big and little history may no longer be necessary. History is fundamentally one, just as life is.