scholarly journals The Traditional Forms of the “History of the Present” from Herodotus to Humanist Historians

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 165-182
Author(s):  
Gonzalo Pasamar
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Present Article ◽  
The Political ◽  
Contemporary History ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
Historical Truth ◽  
Contemporary Past

The present article revolves around the interest in contemporary history from ancient writers to humanist historians. Its objective, which forms part of a broader purpose devoted to elucidating the characteristics of the so-called History of the Present, is to examine the forms this interest has traditionally adopted. In this way, we put for consideration the following hypothesis: from classical historians onwards, concern with contemporary history was always considered a hard and inevitable task to be undertaken, since it affected rulers and living people. Nevertheless, the long-standing doctrine of history as memory of events for centuries prevented historians from facing paradoxes that interest in contemporary past implies, that is: how can historians confront the political uses, memories and demands of public opinion to deal with the recent past without jeopardizing historical truth?

The Guatemalan Genocide Through Indigenous Mayan Literature Twenty Years After the Peace Accords: Rigoberta Menchú, Humberto Ak´Abal and Victor Montejo

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
David Caballero Mariscal
Keyword(s):  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Dark Period ◽  
Social Situation ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Contemporary History ◽  
Rigoberta Menchu ◽  
Testimonial Literature ◽  
History Of ◽  
Peace Accords ◽  
Historical Truth

Guatemala experienced a cruel genocide in the early eighties, in the context of a repressive Conflict. Due to the different governments´ repressive policies, this terrible social situation was little known abroad, and even in the own country. Just after the Peace Accords, several organisms worked to uncover the historical truth. In any case, we cannot forget that testimonial literature is a privileged mean to know this dark period of the contemporary history of Guatemala. This genre is particularly relevant, because the main writers are originally Mayans, and have directly suffered both repression and social exclusion due to ethnic reasons. Rigoberta Menchú, Unmberto Ak´abal and Víctor Montejo represent a new and original point of view in the measure in which they describe feelings and situations from the perspective of those who experience them personally. Testimonial literature or the Testimonio becomes an ethnographic document that allows us to know not just a period but a people who have suffered from repression and exclusion for centuries.

Rentier Islamism

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Freer
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Muslim Brotherhood ◽  
State Theory ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
The Political ◽  
Contemporary History ◽  
Rentier State ◽  
Oil Rents ◽  
History Of ◽  
Islamist Movements

This book, using contemporary history and original empirical research, updates traditional rentier state theory, which largely fails to account for the existence of Islamist movements, by demonstrating the political capital held by Muslim Brotherhood affiliates in Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While rentier state theory predicts that citizens of such states will form opposition blocs only when their stake in rent income is threatened, this book demonstrates that ideology, rather than rent, has motivated the formation of independent Islamist movements in the wealthiest states of the region. It argues for this thesis by chronicling the history of the Brotherhood in Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE, and showing how the organization adapted to the changing (and often adverse) political environs of those respective countries to remain a popular and influential force for social, educational, and political change in the region. The presence of oil rents, then, far from rendering Islamist complaint politically irrelevant, shapes the ways in which Islamist movements seek to influence government policies.

Kultūrvēstures aspekti Jāņa Čakstes vācu valodā sarakstītajā apcerējumā „Die Letten und Ihre Latwija” (1917), tā tulkošanas un izdevumu vēsture latviski („Latvieši un viņu Latvija”, 1989/1990–2019)

2021 ◽  
pp. 155-162
Author(s):  
Ivars Orehovs
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
The Political ◽  
Historical Aspects ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
The Public ◽  
30Th Anniversary ◽  
History Of Writing ◽  
History Of

On May 4, 2020, the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Latvia’s national independence was celebrated, and the 160th anniversary since the birth of the first President of Latvia, Jānis Čakste (1859–1927), was remembered on September 14, 2019. In 1917, even before the establishment of the Latvian state, Čakste published a longer essay in German, entitled „The Latvians and Their Latvia” (Die Letten und ihre Latwija), in which both the ethnic and geopolitical history of the Baltics was presented to communicate the public opinion and strivings of that time internationally. The essay also reflected economic relations in the predominantly Latvian-inhabited territory, demonstrating the political convictions and the culture-historical background of the era. The article aims to characterise the history of writing and publishing the essay in German, and its translation into Latvian (1989/90), and the translation’s editions (1999, 2009, 2014, 2019). Part of the article is devoted to analysing the culture-historical aspects, which in the authorial narrative have been expressed in the interethnic environment of the territory and the era.

The cycle of the new left in the recent history of Argentina

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 252-279
Author(s):  
Maria Cristina Tortti ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Order ◽  
New Left ◽  
Social Protest ◽  
Political Regime ◽  
The Political ◽  
Recent Past ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
History Of ◽  
Multiple Actors

This paper aims at outlining the main processes that, in Argentina’s recent past, may enable us to understand the emergence, development and eventual defeat of the social protest movement and the political radicalization of the period 1960-70s.Here, as in previous papers, we resort to the concept of new left toname the movement that, though heterogeneous and lacking a unified direction, became a major unit in deeds, for multiple actors coming the most diverse angles coincided in opposing the vicious political regime and the social order it supported. Consequently, we shall try to reinstate the presence of such wide range of actors: their projects, objectives and speeches. Some critical circumstances shall be detailed and processes through which protests gradually amalgamated will be shown. Such extended politicization provided the frame for quite radical moves ranging from contracultural initiatives and the classism in the workers’ movement to the actual action of guerrilla groups. Through the dynamics of the events themselves we shall locate the peak moments as well as those which paved the way for their closure and eventual defeat in 1976.

scholarly journals Contemporary History of Indonesia between Historical Truth and Group Purpose

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 179
Author(s):  
Anzar Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Primary Sources ◽  
Historical Event ◽  
Contemporary History ◽  
Historical Reconstruction ◽  
History Textbook ◽  
Historical Figures ◽  
History Of ◽  
Historical Truth ◽  
Made In ◽  
Discussion Topic

<p>Contemporary history is the very latest history at which the historic event traces are close and still encountered by us at the present day. As a just away event which seems still exists, it becomes controversial about when the historical event is actually called contemporary. Characteristic of contemporary history genre is complexity of an event and its interpretation. For cases in Indonesia, contemporary history usually begins from 1945. It is so because not only all documents, files and other primary sources have not been uncovered and learned by public yet where historical reconstruction can be made in a whole, but also a fact that some historical figures and persons are still alive. This last point summons protracted historical debate when there are some collective or personal memories and political consideration and present power. The historical facts are often provided to please one side, while disagreeable fact is often hidden from other side. The article aims to discuss some subject matter of contemporary history in Indonesia as they are printed in history textbook for school, along with varies issues. The article will make correction about context of some issues that they actually used as discussion topic among teachers of history. In the last part of this article, it will outline on how we respond to contemporary history of Indonesia. Conclusion is made that in context of contemporary history in Indonesia, it found two interests, i.e. for historical truth and group purpose.</p>

scholarly journals Elements of Social Engineering Methodology Used During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 5-18
Author(s):  
Oleksandr Trukhachov
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Public Opinion ◽  
Theoretical Study ◽  
Social Engineering ◽  
The Political ◽  
Traditional Media ◽  
Opinion Change ◽  
Political Landscape ◽  
History Of ◽  
Scientific Phenomenon

The article focuses on elements of social engineering (SI) that could be used by the states in their own interests during the COVID-19 pandemic. These elements were used to form negative public opinion, change the political landscape, and reduce citizens’ trust in their own governments. These elements are influence and persuasion. Traditional media and social networks play a major role in the use of these SI elements. SI has a long history of theoretical study as a scientific phenomenon. Practical elements of SI have a large arsenal, from government tools to influencing individuals. The article aims to demonstrate using SI elements, influence, and persuasion by the interested states and governments to obtain certain preferences for both foreign and domestic policies.

scholarly journals The history of the creation of the Azerbaijan State Museum (Azgosmusey)

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-196
Author(s):  
Gunay N. Qafarova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Small Groups ◽  
The Political ◽  
Soviet Power ◽  
Russian Art ◽  
State Museum ◽  
Wide Circle ◽  
History Of ◽  
National Museums ◽  
Historical Truth ◽  
National Bourgeoisie

The history of museums in Azerbaijan is only a hundred years old, but the path traveled over the years has been very difficult. The development of museums was directly affected by the political course of the Soviet country. Museums were supposed to reflect the politics and ideology of the country, and everything that did not correspond to this was gathering dust in storage or even worse destroyed. The names of the owners of the collections were not mentioned in any public publication. Their names preserved only the basic documents of museums, acts and books of receipts, which were available to a very narrow circle of people. Often, collections mercilessly broken into small groups and transferred to various museums in the country. Namely, the property of many representatives of the national bourgeoisie enriched our museums. Nevertheless, in the first years of Soviet power, the museums created in Azerbaijan managed to assemble a rich collection, despite the obvious distortions in the reflection of historical truth. It was these works that formed the basis of the collections of modern National Museums, and, of course, the Azgosmuzey laid their foundation. It was the first museum to systematically and consistently assemble a collection. Azgosmuzey organized expeditions and conducted archaeological excavations. Excavations on the territory of Azerbaijan have always been carried out officially and unofficially, unfortunately, many discovered artifacts were exported outside of our country, but after the establishment of Soviet power, the situation in this area changed somewhat, and it should be noted for the better. On the initiative of the museum’s management, various exhibits were transferred to our museums from Moscow, and then from Leningrad, enriching the repositories of Western European and Russian art. Many materials cited in the article are not known to a wide circle of researchers.

The Polish Home Army and the Politics of Memory

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Waśkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Political System ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Broad Sense ◽  
The Political ◽  
Politics Of Memory ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Fourth Republic ◽  
History Of

Politics of memory makes use as well as abuse of history. As any kind of politics, politics of memory are not guided by truth—they are guided by utility in a broad sense of the term. Truth and utility may coincide, and yet they are not close friends at all. Politics are, as the political scientists say, an open-ended game, and so they are politics of memory. They do not deprive people of the freedom of thinking any more than politics sensu stricto deprive them of freedom of behaviour. Some politics of memory are necessary for uniting people as fellow citizens. The point is that these particular ones the author is referring to in this article were bad politics; they divided, not united. The present article outlines the history of how the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) and particularly the Warsaw Rising of 1944 have been treated and mistreated in the legitimising myths of the regime imposed on Poland in 1945, in the political system the Poles freely elected in 1989, and in the propaganda of the so-called Fourth Republic of Poland in 2005—7. The author intends to show how this controversial wartime event has been entangled in the politics of memory and why its exploitation for political purposes has turned it into a black-and-white picture that has stifled more balanced and less passionate opinions on its meaning and significance.

scholarly journals Elaboración de la imagen de Miguel Primo de Rivera en "El Debate" y "Arriba"

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ángel M. Varas Carrasco
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Historical Memory ◽  
The Political ◽  
Contemporary History ◽  
Essential Tool ◽  
Los Grupos ◽  
Political Groups ◽  
Social Catholicism ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Vast Territory

El estudio de la prensa escrita constituye una herramienta esencial para las investigaciones sobre la opinión pública en la Historia Contemporánea. Dentro de tan vasto territorio resulta de suma importancia conocer los mecanismos de fabricación de las imágenes políticas entendidas como hitos básicos en la configuración de la memoria histórica. El análisis de tales mecanismos, sometidos al devenir histórico, como consecuencia y causa del mismo, permite arrojar luz tanto sobre las señas de identidad de los grupos políticos como sobre sus comportamientos tácticos en circunstancias históricas concretas. De esta forma, analizar la imagen política de tiñiguel Primo de Rivera elaborada por "El Debate» y "Arriba», respectivamente, abre sugerentes vías de investigación sobre el catolicismo social y el fascismo en España.The study of the written press constitutes an essential tool for investigations inte public opinión in Contemporary History. With such a vast territory, it is of principal importance to understand the mechanisms of production of political images as basic criteria in the creation of historical memory. The analysis of such mechanisms, which becomes historical as a consequences and cause of itself, allows us to shed light on the sense of identity of the political groups as well as their tactical behaviour in concrete historical circumstances. In this way, the political image of Miguel Primo de Rivera as seen by «El Debate» y "Arriba», respectively, can be analized and lead to paths of investigation on Social Catholicism and Fascism in Spain.

scholarly journals “Self-testimony of a Past Present”: Reuses of Historical Film Documents

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Sattelmacher
Keyword(s):  
The Political ◽  
Federal Republic Of Germany ◽  
Contemporary History ◽  
Found Footage ◽  
Historical Film ◽  
Small Series ◽  
Short Films ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Moment ◽  
New Generation

AbstractHas the history of film digitization ever been incorporated in questions of evidence and knowledge production? The digitization of thousands of films from the former Institute for Scientific Film (IWF) that is currently underway gives an occasion to think about the provenance and reuses of filmic images as well as the ways in which they claim to produce scientific (or in this case, historical) evidence. In the years between 1956 and 1960, the German Social Democrat, historian and filmmaker Friedrich “Fritz” Terveen initiated a film series that used historical found film footage in order to educate university students about contemporary history. The first small series of films was entitled Airship Aviation in Germany which consisted of four short films using found footage of zeppelin flights, of which the earliest images stem from around 1904 and the latest from 1937, the moment of the “Hindenburg disaster.” This article explores how Terveen sought to shape the political landscape of history teaching in the new Federal Republic of Germany by first setting up nation-wide visual archives to host historical film documents, and secondly by seeking to improve the political education of a new generation of young Germans with the aid of the moving image.

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