070126 VO Theories and Methods of Global History (2016W)

This lecture course offers an introduction into theories and methods of global history ilustrated by the example of Habsburg Central Europe and the province of Galicia: According to approaches of global entanglement the role of personalities, single events and structures, micro and macro perspectives, short-term and long-term developments will be presented, social stratification and regional imbalances will be discussed. We will approach these questions by accepting the claim of a new global history to take account of developments, and their entanglement, in various world regions without Eurocentric bias.

The following approaches or theories of Global History will be dealt with: Encyclopedic overviews, empirical case studies, comparison, history of expansion, history of interaction, world systems analysis, postcolonial approaches etc. We will also look at the various spatial levels (local, regional, national, global) and discuss whether or not they represent a useful starting point for investigations into global themes. Last but not least selected events, regions, topics and historical developments will serve to discuss the choice and the benefit of theories and methods.

The lecture focuses in particular on Habsburg Central Europe and the province of Galicia in order to demonstrate how approaches of global history can be operationalized within specific areas and regions. The lecture introduces the basic knowledge on the historical context, politics, administration, society, religions und cultures of this Habsburg region between 1772 and 1918 in the context of the development of the Habsburg Monarchy.

There will be mandatory readings for the preparation of each unit. Optional further readings will be offered.

Semester programme

13.10. Introduction (Semester programme, exam, Ph.D programme “Austrian Galicia and its multicultural heritage”, links between global history and a regional case), basic data on Habsburg Galicia in a historical context, 1772-1918

20.10. Basic terms and concepts of global history: world-system, center-periphery, internal peripheries, imperial expansion, colonisalism - postcolonialism,

27.10. Habsburg Galicia I: The province of Galicia in the context of Habsburg Imperial Expansion (1526-1918)

3.11. Habsburg Galicia II: Politics, culture and population

10.11. Habsburg Galicia III: Economy and Migration

17.11. World-System (including dependency theory, backwardness theorem)

24.11. Postcolonialism

1.12. Orientalism

15.12. Nation building (Anderson, Gellner and application to Galicia)

12.1. Presentation of Galicia collegiates I

19.1. Presentation of Galicia collegiates II

26.1. Theoretical reappraisal: Galicia in the long 19th century (AK+KK)

2.2. Written exam