The Field of Cultural History
Culture is a set of beliefs, values, attitudes, hierarchies, religion, notions of time and space, and material objects and possessions acquired over generations through individual and group striving. It is also the cumulative deposit of knowledge and experience, derived through social interaction and communication.
The field of cultural history, a relatively new branch of the humanities, has been able to bring to life the past and its people. It examines the ways people have believed, acted and thought, from magical beliefs to gender roles and racial hierarchies.
It has been a fertile ground for scholars of many backgrounds and interests to experiment with new approaches to history. In the 1980s, many scholars working in the field developed a “new” version of cultural history that emphasized the social and psychological factors underpinning historical understanding. This approach drew from social, economic, feminist, postcolonial, and psychoanalysis methodologies.
But the field of cultural history is not a unified entity, and it often has been difficult to draw a clear line between its different approaches. Some of the most significant contributions to this area have sprung from the Annales school of anthropology, which developed the idea that a broad range of human sciences can provide insights into historical phenomena.
For this reason, the field has had to re-examine its definition, and in particular its relationship to other fields of humanistic study. As a result, some scholars have tried to bridge the gap between classical and modern conceptions of cultural history by taking on topics that had long been considered specialized fields.
The idea that culture is a process of intellectual and aesthetic development has been a central feature of the work of cultural historians. But, as a term, it has always connoted more than this: It denotes the products and practices of this process.
These products and practices, from artistic works to everyday accumulated wisdom and habits, have an ancestry that can be found in the earliest civilizations as well as in our own times. In fact, even our own instincts, thoughts, and actions have a cultural heritage that is important for understanding who we are and how we have come to be.
A strong and healthy cultural heritage can contribute to a society’s social cohesion, and the more diverse its members are, the better it is. Research has shown that an appreciation of and respect for the variety of cultures in a society leads to more inclusive and productive organizations, and greater levels of overall quality of life.
Companies that have developed great cultures have a lot in common, including an emphasis on people interactions and a sense of integration and coordination among team members. These are all critical to a company’s success and can be influenced by leadership and management.
Leaders who can meld strategy with a firm’s culture will find that they can create more sustainable and effective organizations, regardless of the circumstances in which they operate. They can build a company that evolves flexibly and autonomously as the demands of the marketplace change and opportunities arise. They can enlist the talents of a wide cross-section of staff and develop a dynamic team culture that unleashes employees’ potential and fosters an atmosphere where everyone is willing to do what it takes to succeed.
Culture is a set of beliefs, values, attitudes, hierarchies, religion, notions of time and space, and material objects and possessions acquired over generations through individual and group striving. It is also the cumulative deposit of knowledge and experience, derived through social interaction and communication. The field of cultural history, a relatively new branch of the humanities, has been able to bring to life the past and its people. It examines the ways people have believed, acted and thought, from magical beliefs to gender roles and racial hierarchies. It has been a fertile ground for scholars of many backgrounds and interests to experiment with new approaches to history. In the 1980s, many scholars working in the field developed a “new” version of cultural history that emphasized the social and psychological factors underpinning historical understanding. This approach drew from social, economic, feminist, postcolonial, and psychoanalysis methodologies. But the field of cultural history is not a unified entity, and it often has been difficult to draw a clear line between its different approaches. Some of the most significant contributions to this area have sprung from the Annales school of anthropology, which developed the idea that a broad range of human sciences can provide insights into historical phenomena. For this reason, the field has had to re-examine its definition, and in particular its relationship to other fields of humanistic study. As a result, some scholars have tried to bridge the gap between classical and modern conceptions of cultural history by taking on topics that had long been considered specialized fields. The idea that culture is a process of intellectual and aesthetic development has been a central feature of the work of cultural historians. But, as a term, it has always connoted more than this: It denotes the products and practices of this process. These products and practices, from artistic works to everyday accumulated wisdom and habits, have an ancestry that can be found in the earliest civilizations as well as in our own times. In fact, even our own instincts, thoughts, and actions have a cultural heritage that is important for understanding who we are and how we have come to be. A strong and healthy cultural heritage can contribute to a society’s social cohesion, and the more diverse its members are, the better it is. Research has shown that an appreciation of and respect for the variety of cultures in a society leads to more inclusive and productive organizations, and greater levels of overall quality of life. Companies that have developed great cultures have a lot in common, including an emphasis on people interactions and a sense of integration and coordination among team members. These are all critical to a company’s success and can be influenced by leadership and management. Leaders who can meld strategy with a firm’s culture will find that they can create more sustainable and effective organizations, regardless of the circumstances in which they operate. They can build a company that evolves flexibly and autonomously as the demands of the marketplace change and opportunities arise. They can enlist the talents of a wide cross-section of staff and develop a dynamic team culture that unleashes employees’ potential and fosters an atmosphere where everyone is willing to do what it takes to succeed.