13.2: Expanding Horizons- Methods in World History

New Frameworks to Better Understand Our Past

The discipline of world history has evolved over time, with different approaches and schools of thought emerging in response to changing social and political contexts. For example, the Annales School, which emerged in France in the early twentieth century, emphasized the importance of long-term structural factors in shaping historical development, while the world-systems theory, which emerged in the United States in the 1970s, focused on the ways in which global economic systems have shaped world history. Today, world history continues to evolve and adapt to changing contexts, with a growing emphasis on global interconnectedness and the need to engage with diverse perspectives and voices. This includes a recognition of the ways in which historical narratives have been shaped by power and privilege, and a commitment to promoting a more inclusive and equitable understanding of the past.

At its core, world history aims to understand how political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental factors have influenced the development of human societies and how these societies have interacted with one another. To achieve this, world historians use a range of sources, including primary and secondary sources, artifacts, and other evidence to reconstruct the past and make sense of it. World history also seeks to address questions of causality and contingency. Historians examine how specific events or actions have had broader historical implications, and how different outcomes could have resulted from different choices or circumstances. This involves analyzing the role of individual actors, such as leaders or innovators, as well as broader social, economic, and environmental factors.

During the Cold War, several area studies programs were established in universities across the nation to better understand non-western states and cultures. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the focus of historical studies has shifted from the nation-state to the study of migrations and global interactions and trade. While there is no national consensus about how a World/Global History course should be taught, some textbooks continue to highlight debunked ideologies, such as “American exceptionalism.” 

Currently Global History is one of the most influential fields in the discipline. It draws on a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches, but it is not defined by a single theoretical or ideological position. Rather, global history is characterized by its interdisciplinary approach and its commitment to understanding the complex and dynamic relationships between different regions and peoples and seeks to incorporate diverse perspectives and voices into its analysis of global developments. By promoting a broader and more nuanced understanding of historical developments, global history promotes equity and social justice by challenging traditional Eurocentric narratives of history, highlighting the impacts of oppression and inequality, and recognizing the contributions of diverse societies and cultures to human civilization. In this way, global history challenges the notion that one group or civilization has a monopoly on knowledge or progress. One of the key ways in which this textbook promotes anti-racism, equity, and social justice is by highlighting the historical and ongoing impacts of colonialism, imperialism, and other forms of oppression. By examining the ways in which power has been distributed and contested throughout history, global history provides a framework for understanding contemporary issues of inequality and social justice.