HISTORY AND ITS PURPOSE

Rekha Pande
University of Hyderabad
 WHERE DOES THE WORD HISTORY COME
FROM

• The word History is derived from Latin word Historia,

meaning narrative of past events, account, tale and story.
• The word history is also related to Greek word 'eidenai'
which means to know.
• The Persian word for History is, Ilm –i- Tarikh, meaning
Knowledge of dates.
 WHAT IS HISTORY?

• History is the study of the human past as it is described in the written documents left by
human beings. The past, with all its decisions completed, its participants dead and
its history told, is what the general public perceives as the immutable bedrock on which
we historians and archaeologists stand.
• But it is we who interpret these facts. So history is as much about present as about past.
• Studying history is important because it allows us to understand our past, which in turn
allows us to understand our present.
• Studying history can provide us with insight into our cultures of origin as well as cultures
with which we might be less familiar, thereby increasing cross-cultural awareness and
understanding.
 IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY

• It is important because history helps you understand the past to predict the future and
help in creating it. ... understanding history helps us avoid repeating the mistakes over
and over again. The more we study history , the wiser we become. Doomed are those who
can't interpret history well.
• Historians do not perform heart transplants, improve highway design, or arrest criminals.
In a society that quite correctly expects education to serve useful purposes, the functions
of history can seem more difficult to define than those of engineering or medicine.
• History is in fact very useful, actually indispensable, but the products of historical study
are less tangible, sometimes less immediate, than those that stem from some other
disciplines.
 FUNCTIONS OF HISTORY

• History Helps Us Understand People and Societies.

The past causes the present, and so the future. Any time we try to know why something
happened—whether a shift in political party dominance, a major change in the teenage
suicide rate, or a war in the Balkans or the Middle East—we have to look for factors that
took shape earlier.
• The Importance of History in Our Own Lives
History well told is beautiful. Biography and military history appeal in part because of
the tales they contain.
 FUNCTIONS
History Contributes to Moral Understanding.
Studying the stories of individuals and situations in the past allows a student of history to
test his or her own moral sense, to hone it against some of the real complexities individuals
have faced in difficult settings. People who have weathered adversity not just in some work
of fiction, but in real, historical circumstances can provide inspiration.
History Provides Identity.
Studying History Is Essential for Good Citizenship.
History provides data about the emergence of national institutions, problems, and values—
it's the only significant storehouse of such data available. It offers evidence also about how
nations have interacted with other societies, providing international and comparative
perspectives essential for responsible citizenship.
 WHY IS HISTORY NEEDED?

• The past has value to our society. It helps to show how we’ve gotten to where we are
now, and understand why our country is progressing or not progressing.
• Our view of history shapes the way we view the present, and therefore it could be
easier for new generations to preserve history and pass it on into the future
generations to know what has really happened in the past.
• We should be aware of our respective culture to know the history of our own
country.
• To evaluate the happenings of the past for the present generation not to commit the
same mistakes of the past.
 HOW DOES IT HELP?

• Prepare you for work

• Enable you to participate fully in society
• Develop you as a person
 CONNECTS TO THE WORLD

• History also helps us to understand many of the issues that affect

the world today.
• By broadening your knowledge of current affairs, you are
developing yourself personally and preparing yourself more fully
for adult and working life
• Can you think of any issues that affect the world that have their
roots in history?
 FEW QUOTES
History does not refer, merely, or even principally, to the past. On the contrary, the
great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us.
James Baldwin
American Writer

History should be taught for pleasure, the joy of history, like art or music or literature,
consists of an expansion of the experience of being alive. And that is what education
is largely about.
David McCullough
American Historian and Author
 CONTRIBUTION

1. History is essential to individuals and society

2. History helps us understand people and societies
3. History is the story of human life on Earth
4. History contributes to moral understanding
5. History provides Identity
 KINDS OF HISTORY
• Political History: Political History is the narration of the evolution of the political related matters
of the past. This branch of history deals with the analysis of political leaders, ideas, events,
movements, activities and so on, along with the making of government policies (constitutions
etc). This branch of history focuses on the study of normative beliefs as it is believed to be the
reason behind the historical changes.
• Diplomatic History: Considered to be started in the nineteenth century, Diplomatic history is
the branch of history that focuses on the study of international relations between nations
(between states). This history tends to be more concerned with the history of diplomacy and the
ideas of diplomacy and much more.

• Cultural History: Cultural history is the branch of history that deals with the traditions and
cultural interpretation of the past. It is a study of various facets of human and history. Simply,
cultural history records and interprets various past events involving human beings like literature,
sport, and entertainment and much more.
 OTHER KINDS OF HISTORY

• Social History: The history which focuses on the study of various societal norms like ways
of living, standard, customs, disciplines, status and so on of the people, alongside the
demography. Simply, it is a branch of history which looks at the lived experience of the
past. Today, social history is otherwise called the New Social History. Women’s History is an
important branch
• Economic History: Economic history is the branch of history that focuses on the study
of economies as well as economical phenomena of the past. Simply, the study of the
pattern of the production, consumption alongside industry, market and so on concerning
the past, economic history aims to understand the historical events of the economical
processes.
• Intellectual History: The history which aims to understand the ideas (ideology and
philosophy) by understanding the political, cultural, intellectual, and social context of the
past. Intellectual history is about the human (historians) actions and how they developed
history.
THE THREE EPISTEMOLOGICAL
WEAKNESSES OF HISTORY
• 1 - The historian’s sources - the raw
material. The first thing that makes
historical knowledge difficult to acquire is
the inadequacy of the raw materials that
the historian is forced to work
with. Unlike a social scientist who can
directly observe participants in a
controlled experimental context, our
inability to travel through time means that
the historian relies on indirect and
uncontrollable evidence that the past has
left behind.
 THE THREE EPISTEMOLOGICAL
WEAKNESSES OF HISTORY
• 2 -The historian’s method - interpreting the evidence. All history can do is interpret;
it constructs plausible meanings from the evidence that the past has left behind. What
this means in reality is two levels of interpretation. In the first level of
interpretation, historians depend entirely on the people who have interpreted the
events they have lived through and who have left us a record to consider. The second
level of interpretation is of course the interpretation of the past evidence by the
historians themselves.
• 3 -The historian’s product - writing the text. The final epistemological weakness of
history stems from the simple inability to be able to compare like with like. History
cannot be compared with the past and cannot be verified against the past, because the
past and history are different things. The historical text, the narrative account can never
correspond to the past as it was, because unlike history the past was not a text, it was a
series of events, experiences, situations etc.
 UNDERSTANDING CHANGE

• History is unique in that it investigates how human life has changed

over time
• Todsay the scientists, the administrators, technocrats, intellectuals,
musicians, painters, artists, all are products of history.
• We will develop an understanding of change through the
perspectives of political, social, cultural, economic, religious and
scientific history
 FOR CAREER

• Independent thinkers
• Open-minded and objective
• Disciplined
• Good communicators
• Able to analyse issues and problems
• Able to put together logical arguments
 SKILLS

• Historians are regarded as having had an education that

trains their minds to assemble, organise and present facts
and opinions and this is a very useful quality in many walks
of life and careers .
• History is an excellent preparation for very many other jobs.
 COMMUNICATION SKILLS

• The study of history is not just about interpreting the past but
also presenting your thoughts
• History helps you to write in an organised, coherent, logical
way, supporting your views with evidence
• •This will help you in your other subjects, as well as in life
and work later
 RESEARCH SKILLS

• A study of the past will introduce us to many different types of evidence,

such as:
• Paintings, Sculptures, Photographs.
• Maps
• Oral literature and textual traditions.
• Political cartoons
• Diary entries, Memoirs
• Official records
 RESEARCH SKILLS

• As a historian , exploring these types of evidence enhances

the research skills
• A person can become skilled at locating historical data from
different sources, evaluating it and recording and presenting
their findings
• One will also realise the importance of looking at issues
from more than one point of view
 ANALYTICAL SKILLS

• You will also develop your ability to think critically, to

evaluate the usefulness of sources, to detect bias or
propaganda
• These skills are very useful in many careers and in everyday
life
 CAREER PROSPECTS
• Historians as Educators
• Elementary Schools
Secondary Schools
Postsecondary Education
Historic Sites and Museums

• Historians as Researchers
• Museums and Historical Organizations
Cultural Resources Management and Historic Preservation
Think Tanks

• Historians as Communicators
• Writers and Editors
Journalists
Documentary Editors
Producers of Multimedia Material
• Historians as Information Managers
• Archivists
Records Managers
Librarians
Information Managers

• Historians as Advocates
• Lawyers and Paralegals
Litigation Support
Legislative Staff Work
Foundations

• Historians in Businesses and Associations

• Historians in Corporations
Contract Historians
Historians and Nonprofit Associations
 IN SHORT

• One can have a career in Teaching and Research.

• One can have a career in archiving and Heritage.
• One can have a career in Politics.
• One can have a career in Media.
• One can have a career in Business and Commerce.
• One can have a career in Advertising and Public relations.
• One can have a career in Law.
 CONCLUSIONS

• Choosing history allows you to acquire a combination of skills and insights that will
• Broaden your understanding of the world
• Develop you as a person
• Prepare you for a future career
• Enable youto participate fully in society.
THANK YOU