Global History in Practice
Final Report Abstract
The original aim of the project was to develop suggestions and support for junior researchers to undertake global historical research - especially in the ‘Global South’. The goal was to promote empirical historical research in this field. For despite a large number of extremely helpful, further-reaching and fundamental overviews and introductions to theoretical-methodological approaches to global history, there are still only a few empirical works that refer to sources in the 'Global South'. Four sub-projects were planned: a monograph as a kind of guideline that gives practical advice for research, a workshop for the exchange of research experiences in the 'Global South', a corresponding volume of essays, and a supplementary website with references to relevant archives, libraries or museums in Africa, Latin America or Southeast Asia. However, the developments in the extremely dynamic field of global history, especially in recent years, have led to necessary shifts in emphasis: Since the project's application was submitted in 2014, new introductions to research in global and interconnected history have appeared; the digitisation of archives and libraries in the 'Global South' has also been further advanced, making research access and practices easier. At the same time, postcolonial debates have also become increasingly important in historical scholarship, which has led not least to a vehement critique and questioning of global history: Especially recently, for example, English as a prominent language in global history and the marginalisation of local languages have been criticised as well as Eurocentric methods, theories and research practices in global historical approaches. Another point of critique is the asymmetry between the 'Global North' and the 'Global South', which is still straightforward in terms of research institutions and infrastructure. Demands for equal research projects, for interweaving historical approaches, exchange and thus for a contemporary and 'fairer' global history characterise the debate. I reacted to this and refrained from writing a research guide again from the perspective of a male 'white' historian from the 'Global North'. Based on a short re-dedication proposal, an international conference with regionally diverse representatives of the field was held in cooperation with Dr. Norman Aselmeyer, Bremen, and the Weltmuseum Vienna, in which an important and central exchange took place on the current criticisms and questions outlined above and the possible future of global history. The results of this conference will be made available in an anthology that is currently being conceived.
