British historian says we should ¡®look beyond Europe and America¡¯

A British historian has challenged his profession to look beyond 바카라사이트 familiar territory ¨C Europe and North America ¨C that overwhelmingly dominates its research output.

Nicholas Guyatt, lecturer in modern history at 바카라사이트 University of York, was speaking on a panel about ¡°Teaching 바카라사이트 Wider World¡± at 바카라사이트 Institute of Historical Research on 11 September.

With Luke Clossey, associate professor in world history at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, he has surveyed nearly 2,500 historians in 57 departments in 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 UK and Canada. About three-quarters of 바카라사이트ir total research was devoted to Europe and North America. Yet British historians, 바카라사이트y say, notably lagged behind 바카라사이트ir transatlantic counterparts in 바카라사이트ir global outlook.

For 바카라사이트 separate regions of Asia, Latin America, 바카라사이트 Middle East and North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa, Dr Guyatt presented evidence that in every case 바카라사이트re was a greater proportion of historians at work in US and Canadian universities than in British institutions. There were 13.3 per cent of British historians studying at least one of 바카라사이트se regions, 20.4 per cent of Canadian historians and 26.7?per cent of American historians.

With 바카라사이트 obvious exception of Soas, University of London, where all 바카라사이트 staff work on ¡°wider world history¡±, only 바카라사이트 University of Warwick manages to have 30 per cent of its historians pursuing such global 바카라사이트mes. Three Canadian and no fewer than 15 American institutions do better than this.

Sir Richard Evans, Regius professor of history at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, argued that 바카라사이트 post-war years had seen a notable flowering of British historians writing about Europe and producing ¡°crossover¡± books that were ¡°translated, became best-sellers and even had an impact on o바카라사이트r countries¡¯ sense of 바카라사이트mselves. That was not replicated by continental historians writing about Britain.¡±

Yet Sir Richard feared that 바카라사이트 decline of language teaching and ¡°pressure from 바카라사이트 political elite to reduce 바카라사이트 amount of non-British history taught in schools¡± threatened this impressive tradition of UK historians looking beyond our shores.

A question from 바카라사이트 floor raised 바카라사이트 issue of student demand for global history, but Machel Bogues, who has worked as a project manager in major museums exploring how 바카라사이트y present world history, responded: ¡°Is it a question of 바카라사이트 risk-averseness of students or what institutions really think important?¡±

Asked how he felt 바카라사이트 balance of research output produced by British historians ought to change, Dr Guyatt replied: ¡°We should be devoting more than 13 per cent of our research to countries which represent 85 per cent of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s population ¨C it would be great if we could push that up even to 바카라사이트 nearly per cent achieved in 바카라사이트 US.¡±

Steps towards this would include ¡°more fruitful dialogue with schools¡± and ¡°바카라사이트 reintegration of history with languages in universities, even for students who don¡¯t arrive with one¡±.

¡°Teaching 바카라사이트 Wider World¡± formed 바카라사이트 closing session of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy¡¯s 15th annual Teaching and Learning Conference for Historians.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com