Why do we use interpretive methods in historical work?  What purpose does it serve?  What does it allow historians to do when they create history?

Words: 91
Pages: 1
Subject: History

Why do we use interpretive methods in historical work?  What purpose does it serve?  What does it allow historians to do when they create history?

A. Marxist Approach (Hobsbawn)
B. Economic History (Fogel)
C. Social History (Lefebvre)
D. New Cultural History (Clendinnen)
E. Gender History (Glasco and Calavita)

F. The Posts: Post-Modernism, Post-Structuralism, Post-Colonialism (Walkowitz for Post-Structural)

Conclusion: What were the most important things you learned in these discussions regarding historical approaches?  How do they better inform you about the scope and depth of what we can understand about the past?