World History

Unit 3: The World in Transition

[Interlude]

23. Tue, Nov 19, 2013

We’ve been at this long enough now that it probably behooves us to take a step backward and talk about the phenomenon of periodization in historical discourse. Consider:

• Do events really cluster into periods?
• What does it mean to divide time up into sections?
• On what principle do we do so?
• Is one principle better than another?
• Do these divisions say anything about the events themselves, or are they just terms of convenience?
• Are such period boundaries perceptible to the people living through them?
• What are the risks of letting periodic divisions obscure other important continuities for us?

Think about these questions, and come ready to discuss them thoughtfully.

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