Theoretical Discussions of Biography
Theoretical Discussions of Biography

Author: Hans Renders

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2014-04-17

Total Pages: 293

ISBN-13: 9004274707

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Theoretical Discussions of Biography: Approaches from History, Microhistory, and Life Writing offers comprehensive overviews by 14 academic scholars of the actual state of the field of Biography Studies. In the volume, edited by biography scholars Hans Renders and Binne de Haan, specifically the connections between biography and the fields of microhistory, journalism, and Life Writing illuminate key challenges and problems in studying individual lives. Different perspectives are provided on the ways in which biography contributes to scholarship in the humanities in general and academic historiography in particular. The contributing authors are academic experts in these fields and include Richard D. Brown, Carlo Ginzburg, Nigel Hamilton, Marlene Kadar, Giovanni Levi, Sabina Loriga, Matti Peltonen, and James Walter.

Biography in Theory
Biography in Theory

Author: Wilhelm Hemecker

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2017-08-07

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 3110516675

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This textbook is an anthology of significant theoretical discussions of biography as a genre and as a literary-historical practice. Covering the 18th to the 21st centuries, the reader includes programmatic texts by authors such as Herder, Carlyle, Dilthey, Proust, Freud, Kracauer, Woolf and Bourdieu. Each text is accompanied by a commentary placing its contribution in critical context. Ideal for use in undergraduate seminars, this reader may also be of interest for academic researchers in the areas of literary studies and history aiming to get an overview of historical questions in biographical theory. This revised and updated English language edition also includes new translations of texts by J. G. Herder and Stefan Zweig, as well as an introductory discussion on the possibility of a ‘theory of biography’. Note: Due to copyright reasons, the chapter "Sade, Fourier, Loyola [Extract] (1971)" (pp. 175–177) by Roland Barthes could not be included in the ebook.

The Biographical Turn
The Biographical Turn

Author: Hans Renders

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2016-09-13

Total Pages: 239

ISBN-13: 1315469561

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The Biographical Turn showcases the latest research through which the field of biography is being explored. Fifteen leading scholars in the field present the biographical perspective as a scholarly research methodology, investigating the consequences of this bottom-up approach and illuminating its value for different disciplines. While biography has been on the rise in academia since the 1980s, this volume highlights the theoretical implications of the biographical turn that is changing the humanities. Chapters cover subjects such as gender, religion, race, new media and microhistory, presenting biography as as a research methodology suited not only for historians but also for explorations in areas including literature studies, sociology, economics and politics. By emphasizing agency, the use of primary sources and the critical analysis of context and historiography, this book demonstrates how biography can function as a scholarly methodology for a wide range of topics and fields of research. International in scope, The Biographical Turn emphasizes that the individual can have a lasting impact on the past and that lives that are now forgotten can be as important for the historical narrative as the biographies of kings and presidents. It is a valuable resource for all students of biography, history and historical theory.

Fear of Theory
Fear of Theory

Author:

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2021-11-29

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 9004498893

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In historiography, many interesting theoretical perspectives on biography have emerged in recent years, from forensics to structure and microhistory. Biographers themselves, though, often fear the study of the genre - needlessly, as these eighteen engaging new essays demonstrate.

Theoretical Discussions of Biography
Theoretical Discussions of Biography

Author: Hans Renders

Publisher:

Published: 2014-06-26

Total Pages: 451

ISBN-13: 9780773417519

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Biography has been around at least since the time of Christ, but it was not called that until the late seventeenth century, and even then it was conflated with other terms to describe essentially the same activity. Developed over centuries there has been surprisingly little systematical theoretical work done on the genre of biography. Not only does this text serve as a historical primer on biography it provides a touchstone text on the theories behind the phrase, why it became prominent, and whether or not it can be critically analyzed as a historiographical and literary genre. Whether Biography is a genuine academic genre has long been a nagging question. These days no serious scholar can deny its place in the Humanities. It is omnipresent as a genre, and narrative tradition in the study of the history and interpretation of human lives. However, the field of Biography Studies seems scattered and insecure. Specifically the connections between Biography and History, Microhistory and Life Writing are being discussed. The selected authors have taken up positions in this current debate by means of exploratory but programmatic texts. The volume includes an introduction and contribution by Nigel Hamilton, an award winning biographer and biography scholar.

Oral History Theory
Oral History Theory

Author: Lynn Abrams

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-03-18

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 1317277988

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Oral history is increasingly acknowledged as a key tool for anyone studying the history of the recent past, and Oral History Theory provides a comprehensive, systematic and accessible overview of this important field. Combining the study of theories drawn from disciplines ranging from linguistics to psychoanalysis with the observations of practitioners and including extensive examples of oral history practice from around the world, this book constitutes the first integrated discussion of oral history theory. Structured around key themes such as the peculiarities of oral history, the study of the self, subjectivity and intersubjectivity, memory, narrative, performance, power and trauma, each chapter provides a clear and user-friendly explanation of the various theoretical approaches, illustrating these with examples from the rich field of published oral history and making suggestions for the practicing oral historian. This second edition includes a new chapter on trauma and ethics, a preface discussing new developments in the field and updated glossary and further reading sections. Supplemented by a new companion website (www.routledge.com/cw/abrams) containing a comprehensive range of case studies, audio material and further resources, this book will be invaluable to experienced and novice oral historians, professionals, and students who are new to the discipline.

The Biographical Turn
The Biographical Turn

Author: Hans Renders

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-09-13

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 1315469553

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The Biographical Turn showcases the latest research through which the field of biography is being explored. Fifteen leading scholars in the field present the biographical perspective as a scholarly research methodology, investigating the consequences of this bottom-up approach and illuminating its value for different disciplines. While biography has been on the rise in academia since the 1980s, this volume highlights the theoretical implications of the biographical turn that is changing the humanities. Chapters cover subjects such as gender, religion, race, new media and microhistory, presenting biography as as a research methodology suited not only for historians but also for explorations in areas including literature studies, sociology, economics and politics. By emphasizing agency, the use of primary sources and the critical analysis of context and historiography, this book demonstrates how biography can function as a scholarly methodology for a wide range of topics and fields of research. International in scope, The Biographical Turn emphasizes that the individual can have a lasting impact on the past and that lives that are now forgotten can be as important for the historical narrative as the biographies of kings and presidents. It is a valuable resource for all students of biography, history and historical theory.

Women, Autobiography, Theory
Women, Autobiography, Theory

Author: Sidonie Smith

Publisher: Univ of Wisconsin Press

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 546

ISBN-13: 9780299158446

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The first comprehensive guide to the burgeoning field of women's autobiography. Essays from 39 prominent critics and writers explore narratives across the centuries and from around the globe. A list of more than 200 women's autobiographies and a comprehensive bibliography provide invaluable information for scholars, teachers, and readers.

Biography in Theory
Biography in Theory

Author: Wilhelm Hemecker

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2017-08-07

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 3110516691

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This textbook is an anthology of significant theoretical discussions of biography as a genre and as a literary-historical practice. Covering the 18th to the 21st centuries, the reader includes programmatic texts by authors such as Herder, Carlyle, Dilthey, Proust, Freud, Kracauer, Woolf and Bourdieu. Each text is accompanied by a commentary placing its contribution in critical context. Ideal for use in undergraduate seminars, this reader may also be of interest for academic researchers in the areas of literary studies and history aiming to get an overview of historical questions in biographical theory. This revised and updated English language edition also includes new translations of texts by J. G. Herder and Stefan Zweig, as well as an introductory discussion on the possibility of a ‘theory of biography’. Note: Due to copyright reasons, the chapter "Sade, Fourier, Loyola [Extract] (1971)" (pp. 175–177) by Roland Barthes could not be included in the ebook.

The Information
The Information

Author: James Gleick

Publisher: Vintage

Published: 2011-03-01

Total Pages: 398

ISBN-13: 0307379574

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From the bestselling author of the acclaimed Chaos and Genius comes a thoughtful and provocative exploration of the big ideas of the modern era: Information, communication, and information theory. Acclaimed science writer James Gleick presents an eye-opening vision of how our relationship to information has transformed the very nature of human consciousness. A fascinating intellectual journey through the history of communication and information, from the language of Africa’s talking drums to the invention of written alphabets; from the electronic transmission of code to the origins of information theory, into the new information age and the current deluge of news, tweets, images, and blogs. Along the way, Gleick profiles key innovators, including Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, Samuel Morse, and Claude Shannon, and reveals how our understanding of information is transforming not only how we look at the world, but how we live. A New York Times Notable Book A Los Angeles Times and Cleveland Plain Dealer Best Book of the Year Winner of the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award