Prosopographical network

The Historical network research focuses on the networking and interaction of historical figures and the application of modern network analysis methods. It has developed unevenly in the disciplines of historical science in recent years and was initially taken up by Anglo-American historians; in German-speaking they did not start until later.

Background

The analysis of social networks of relationships and particularly successful networker refers to different social dimensions such as personal contacts, socially normed practices and transnational exchange. In order to describe these relationships, engage humanities and social scientists on the term " network " back, where they are usually use the term as a synonym for trade, kinship or friendship relationships. In addition to traditional descriptive study of the social environment of historical actors are now used analytical methods added (see Network Analysis ), with which the social network of people and organizations can be studied systematically. This network approach takes less the actors themselves, but rather the relationships considered. Thus, the field is also compared to the prosopography, provide information to members of a particular social group gathers as collective biographies, the lives of selected individuals and groups considered deferred. Related approaches in the social and economic history to deepen the understanding of exchange processes on theoretical concepts such as trust and social capital and the study of feudal and client relationships based on informal relations of dependence.

The methodological foundations are to be found among others in analysis programs to graph theory and geographic information systems, which are increasingly found in historical research application. The widespread use of computer-controlled social networks has also provided analysis.

The Historical network research is the subject of the working group "Historical network research ", which organizes a series of workshops in the half -year cycle and at the University of Hamburg in 2013, the conference The Future of Historical Network Research aligns.

The research cluster " Social dependency and social networks " of the Universities of Mainz and Trier views network research among other things from a historical perspective and is pursuing several research projects on historical networks. Key concerns are on the historical consideration of economic and religious networks (which include sub-areas: " credit relationships and networking in the characters monetary dependencies ", " Religious difference and interdenominational cooperation " and " networking in the context of structural breaks in Europe - Historical and current studies ").

One aspect of historical network research is the Historic elite research that explores analogous to the elite sociology from the perspective of historical science historical elites and there - especially in the understanding of the concept as elite power elite - showing informal structures in maintaining power and the exercise of power. Such approaches are being evaluated scientific theory.

Applications

Credit networks

One application of the historical network research deals with obligations. Thus, for example, under editorship of the German historian Gabriele B. Clemens within the research cluster " Social dependency and social networks. Past and present research analyzes the opportunities and risks of social relationship form " published the research on credit networks in Europe in the period of the Middle Ages until the end of the 19th century.

Student associations

The long period mainly driven by amateur historians from the vicinity of the fraternities students history has regained interest in academic discourse in the context of more recent and increasingly profiled as a research field. Detailed investigations found, inter alia with Bernhard Löffler through the Federal Ministry of Economy Ludwig Erhard.

According to Andreas Haka membership in fraternities and sororities often reflects the closest relations of the investigated university professors in mechanical engineering. For the American market, Nicholas L. Syrett gives an overview of the American white fraternities, their role in personal integration and socialization of newcomers to mass universities it next to some of the criticisms to the wild behavior he in addition to the previously very high demands on the Intellektualiät well as a positive aspect looks.

Other examples

Pioneer and pioneers of relevant research, among other Lawrence Stone.

• Abbott, Josie M.: The Angel in the Office. British Sociological Association, 2009.
• Bearman, Peter S., James Moody, and Robert Faris. " Networks and History. " Complexity, no 8 (2002): 61-71.
• During, Marten, and Martin Stark: Historical Network Analysis. In Encyclopedia of Social Networks. Edited by George A. Barnett. 2 vols. London: Sage Publishing, 2011.
• During, Marten / Linda Keyserling: Network analysis in the historical sciences. Historical network analysis as a method for the research of historical processes. In: Schützeichel, Rainer; Jordan, Stefan ( ed.): processes - forms, dynamics, explanations. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Social Sciences, 2012.
• During, Marten / Ulrich Eumann: Historical network research: a new approach in the historical sciences, in: History and Society 3/2013, pp. 369-390.
• Erickson, Bonnie H.: Social Networks and History: A Review Essay. Historical Methods 30, no 3 (1997): 149-157.
• Stark, David, and Balazs Vedres: Social Times of Network Spaces: Network Sequences and Foreign Investment in Hungary. American Journal of Sociology 111, no 5 (2006): 1367-1411.
• Strong, Martin: Networks in the history of science. In creditors, debtors and arms. Networks, and the role of confidence. Edited by Curt W. Hergenroder, 187-90. Wiesbaden: VS, 2010.
• Wellman, Barry and Steven Berkowitz, eds: Social Structures: A Network Approach. Structural Analysis in the Social Sciences 2 Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.
• Wasserman, Stanley: Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications, Cambridge University Press, November 25, 1994
• Holger Zaunstöck, Markus Meumann: law firms, networks, communication: New research on socialization in the century of the Enlightenment, Walter de Gruyter, 2003