Changing the Subject: Epistemologies of Scandinavian source criticism

Peter Edelberg; Dorthe Gert Simonsen

Changing the Subject: Epistemologies of Scandinavian source criticism

SAXO-Institute - Archaeology, Ethnology, Greek & Latin, History

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Source criticism has been a pivotal method of historical research, routinely evoked as the necessary (if not sufficient) foundation of professional history in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. This article explores the epistemological context of source criticism, outlining a continuous if versatile focus on subjective agency as a motivating and formative problem of historical methods in Scandinavia throughout the 20th century. Towards the turn of the millennium, however, theories about discursive formation of identities and about entangled agencies of humans and non-humans have configured the nature of subjects, past reality, and historical knowledge differently. In a state of methodological multiplicity, rather than being foundational, source criticism has become one among other methods.

Original language	English
Journal	Scandinavian Journal of History
Volume	40
Issue number	2
Pages (from-to)	215-238
ISSN	0346-8755
Publication status	Published - 15 Mar 2015

Keywords

Faculty of Humanities

Cite this

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abstract = "Source criticism has been a pivotal method of historical research, routinely evoked as the necessary (if not sufficient) foundation of professional history in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. This article explores the epistemological context of source criticism, outlining a continuous if versatile focus on subjective agency as a motivating and formative problem of historical methods in Scandinavia throughout the 20th century. Towards the turn of the millennium, however, theories about discursive formation of identities and about entangled agencies of humans and non-humans have configured the nature of subjects, past reality, and historical knowledge differently. In a state of methodological multiplicity, rather than being foundational, source criticism has become one among other methods.",

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N2 - Source criticism has been a pivotal method of historical research, routinely evoked as the necessary (if not sufficient) foundation of professional history in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. This article explores the epistemological context of source criticism, outlining a continuous if versatile focus on subjective agency as a motivating and formative problem of historical methods in Scandinavia throughout the 20th century. Towards the turn of the millennium, however, theories about discursive formation of identities and about entangled agencies of humans and non-humans have configured the nature of subjects, past reality, and historical knowledge differently. In a state of methodological multiplicity, rather than being foundational, source criticism has become one among other methods.

AB - Source criticism has been a pivotal method of historical research, routinely evoked as the necessary (if not sufficient) foundation of professional history in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. This article explores the epistemological context of source criticism, outlining a continuous if versatile focus on subjective agency as a motivating and formative problem of historical methods in Scandinavia throughout the 20th century. Towards the turn of the millennium, however, theories about discursive formation of identities and about entangled agencies of humans and non-humans have configured the nature of subjects, past reality, and historical knowledge differently. In a state of methodological multiplicity, rather than being foundational, source criticism has become one among other methods.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - source criticism

KW - linguistic turn

KW - subjectivity

KW - agency

KW - theory of history

KW - actor-network theory

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0346-8755

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SP - 215

EP - 238

JO - Scandinavian Journal of History

JF - Scandinavian Journal of History

IS - 2

ER -

Changing the Subject: Epistemologies of Scandinavian source criticism

Abstract

Keywords

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