| ID | 131578 |
| Title Proper | Promise and pitfalls of medieval Islamic social history |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Berkey, Jonathan P |
| Publication | 2014. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | When I was in graduate school, in the 1980s, one frequently heard complaints about the comparatively unsophisticated nature of the historiography of the medieval Middle East. There was considerable envy of historians in fields like early modern European history, who pushed broader disciplinary limits and whose works were read not just for content but also for historiographical and theoretical inspiration. There were some in our own corner of the profession blazing new methodological trails-Clifford Geertz, for example, who, though not a historian, had much to say to historians, and whose books were read eagerly by historians, and not just in Middle Eastern history; or Fedwa Malti-Douglas, as much at home in feminist literary theory as in medieval Arabic literature. But many graduate students in Middle Eastern history felt a bit underrepresented on the cutting edge of historical thought and practice. |
| `In' analytical Note | International Journal of Middle East Studies Vol.46, No.2; May 2014: p.385-394 |
| Journal Source | International Journal of Middle East Studies Vol.46, No.2; May 2014: p.385-394 |
| Key Words | Pitfalls ; Medieval History ; Medieval Islamic History ; Social History ; Middle East ; Contemporary History ; Historiography ; Theoretical Inspiration ; Arab World ; Historical Thoughts ; Cutting Edge ; Disciplinary Limits ; Unsophisticated Nature |