Historian

This article refers to those who study the subject of history. For medical uses of the term historian refer to Historian (medical).

A historian is a person who studies history. The term is often reserved for people whose work is recognized in academia, particularly those who have acquired graduate degrees in the discipline. The process of historical analysis is a difficult one, involving investigation and analysis of competing ideas, facts, and purported facts to create coherent narratives that explain "what happened" and "why or how it happened." The related field in which methods of historical analysis are studied is called historiography.

Since the 1960s, history as an academic discipline has undergone several revolutions, in which the number of areas commonly recognized as worthy of historical analysis in academia has increased enormously. Previously, Western history had often focused on the history of great men, wars, diplomacy, large ideas/science, and politics. From the 1960s onward, many other topics became the subject of academic study, such as the history of popular culture, mass culture, and the lives of ordinary people. There was also a pronounced shift away from crude Whiggish analyses, in favor of a more critical and precise perspective.

For example, a common myth is that Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb; a traditional American history might highlight Edison's story at the expense of all others. In contrast, a modern history of Edison mentions all his predecessors and competitors, in order to show that Edison's real accomplishment was in finding a long-lasting filament, and in engineering the successful commercial deployment of the technology.

Historians have also begun to investigate histories of ideas surrounding various categories of people, such as women, racial minorities, or disabled people (for instance, a historian might study the construction of ideas about disabled people, and the results thereof, perhaps in a specific historical setting, such as Nazi Germany).

Today, many historians are employed at universities and other facilities for secondary education. In addition, it is common, although not required, for many historians to have a Phd in their chosen area of study. When doing their thesis for this degree, many turn it into their first book, since continual publishing is essential for advancement in educative professions.

There is currently a great deal of controversy among academic historians regarding the possibility and desirability of neutrality in historical scholarship.

Historian

See also