Bentley Article Outline
Abstract * Historians take national states as focus (since mid-19th century) * Realize importance of large-scale historical process * Sea/ocean basins as framework for analysis * Not well for absolute/definitive category * Contour/characteristics change dramatically over time * Useful to bring focus to exchange
* For > century European/Euro-American treat history almost exclusively to national states * Leopold focus on institution, constitution, foreign policies, political experiences of national communities * > recent scholar broaden scope but in framework of national communities * Early 20th century China/India/other start adopt E/E-A view (property of national communities) in analysis of own historical experiences * Since WWII historian/scholar↑aware that focus national communities distract from large-scale * Influence experience of individual societies & development of world * Migration/imperial expansion/cultural trade/exchange/etc. left mark on world past * Adequate study require categories > than national communities * Large-scale approaches to the past useful * Large-scale economic regions found for investigation of cross-cultural trade & formation of world systems * Large-scale cultural communities purposes of understanding process of cultural exchange * Maritime regions/communities around major seasalternative to national states/other terrestrial constructs * Considerable influence on historical scholarship & inspired other sea studies * Not prompted general reconception of social space/historical geography * Suggestion arise in context of contemporary instabilities * New conception of social space/historical geography may improve categories reflecting dynamics that shaped world’s development * If continent/civilization/area studies/ nation problematic can alternative constructs near sea/ocean
* For > century European/Euro-American treat history almost exclusively to national states * Leopold focus on institution, constitution, foreign policies, political experiences of national communities * > recent scholar broaden scope but in framework of national communities * Early 20th century China/India/other start adopt E/E-A view (property of national communities) in analysis of own historical experiences * Since WWII historian/scholar↑aware that focus national communities distract from large-scale * Influence experience of individual societies & development of world * Migration/imperial expansion/cultural trade/exchange/etc. left mark on world past * Adequate study require categories > than national communities * Large-scale approaches to the past useful * Large-scale economic regions found for investigation of cross-cultural trade & formation of world systems * Large-scale cultural communities purposes of understanding process of cultural exchange * Maritime regions/communities around major seasalternative to national states/other terrestrial constructs * Considerable influence on historical scholarship & inspired other sea studies * Not prompted general reconception of social space/historical geography * Suggestion arise in context of contemporary instabilities * New conception of social space/historical geography may improve categories reflecting dynamics that shaped world’s development * If continent/civilization/area studies/ nation problematic can alternative constructs near sea/ocean