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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 4 page paper defines "historiography," and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of African historiography. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
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4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVAfrHis.rtf
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paper discusses them in relation to African historiography. Discussion The first thing to do perhaps is to define "historiography," which sounds like "history" but isnt. It is instead the history
of history: "The writing of history based on the critical examination of sources; a narrative that will stand the test of critical methods" (Meijer, 2005). We can see that this
would immediately eliminate sources such as folk tales and myths from consideration. One source suggests that at least in South Africa, the "ideological liberation of the 1990s unleashed a tremendous
variety of thought and approaches to South African historiography" without establishing a clearly defined direction. Its suggested that the immediate future for historical work here lies in a "symbiosis" of
all the various "progressive streams from liberal Africanism and radical, social history to ANC-informed strategic thinking" (Visser, 2004). Visser notes that while traditional inquiries into politics, social themes and the
economy still continue, there is an increasing emphasis on such things as ecotourism, the environment, leisure and heritage identities, and that such an expansion in the field is most welcome
(Visser, 2004). Visser believes that the shift is proof that "South African historians are no longer subconsciously harnessed to respond academically to the political challenges of the apartheid era" (Visser,
2004). This development means that the history of contemporary South Africa may well present a narrative of events that will pertain to all groups "as fully-fledged South African citizens," contained
in a "more inclusive narrative" (Visser, 2004). This material suggests that one of the strengths of South African historiography is its move toward inclusiveness, while its current fragmentation and
inability to find direction is a weakness. A somewhat different picture is presented by Terence Ranger, who argues that a recent analysis of South African historiography reveals "that there is
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