Oral history, a method of collecting historical information through preplanned tape recorded interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge of an historical event, is a viable learning activity at the high school level. This methodology was conceived and later institutionalized by Alan Nevins in the 1940s as a way to counter the loss of…

The question, "What were the causes of World War I?," has become one of the classic historical debates of which there seem to be endless permutations. In the past 90 years historians, journalists, and politicians have offered many more or less rational explanations for the war. Although at least some of the usual "causes"…

This project report describes the historical research completed for the writing of one of the few single-volume books dealing with modern Serbian history that gives a complete and detailed analytical survey of the past history and its influence on present day Yugoslavia. The two-fold theme of modern Serbian history is: 1) the impact of…

Discusses the degree of acceptance of jazz in the contemporary music education curriculum. Contends that historically, jazz was given little respect by music educators. Points out this attitude changed in the 1960s. Explores the historical reasons for this change in attitude and posits a societal value reversal process to explain these changes.…

This document addresses the importance of teaching contemporary history. The failure to teach contemporary history leaves students ill equipped to deal with the present and the future, and also ensures that they will have little interest in the history of other times. Because memory is the central organizing principle in peoples minds, the…

Discusses the study of U.S. history in east German universities. Describes obstacles such as a lack of recent U.S. historical publications and limited opportunities to study in the West. Includes as areas of study: the American Revolution, the Civil War, twentieth-century foreign policy, historiography, German emigration, and U.S. Presidents. (DK)

This collection of essays focuses on textbook treatments of World War II in Japan, Germany, and the United States and gives readers a new perspective on the creation of national identities and international misunderstandings. Essays in the collection are: (1) "The Lessons of War, Global Power, and Social Change" (Laura Hein; Mark…

Reviews the contributions made to scientific knowledge about American political behavior, processes, institutions and governmental policies from 1950-1970. (Author/DB)

Surveys evaluations of Immanuel Wallerstein's "The Modern World-System" by specialists in early modern history and examines Wallerstein's influence on early modern historiography. Concludes by considering some attempts to synthesize world-systems analysis with other approaches. (LS)

Examines the influence of Karl Marx's writings on Adolf Hitler, and asks whether there was a causal nexus between Russian and Nazi atrocities. Uses primary sources as a method for historical comparison. Compares Hitler's writings on antisemitism with those of Marx. (NL)

Contends that the electronic generation of documents in modern offices will transform the nature of archives and, therefore, the techniques of historical research. Discusses advantages and disadvantages for historical researchers. Urges historians to express their concerns about these issues to the wider scholarly community. (CFR)

In 1922, Arthur Schlesinger urged his fellow historians to write women into the history books. He recognized that the size and sweep of women's history offered scholars and students the opportunity of a new major field. His call failed to arouse skeptical minds through the 1940s and 1950s as feminism fell into disrepute. But with the resurgence of…

The problems and rewards of conducting contemporary historical research are related in the light of the author's experiences in preparing an Ed.D. dissertation analyzing Malcolm S. Knowles' contributions to and influence on the field of adult education. Given its contemporaneous nature, the author terms the study accurate but inconclusive. The…

Maintains that accounts of education policy in post-1945 Great Britain may be distorted by the race and ethnic discourses embedded in both the analytical frameworks that historians employ and the primary source materials with which they work. Criticizes a number of key works from the 1960s to the present. (MJP)

A feminist historian traces the development of feminist history in the United States beginning with the investigation of the impact of industrialization on gender roles in both the work force and the family. Debates among feminist historians and yet unresolved theoretical issues are outlined and discussed. (MSE)