Contemporary History

"The History Department of the University of Washington has scheduled for the second time an extra course of lectures…

Employment Pacts in Italy 1992 to 2002

Beschäftigungspolitik, Sozialpakt, Zeitgeschichte, Italien, Employment policy, Social pact, Contemporary history, Italy

Bank Regulation in the United States

Bankenpolitik, Bankensystem, Geschichte, Zeitgeschichte, Vereinigte Staaten, Banking policy, Banking system, Historical perspective, Contemporary history, United States

Contemporary History 1877-1913

"This volume like all Professor Beard's writings is vigorous, stimulating and incisive.

Afghanistan: A Glimpse of War—Contemporary History at the Canadian War Museum

How do you exhibit the history of an ongoing conflict, with an unknown outcome and with most documents restricted on the basis of operational security? What story can you tell? Afghanistan: A Glimpse of War, a special exhibition developed by and currently on view at the Canadian War Museum (CWM), addresses these questions by using first-hand accounts from eyewitness records, media reports, interviews, open source material, and the visitors themselves. The exhibition presents the origins of the war in Afghanistan, and Canadian participation from the first deployments in 2002 to current operations in Kandahar province. The personal stories in the exhibition examine how individual Canadian soldiers and Afghans experienced conflict and reconstruction in Afghanistan, and were made available to the CWM primarily through the work of two Canadian journalists, Stephen Thorne and Garth Pritchard

Epistemic Problems in Contemporary History

A recent trend in contemporary written history is towards what I term “narrative” history, where the significant events of the past are framed within traditional dramatic structure and told through the personal vignettes of the common people who experienced them. This makes for immersive reading, but the complication in this approach is that history, at least in part, purports to be a true telling of the past. Therein lies the problem. I shall argue that narrative history’s pervasive use of literary technique and witness testimony in order to make truth claims about the past is epistemically unjustified. That does not mean that I believe narrative history is pointless, only that its continued relevance in modern culture is dependent on it having a practical use, not an epistemic one. I believe that narrative history does have that practical application

A Contemporary History of Exclusion

The volume presents the changing situation of the Roma in the second half of the 20th century and examines the politics of the Hungarian state regarding minorities by analyzing legal regulations, policy documents, archival sources and sociological surveys. In the first phase analyzed (1945-61), the authors show the efforts of forced assimilation by the communist state. The second phase (1961-89) began with the party resolution denying nationality status to the Roma. Gypsy culture was equivalent with culture of poverty that must be eliminated. Forced assimilation through labor activities continued. The Roma adapted to new conditions and yet kept their distinct identity. From the 1970s, Roma intellectuals began an emancipatory movement, and its legacy is felt until this day. Although the third phase (1989-2010) brought about freedoms and rights for the Roma, with large sums spent on various Roma-related programs, the situation on the ground nevertheless did not improve. Segregation and marginalization continues, and it is rampant. The authors powerfully conclude: while Roma became part of the political community, they are still not part of the national one. Subjects: Romanies—Hungary. Romanies—Hungary—Social conditions. Marginality, Social—Hungary. Romanies—Legal status, laws, etc.—Hungary. Minorities—Government policy—Hungary. Hungary—Ethnic relations. Hungary—Social policy

Trends and new directions: The Southern Journal for Contemporary History

Journal for Contemporary History / Southern Journal for Contemporary History Recently I have assumed editorship of the Journal for Contemporary History, housed at the University of the Free State, and this announcement is intended to introduce the new editorial team and also to signal some major changes in the Journal’s editorial direction