The categories of history or historical categories are time, space, structure, duration and conjuncture. Originally, the way of analyzing history taking into account its various dimensions is due to the French historian and author Fernand Braudel.
For Braudel, the different aspects of human and social life have different rhythms. For example, economic change moves at a different rate than art and architecture.
This also differs from legal changes or certain customs. That is, all aspects of society change but not simultaneously, although they are related. Therefore, it is necessary to resort to different categories for its analysis.
Brief description of the story categories
Weather
Within the categories of history, time is of the essence. However, the way of conceiving it has undergone profound changes.
Precisely, after Braudel's work, this is not considered as something linear and uniform. On the contrary, it is perceived as multiple, not regular and socially constructed.
In this sense, in the analysis of the different historical processes we speak of temporality. This is not a single time, as there are different temporalities for the different simultaneous processes.
Space
Space is another of the fundamental categories of history. This is characterized as the geographical place where historical events occur.
In the past, space and society were treated as separate entities. Nor was its relationship to history considered.
Today, this notion of space is dynamic. Thus, history takes into account the effects that this geographical environment has had on the course of events.
In addition, it weighs the fact that man has had to adapt to the different conditions of his geographical space. But also, it makes modifications to these spaces.
Structure
The structure is related to what Braudel calls time, or temporality, of long duration (longue durée). This is a time that moves very slowly.
This author contrasts it with the short, episodic or short-term time. The short time refers to the chronologies or historical narratives of wars, conquests, kings and others.
On the other hand, in the l ongue durée there are structures. These are the underlying social patterns that limit human actions for a considerable time.
Duration
Historical phenomena can be classified into short, medium and long duration. However, this duration does not necessarily meet established criteria for measuring time.
In this way, the short time is one that includes facts and dates (the time of the event). The medium is a cyclical time (time of the conjuncture) that generally have to do with situations of an economic nature.
Finally, the long duration is related to the structures (underlying social patterns).
Joint
The situation is related to the mean time. Here are the cyclical rhythms or normal fluctuations of history.
A specific example of this is business cycles - periods of recession followed by periods of expansion.
References
- Cox, RW (2013). Universal Foreigner: The Individual And The World. Singapore: World Scientific.
- Menchaca Espinoza, FJ and Martínez Ruiz, H. (2016). Mexico history. Mexico City: Grupo Editorial Patria.
- Flores Rangel, JJ (2010). History of Mexico I. Mexico City: Cengage Learning Editores.
- Trepat Carbonell, CA and Comes Solé, P. (1998). Time and space in the didactics of social sciences. Barcelona: Grao.
- Wallerstein, I. (2002). Braudel, Fernand (1902-1985). In M. Payne (Compil.), Dictionary of Critical Theory and Cultural Studies, pp. 57-59. Buenos Aires: Grupo Planeta.