Varieties of Cultural History (ePub)

The aim of this book is both to illustrate and to discuss some of
the main varieties of cultural history which have emerged since the
questioning of what might be called its "classic" form, exemplified
in the work of Jacob Burckhardt and Johan Huizinga. Among the
themes of individual chapters are the history of popular culture,
the history of Carnival, the history of mentalities, the history of
gestures, the history of jokes, and even the history of dreams.

The emphasis of both the introduction and the case-studies which
follow is on the variety of forms taken by cultural history today.
The classic model has not been replaced by any new orthodoxy,
despite the importance of approaches inspired by social and
cultural anthropology. Variety is to be found in the cultures
studied as well as among their historians. The case-studies
included in the volume come not only from Europe (and in particular
from Italy) but also from the New World, especially Brazil.
Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of cultural
encounters, cultural conflicts, and their consequences, whether
these consequences should be described in terms of mixing,
syncretism or synthesis.

Written by one of the leading cultural historians in Europe
today, this book will be of particular interest to students of
early modern Europe, of the encounters between European culture and
the New World, and to students and scholars interested in problems
of historiography.