Seminar 2 - Culture and Mentality - Seminar Questions
Introduction
Chat discussion: Thinking about the three readings (Ladurie, Darnton, Eley/Burke)
Which did you like best? Why?
- I liked the Darnton reading because it explored how a source which is seemingly unhelpful due to the
lack of factual evidence surrounding it and other aspects of its provenance being troublesome can be
useful in establishing the opinions of people in a given society over a period of time
- I also found it interesting how Darnton explored the use of allegorical symbolism in the book to further
understand the context of the text, as well as asserting that contextualising a text and understanding
the motives of the author can make the source useful even if the content itself isn’t the most helpful of
sources
Is there a particular reading you disliked? Why?
- There was not a reading I particularly disliked, however I was more interested in the Darnton article than
the Ladurie one as it explored historical methodology which I was less familiar with, whereas Ladurie
explored more familiar methodology of reading a source that was a non-fiction, supposedly factual
record of events and using this information to make direct inferences about the nature of society
Ladurie and Darnton
In groups of three, review your notes on these two readings:
What differences can you identify between Ladurie and Darnton’s approaches?
- Ladurie’s approach involves taking a source that is supposedly factual and using the information in their
to make conclusions and inferences about the structures of society
- Darnton’s approach involves using a fiction based on fact text which most likely has significant factual
discrepancies from the real event, but investigating how the author portrayed the people in the text and
characterised them in order to make inferences about society at the time the source was written, society
at the time of the event it was written about, and the differences and similarities of various aspects of
societies at both these times and in the period between
How do they use their sources? Why do you think they have chosen these?
- Ladurie uses the source to make supported factual conclusions about society, using a primary source
which claims to be an accurate record of happenings
- Darnton uses a fiction based on fact source, which allows him to focus less on factual discovery from the
source and using said facts to draw a solid conclusion of society at the time, but instead allows him to
focus on the nuances of the writing, the characterisation in the story, and the general context of the
source in order to build an inferred picture of society
, - In other words Ladurie uses the source to provide context to a period, whereas Darnton uses context of
the period to understand the source, and then uses the findings in the source to enrich his interpretation
of society in the period
What kinds of theories might they be applying to their work?
- They are clearly applying social theories surrounding sexual attraction in both of their writings
- Furthermore Ladurie uses theories of religious morality to draw conclusions from his source
- Darnton explores the ideas of human nature and a desire for power and increasing ones standing over
the course of life. He then explores the consequences of when societal structures do not allow this
Reconvene to discuss together
Concepts
What kinds of evidence are cultural historians looking for in their sources?
- Cultural historians look for multi-faceted sources, which not only give a surface interpretation of facts,
but also allow for inferences to be made about the time the source was written, the time the source was
writing about and the impacts of a variety of cultural factors on any given society
- Furthermore they are looking for sources which focus both on broader issues, and more specific ones
- In the Ladurie chapter he discusses gender as a significant factor in shaping society, and the breaks
that down into different aspects found in the source, such as hygiene routines, sexual practices etc.
- In the Darnton article he talks about broad themes of inter-class relations, particularly between a
powerful employer and their employees, but focusses in on the specific issues facing artisans, as well
as exploring the intricacies of folklore which impact the rhetoric and symbolism used by people from
a certain society
What do historians mean by terms like ‘culture’ and ‘mentalities’
- culture is broader, examining practices of society which are influenced by and in there own right
influence law and commonplace
- Mentalities refers more to individual personality and thought which feeds into culture
How do you know when you find evidence of mentalities or attitudes?
*Break*
Practical: A Heretic’s Confession from Montaillou
In groups of three, look through this primary source again and highlight passages that you think are
significant via Google Docs.
What does this source tell us about attitudes to family, religion, or authority?
- Religion was associated with all aspects of society, heavily influencing family life and providing authority
in society
- Family politics were important in making decisions, often with men in the family having greater say and
power
Introduction
Chat discussion: Thinking about the three readings (Ladurie, Darnton, Eley/Burke)
Which did you like best? Why?
- I liked the Darnton reading because it explored how a source which is seemingly unhelpful due to the
lack of factual evidence surrounding it and other aspects of its provenance being troublesome can be
useful in establishing the opinions of people in a given society over a period of time
- I also found it interesting how Darnton explored the use of allegorical symbolism in the book to further
understand the context of the text, as well as asserting that contextualising a text and understanding
the motives of the author can make the source useful even if the content itself isn’t the most helpful of
sources
Is there a particular reading you disliked? Why?
- There was not a reading I particularly disliked, however I was more interested in the Darnton article than
the Ladurie one as it explored historical methodology which I was less familiar with, whereas Ladurie
explored more familiar methodology of reading a source that was a non-fiction, supposedly factual
record of events and using this information to make direct inferences about the nature of society
Ladurie and Darnton
In groups of three, review your notes on these two readings:
What differences can you identify between Ladurie and Darnton’s approaches?
- Ladurie’s approach involves taking a source that is supposedly factual and using the information in their
to make conclusions and inferences about the structures of society
- Darnton’s approach involves using a fiction based on fact text which most likely has significant factual
discrepancies from the real event, but investigating how the author portrayed the people in the text and
characterised them in order to make inferences about society at the time the source was written, society
at the time of the event it was written about, and the differences and similarities of various aspects of
societies at both these times and in the period between
How do they use their sources? Why do you think they have chosen these?
- Ladurie uses the source to make supported factual conclusions about society, using a primary source
which claims to be an accurate record of happenings
- Darnton uses a fiction based on fact source, which allows him to focus less on factual discovery from the
source and using said facts to draw a solid conclusion of society at the time, but instead allows him to
focus on the nuances of the writing, the characterisation in the story, and the general context of the
source in order to build an inferred picture of society
, - In other words Ladurie uses the source to provide context to a period, whereas Darnton uses context of
the period to understand the source, and then uses the findings in the source to enrich his interpretation
of society in the period
What kinds of theories might they be applying to their work?
- They are clearly applying social theories surrounding sexual attraction in both of their writings
- Furthermore Ladurie uses theories of religious morality to draw conclusions from his source
- Darnton explores the ideas of human nature and a desire for power and increasing ones standing over
the course of life. He then explores the consequences of when societal structures do not allow this
Reconvene to discuss together
Concepts
What kinds of evidence are cultural historians looking for in their sources?
- Cultural historians look for multi-faceted sources, which not only give a surface interpretation of facts,
but also allow for inferences to be made about the time the source was written, the time the source was
writing about and the impacts of a variety of cultural factors on any given society
- Furthermore they are looking for sources which focus both on broader issues, and more specific ones
- In the Ladurie chapter he discusses gender as a significant factor in shaping society, and the breaks
that down into different aspects found in the source, such as hygiene routines, sexual practices etc.
- In the Darnton article he talks about broad themes of inter-class relations, particularly between a
powerful employer and their employees, but focusses in on the specific issues facing artisans, as well
as exploring the intricacies of folklore which impact the rhetoric and symbolism used by people from
a certain society
What do historians mean by terms like ‘culture’ and ‘mentalities’
- culture is broader, examining practices of society which are influenced by and in there own right
influence law and commonplace
- Mentalities refers more to individual personality and thought which feeds into culture
How do you know when you find evidence of mentalities or attitudes?
*Break*
Practical: A Heretic’s Confession from Montaillou
In groups of three, look through this primary source again and highlight passages that you think are
significant via Google Docs.
What does this source tell us about attitudes to family, religion, or authority?
- Religion was associated with all aspects of society, heavily influencing family life and providing authority
in society
- Family politics were important in making decisions, often with men in the family having greater say and
power
