At the frontier of imperial history: revisiting Edward Gait’s A History of Assam

Edward Gait’s A History of Assam was first published in 1906, later revised in 1926. The book has remained one of the most popular ‘textbooks’ in Assam, especially as the first modern historiography on the subject. This article looks at two broad issues in this regard. First, it looks at the contradictions that Gait was faced with in terms of his imperial ideology and interpreting the historical sources of an imperial frontier. Second, it tries to situate the relevance of the above point vis-à-vis some of the contemporary attempts at re-framing the region as an international borderland. In conclusion, the article looks at the reception of Gait and his appropriation into different discourses within Assam. A point explored is whether despite its contradictions, was Gait’s A History of Assam part of a wider, dynamic context of early twentieth century Assam, which made the book an important academic and political intervention of its times.     

Judging public relations: An analysis of an Israeli court judgement on a defamatory and negative campaign

This article analyzes a recent court ruling in Israel and argues that it has major implications for the public relations community internationally. To date, the public relations literature on legal judgments has focused on cases where media channels were sued for defamation. The article uses a 2012 Israeli court decision that may be unique in ruling out defamatory intentions in a public relations plan that was part of a lawsuit. The defendant in this case was not the media but rather a company that hired a public relations firm to, according to the judgement, conduct a defamatory campaign against a competitor. Although this is just one case in one country, the article also considers some of the wider implications for the profession and for democracy.     

Reconsidering the corporate narrative in U.S. PR history: A critique of Alfred Chandler's influence on PR historiography

This study explores the influence and dominance of Alfred Chandler Jr.’s theory of corporate development within public relations [PR] history. Chandler's work on late 19th Century corporate development is influential in PR historiography. PR oftentimes places its genesis in the late 19th Century corporate sphere to distance itself from press agentry. Examining critiques of Chandler's work on corporate development, this study argues that rooting PR in a corporate context does not provide legitimacy to PR practice and skews PR history to favor a corporate narrative. Implications for both history and normative PR theory development are discussed.     

The history of public relations in Greece from 1950 to 1980: Professionalization of the “art”

The early development of public relations in Greece is explored through a focus on the period between 1950 and 1980. Specifically, the, article considers the origins and early developments, important actors, international influences, professional bodies and the field of practice. It is found that Greek business public relations were greatly influenced by American practices and through influential practitioners’ contact with the International Public Relations Association (IPRA).     

中国史学史研究的国际视野

乔治忠认为,中国史学史学科体系的建设具有不同的构成层次,界定其学术任务和研究内容,展现学科性质的板块式逻辑结构,明晰学术研究的切入点,是独立学科地位能够成立的基础;探研中国传统史学发展的主导线索,划分中国史学的发展阶段,是在深入研究条件下的整体性把握。罗炳良认为,中国史学史的学科体系渐臻成熟,中国史学史研究也应当拓宽学术领域,促进史学史的内涵和体系不断深入和完善;要实现这个目标,至关重要的是加强史学思潮和史学批评范畴两个领域的研究。钱茂伟认为,需要用新的视角来研究史学史,一是用史学范型观照传统史学的发展历程,二是用国家与社会关系视角观照史学的发展历程;特别要重视研究民间史学,注重小历史的书写研究。朱政惠认为,中国史学史研究要放到国际中国史学史、东西方史学研究和交流的大环境中考察,从历史的纵向考察和横向的比较中探寻中国史学史研究的新方向。     

学术考辨与文史涵养不可或缺——兼与王辉斌先生商榷

学术研究是严肃而审慎的工作,凡从事者均宜黾勉以求博学、审问、慎思、明辨,不可因自身文史涵养的欠缺而出现常识性的错谬。文章撮举部分唐代文学研究著述因缺乏文史涵养而致误之例,分为不谙史实、不谙称谓、不谙校雠、不谙典制、不谙物候、不谙文体、不谙格律、不谙词义、不谙地理、不谙历算十类,以供参酌戒鉴。     

历史的重构与史学的转折——一个跨文化的考察

所谓史学中的转折点,指的是那些在某一历史时期、某一文化内产生了深远影响的历史观念和历史意识的根本性变化,这些转折点事实上也无不在史学史上发挥了跨文化的作用,历史文本也因而得以重构。1970年代末以来,我们已经目睹了诸多书写史学史时取用全球视角和比较方法的可贵尝试,历史学的范畴据之大为拓展,非西方史学也受到了越来越广泛的重视。而当今后现代主义对以科学史学和国家历史为典范的现代职业历史学的巨大挑战,极有可能为又一次重大的史学转折点铺下基石。     

《佛祖统纪》与中国宋代僧人的史学思想

宋代是中国佛教史学发展的黄金时期 ,各类僧史著作的编写相当引人注目 ,其中尤以南宋僧人志磐的《佛祖统纪》最为著名。从《佛祖统纪》可以看出 ,宋代僧人的史学思想 ,不仅丰富了佛教史自身 ,扩大了它的社会影响 ,而且也为中国史学乃至中国文化带来了新的成分 ,它的出现有着历史与宗教的双重意义 ,值得作进一步的研究。     

也论梁启超的新史学思想——以《李鸿章》传为例

梁启超是中国近代新史学的开创者之一,在历史理论方面作出了杰出贡献,而《李鸿章》传是其新史学思想形成初期阶段的一部传记作品,通篇体现着梁启超对自己所提出的"新史学"理论的认真思考和实践。故文章以《李鸿章》传为代表,对梁启超逃亡日本前期初步形成的新史学观点进行综合分析,提出如下判断:维新救国的政治理想和实践是梁启超资产阶级新史学产生的根源,《李鸿章》传作为一部其新旧史学思想过渡转型时期的著述,从对旧史学的批判、新政治理想的萌发、传论结合新文风的开创、史学比较方法的运用等方面体现着梁启超对所倡导的资产阶级新史学的初步尝试,因此这部传记作品与其他时期的传记著述相比,具有较高的学术价值。     

The origins and nature of American nationalism

This article critically analyzes the origins and nature of American nationalism. The first part examines the historiographical debate on the question in what period the formation of an American national identity occurred, i.e. before or after the American Revolution. The second part is concerned with the nature of American nationalism, casting doubt on the claim that American nationalism is exceptional, i.e. inherently different and morally superior to other nationalisms. It refutes the exceptionalist claim by applying recent findings in European nationalism research to the American case and by reinterpreting American nationalism not as an introspective phenomenon but as a demarcation process.