Fundamental concepts of social formation history as a scientific direction in the Russian imperial historiography XIX – early XX century

Abstract

In modern historiography tends increasingly move away from playing social history primarily through the prism of political history, class struggle and so on. However, the desire to put it turns into the epicenter of scientific research proper rights in order to comprehend human society in its entirety, exploring the social relationships between individuals. It is characteristic of East Slavic and modern historiography. However, it is usually omits a detailed analysis of the origins and formation of social history as a scientific field in imperial historiography XIX – early XX century. However, a detailed study of this process is particularly important for a full understanding of the evolution of scientific studies in this area.

Purpose. So the purpose of this article is to explore the conceptual basis of the origin of the East Slavic historiography XIX – early XX century. a new direction – a «social history» and to clarify the interpretation of the then science subject field of research.

Results. The formation of «social history» as a separate direction of research in historiography Empire was a difficult and long way. Already in the second half of the XVIII – early XIX century appears in the writings of historians interested in displaying different aspects of the internal life of the people. From the mid-nineteenth century. East European historiography active part in the phase of research into the history of the population of different states at different stages of historical development. A particular impetus for this were bourgeois reforms that time.

Formed initially as a history of conditions in the late XIX – early XX century Russian social history delineated as a special area of historiography. It became a kind of counterweight to the cultural and political history. In scientific usage was actively used the very notion of «social history». At the same time expanded its range of research fields. Social history was to go beyond the study exclusively caste division and legal situation of social groups joining with the subject of the research problems of relations between social groups, their internal dynamics change, economic and legal situation.

Conclusion. Thus, in a period of outlined historical study of social processes of society were specific path of evolution of theoretical and methodological foundations. Finding its origins in scientific studies on the life of people in general, they transformed the history of states, and then evolved into a social history as a separate scientific field.