This research seminar deals with the interpretation and use of diaries, autobiographies, correspondence, self-portraits, and other personal records. During the Spring quarter, students will read widely in the secondary literature and report on various themes. Each session will be composed of two parts: 1) discussion of a book assigned to all participants; 2) a report by one of the participants on a particular issue. The Fall quarter will be devoted to discussion of research papers presented by students.

For an introduction to the subject, the following works will be of use:
 

"Autour de l'ego-histoire," in Le Debat 49 (1988), pp. 122-140.

Ken Plummer, Documents of Life: An Introduction to the Problems of Literature of a Humanistic Method (London, 1983)

Rudolf M. Dekker, "Ego-documents in the Netherlands, 1500-1814,11 Dutch Crossings 39 (1989), pp. 61-72

Kenneth Barkin, "Autobiography in History," in Societas 6 (1976), pp. 83-108.

Jean-Pierre Dedieu, "The Archives of the Holy Office of Toledo as a Source for Historical Anthropology," in Gustav Hennigsen and John A Tedeschi, eds., The Inquisition in Early Modern Europe.

David Bryant, "Revolution and Introspection: The Appearance of the Private Diary in France," European Studies Review 8 (1978), pp. 259-277.

Alice Brown, "Descartes' Dreams," in Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes 40 (1977), pp. 256-73.

Benigna von Krusenstjern, "Was sind Selbstzeugnisse? Begriffskritische und quellenkundliche Oberlegungen anhand von Beispielen aus dem 17. Jahrhundert," in Historische Anthropologie 2 (1994), pp. 462-71.

Thomas Kuehn, "Reading Microhistory: The Example of Giovanni and Lusanna," in Journal of Modern History 61 (1989), pp. 512-34.

Winfried Schulze, "Ego-Dokumente: AnnAherung an den Menschen in der Geschichte? Vordberlegungen fdr die Tagung 'Ego-Dokumentel," in Winfried Schulze, ed., Ego-Dokumente: Annaherung an den Menschen in der Geschichte (Berlin, 1996)

Otto Ulbricht, "Supplikationen als Ego-Dokumente," in Winfried Schulze, Ego-Dokumente, pp. 149-74.

Winfried Schulze, 11Zur Ergiebigkeit von Zeugenbefregungen und Verh6ren," in Schulze, Ego-Dokumente, pp. 319-326.
 

Michael Carrithers, Steven Collins, and Steven Lukes, eds., The Category of the Person (Cambridge, 1985)

Norbert Elias, The Civilizing'Process. Vol. 1, History of Manners; Vol. 2, Power and Civility (Oxford, 1978, 1982)

Michel Foucault, The History of Sexuality (New York, 1980)

Charles Taylor, Sources of the Self (Cambridge, MA, 1989)

• Weeks 1 and 2
• Week 3
• Week 4
• Week 5
• Week 6
• Week 7
• Week 8
• Week 9
• Week 10