RAYMUND VINCENT B.

ESPEJO
FACULTY, Social Sciences

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 Chapter I
Meaning and
Relevance
of History

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 Lesson 1

Basics of Historiography

A. Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, the students must be able to:

1. define the different concepts in the field of Historiography;
2. identify the different styles of history-writing;
3. describe and explain the different Philippine historians and their contributions;
and
4. participate actively from the different assigned tasks.
B. Content
1. Concepts
Historiography, History, Annales School, Big History, History from Below, Marxist
analysis, Political History, Social History, Universal History, World History, and
Historian

2. Time Allotment: 90 minutes

C. Navigation through Selected Readings

Basics of Historiography
Historiography
Historiography means literally "history-writing" (Latin: historia, "story"; Greek: γραφειν,
(grafān), "to write"). Historiography is the study of how history is recorded and presented. In
this recording and presentation, we are faced with the problem of the meaning of the word
‘history’: are past events ‘history’, or is it the description of the events that is ‘history’?
Historiography asks questions both on a broad theoretical level, and on a more
practical or specific level.

Defining Historiography
The study of Historiography demands a critical approach that goes beyond the mere
examination of historical fact. Historiographical studies consider the source, often by
researching the author, his or her position in society, and the type of history being written at
the time.

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 Issues engaged in so-called critical historiography includes topics such as:

1. What constitutes a historical ‘event’?

2. How does the medium (novel, textbook, film, theatre, comic) through which historical
information is conveyed influence its meaning?
3. How does the historian establish his/her own objectivity or come to terms with his/her
own subjectivity?
4. What is the ‘goal’ of history? What is history?

STYLES OF HISTORY-WRITING

Annales School
Pioneered by French historians, the Annales School promoted a new form of history,
replacing the study of leaders with the lives of ordinary people and replacing examination of
politics, diplomacy, and wars with inquiries into climate, demography, agriculture, commerce,
technology, transportation, and communication, as well as social groups and mentalities.
Big History
Big History is looking at the past on all time scales, from the Big Bang to modernity, looking
for common themes and patterns. It uses a multidisciplinary approach from the latest findings
in biology, astronomy, archeology, anthropology, etc. Big History arose out of desire to go
beyond the specialized and self-contained fields that emerged in the 20th century and
grasp history as a whole looking for common themes across the entire timescale of history.
The study of history is typically limited to the written word, yet this only encompasses the
past 5000 years or so and leaves out the vast majority of history. Big History examines the
links between different fields of study and weaves a common narrative along thematic lines.
History from below
History from below is a level of historical narrative, which was developed as a result of the
Annales School and popularized in the 1960s. This form of social history focuses on the
perspectives of ordinary individuals within society as well as individuals and regions that
were not previously considered historically important. This includes women and the
working class, as well as regions such as India or Africa.
Universal History
Basic ideas of universal history are so prevalent that they are difficult to separate
from basic Western assumptions of how the world is or should be. Outside some
intellectuals, such ideas continue to predominate as core assumptions. The teleological
aspects of universal history remain entrenched. Many people believe that the events of our
world, and more specifically, the events within the human community, are directed toward

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 an end or tending toward an end of some sort. ‘Linear’ pre-suppositions of the theory are no
less prevalent. The idea that time may be cyclical, or that there is no fundamental “end” to
the human struggle, is unfamiliar. Unlike history writing of the 19 th and most of the 20th
centuries, which focused on narratives of individuals, national and ethnic perspectives,
World History looks for common patterns that emerge across all cultures. World
historians use a thematic approach, with two major focal points: integration (how the
processes of world history have drawn peoples of the world together) and difference (how
the patterns of world history reveal the diversity of the human experience).
World History
World History is a field of historical study that originated in the 1980s. It examines history
from a global perspective.
The study of world history is in some ways a product of the current period of
accelerated globalization. This period is tending to both integrate various cultures and to
highlight their differences.
HISTORIANS IN THE PHILIPPINES
TEODORO A. AGONCILLO

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nccaofficial/17563307844

Agoncillo is considered one of the most important historians of our time. His
new brand of historiography did away with conventional ways of writing the history of
Philippines- through the eyes of foreigner and introduced amore Filipino-centric style, seeing
the events of the Philippines unfold through the eyes of Filipinos. Today, his works are
considered essential to the study of Philippine history, and have also transcended to the
realm of classic literature.
In 1985 Agoncillo was included in the roster of the Order of National Scientists by
President Ferdinand E. Marcos for his contributions to Philippine History. His notable work
include The History of the Filipino People; Malolos: The Crisis of the Republic; The Writing and
Trials of Bonifacio; and Revolt of the Masses. To celebrate his birth centennial, they published

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 two essays from the book History and Culture, Language and Literature: Selected Essays of
Teodoro A. Agoncillo edited by Dr. Bernardita Reyes Churchill.
RENATO R. CONSTANTINO

Source: http://www.bantayog.org/constantino-renato-r/

The writings of Renato Constantino were a major influence in the intellectual formation of
countless young Filipinos who staked their lives and future in opposing the Marcos
dictatorship.
At a time when the dominant, elitist view of Philippine-American relations was one of
benevolence and mutual benefit, Constantino pointed out that on the contrary, our
subservience to the interests of the United States had resulted in stunted growth.
Colonial miseducation was responsible for the lack of critical thinking, he said, and urged a
re-examination and redefinition of the Filipino identity that would affirm our independence,
uniqueness and democratic values.
Furthermore, he said, the country’s underdevelopment can be traced to our colonial
history: “This condition was not abolished with independence; it was merely transformed. We
see the economic structure as the basis for the iniquitous political system in which economic
privilege becomes the pillar of political power – a power that enhances colonial control and
further entrenches the hold of the local elite over the people.”

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 AMBETH OCAMPO

Source:https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a2/121213_RL2_%2528crop
ped%2529.jpg/220px121213_RL2_%2528cropped%2529.jpg&imgrefurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambeth_Ocampo&h=348&w=220&t
bnid=5yJpnJynTMlf0M:&q=Ambeth+Ocampo&tbnh=186&tbnw=117&usg=AI4_kTmbUb1vOZUECsheYmG8j4tRJQng&vet=12ahUKEwiWL7g
wY_gAhUVfXAKHccUCv8Q_B0wC3oECAUQBg..i&docid=NMyycTcpGg6qmM&itg=1&hl=enPH&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiWL7gwY_gAhUVfXAKH
ccUCv8Q_B0wC3oECAUQBg

Ocampo began writing for Weekend Magazine, the Sunday supplement of the Philippine
Daily Express in 1985 and subsequently joined its editorial staff as Associate Editor. His
column, Looking Back, first appeared in the Philippine Daily Globe from 1987 to 1990 and
compilations of these columns saw new life as his two-bestselling books namely the Looking
Back series and Rizal Without the Overcoat that was awarded the National Book Award for
Essay in 1990. On the invitation of Letty Jimenez Magsanoc and Eugenia D. Apostol,
Ocampo's Daily Globe column moved to the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 1990, where it
appears twice weekly to the present.
Since 1986, Ocampo has published over thirty-two books and publications, compilations
of his essays and writings on Philippine history, arts and culture. Most of his published works
focus on the life and works of the Philippine nationalist and martyr, Jose Rizal with Rizal
Without the Overcoat going into six editions since its first publication in 1990. He has
published monographs on other historical and cultural figures: the writer-artist Emilio Aguilar
Cruz, musical composer Nicanor Abelardo, historian Teodoro Agoncillo and Teodora Alonso,
the mother of Rizal among others.

Ocampo also contributed to works on the foreign relations of the Philippines between
France and Japan. He is presently at work on an edition of the diaries of former Philippine
President Ferdinand Marcos and a biography of former Philippine President Fidel Ramos.

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 GREGORIO ZAIDE

Source: http://www.famousfilipino.com/content/view/104/121/

Legendary historian to Philippine history, Dr. Zaide has made noteworthy contributions.
A diligent scholar, he authored 67 books, some were use as textbooks in history for secondary
and colleges in the country. He has also written more than 500 articles in history printed in
local and foreign journals.
Dr. Zaide acknowledged with Diploma of Outstanding Writings on Filipino National
Heroes; the Republic Cultural Heritage award of 1968 for his outstanding contribution to
historical writing; the Distinguished Public Service award; a Special Prize in History in the 1940
Commonwealth Literary Contest; the Diploma of Distinction for valuable researches on the
life and works of Dr. Jose Rizal, to name a few.
XIAO CHUA

Source: https://peoplepill.com/people/xiao-chua/

Michael Charleston “Xiao” Briones Chua (born 19 January 1984) is a Chinese-Filipino

historian, academic, and television personality, best known for his academic works on
Philippine history and his numerous appearances as a commentator on historical topics on
Philippine television, including a regular appearance on a news segment called "Xiao Time"
on public television station People's Television Network. He is currently a professor at De La
Salle University.

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 D. It’s Time To Conquer The Island!

“LET’S VOLT IN ACTIVITY”

1. Answer the following questions:
a. Who wrote the primary and secondary sources?
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b. What is the authenticity, authority, bias/interest, and intelligibility of the

source?
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c. What was the view of history when the source was written?
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d. Was history supposed to provide moral lessons? Why?
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e. What or who was the intended audience?
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 _______________________________________________________________
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f. What sources were privileged or ignored in the narrative?
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g. By what method was the evidence compiled?
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h. In what historical context was the work of history itself written?
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2. “Let’s Volt In”. In this activity, the student will write words that are related to the
different concepts using the concept map on the left side.
3. Construct a paragraph that will connect all the written words using the blank tablet
on the left side.

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 Students’ Tasks

Directions: Based on the information provided, fill in the concept map and write a
generalization using the written words in the concept map.

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HISTORIOGRAPHY _________________
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HISTORIAN
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 _________________
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HISTORY
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Direction: Based on the information provided, make a brief profile of the historiographer.
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TEODORO AGONCILLO
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 RENATO CONSTANTINO

AMBETH OCAMPO

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 GREGORIO ZAIDE

XIAO CHUA

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 Direction: Describe the different ways of writing history by means of writing information from
the boxes provided below.

Annales School Big History

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History from Marxist Analysis
below

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Political History Social History

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 Universal History World History

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Let the Battle Begin!
Direction: Answer the following questions briefly but comprehensively.

1. What is the purpose of writing history?

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2. Should a historian interpret or merely report? Why?

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 3. Is it even possible to report without interpreting? Why?

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4. Is bias unavoidable? Why?

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5. Is the past too complex to be described adequately? Why?

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 6. Has history focused unduly on famous men, and their
warfare, whilst the actions of un-famous people,
collectively, or even individually, may have been more
important? Why?

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7. How did they gather data?

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 8. What were their sources?

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9. How did they organize their data?

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 10. Who were they working for?

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F. Exploration of Knowledge

Direction. Fill in the chart below by researching sample styles of history-writing from the
books in the library.
Styles of History- Author/s Author’s Profile Name of the Description
Writing Book about the
book

1. Annales School

2. Big History

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 3. History from
below

4. Marxist Analysis

5. Political
History

6. Social
History

7. Universal
History

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 G. Concept Grounding #StudentThought

Learner’s Reflection

1. I am proud of myself…
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2. Was I organized? Did the activity work properly?

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3. How was the pacing of my lesson?

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4. What should I change for next time?

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H. References

 Famous Filipino (2013). Retrieved from http:// www. Famous filipino. com/
content/ view/104/121/ on February 18, 2019.
 https: //johnmanjiro. squarespace. com/s /historiography-11-john-manjiros-
conflicted-copy-2012-05-31.doc. Retrieved on February 18, 2019.
 Official Gazzette (2013). Retrieved from https:// www. official gazette. gov. ph/
teodoro-a-agoncillo/ on February 18, 2019.
 The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https:// www. britannica.
com/ biography/ Nick-Joaquin\ on February 18, 2019.

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