Title

The Triangle of Comparative History

Description

A discussion of each of the dimensions of the "Triangle of Comparative History" in [the Figure] can help to further clarify the features of the major types of comparative history, as well as the characteristics and likely incidence of works that mix the various possible pairs of types.To begin with dimension (a) of the Triangle: the Parallel and Contrast-oriented types of comparative history share the feature that prior general ideas-theories in the case of the Parallel approach; themes or questions in the case of the Contrast-oriented approach-are brought to bear on each individual case in the overall comparative-historical investigation.As dimension (b) of the triangle indicates, the Macro-analytic and Parallel types of comparative history share a concern with developing explanations, whether causal generalizations or deductively elaborated theories. This shared concern is an objective absent in the Contrast-oriented approach.Turning to dimension (c) of the triangle, we note that the Contrast-oriented and Macro-analytic variants of comparative history share the feature that direct comparisons between or among historical cases are intrinsic to their respective manner of argumentation-intrinsic to highlighting the unique case contexts in the Contrast-oriented type, and intrinsic to making causal inferences in the Macro-analytic type. This shared feature is absent in the Parallel approach, where theory is applied to case histories one by one.

Designer

Skocpol, Theda

Somers, Margaret

Date

1980

Source

The Uses of Comparative History in Macrosocial Inquiry

Bibliographic Citation

Skocpol, Theda and Margaret Somers. 1980. "The Uses of Comparative History in Macrosocial Inquiry." Comparative Studies in Society and History, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr., 1980). Figure 2. Pages 187-190.

is depiction of attribute

English Triangle

is composed of

English Triangle

has attribute

English Arrow

English Solid Line

use feature

English Brace

English Equal

depict things of type

English Typological or Classification

Coverage

historiography

history

triangle