Article
from Journal of Applied History

Two Types of Applied History

READ FULL ARTICLE
Houthi supporters chant slogans holding signs reading "Death to America, Death to Israel"
Houthi supporters chant slogans holding signs reading "Death to America, Death to Israel", as they attend a rally marking eight years for a Saudi-led coalition, March 26, 2023, in Sanaa, Yemen. For years, the Houthi rebels controlling northern Yemen have chanted slogans at their mass rallies calling for the destruction of Israel. But they never joined any conflict beyond the confines of their own country's civil war or nearby in the Arabian Peninsula. The Iranian-backed Shiite Muslim force has launched at least six drone and missile attacks toward southern Israel since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7. 

Abstract

In recent years, a concerted effort has been made to build up and delineate a discipline of applied history. But there has been little discussion about what applied history is, how the discipline navigates a range of epistemological problems, and how applied history is distinct from other disciplines that use historical data and attend to matters of policy—particularly political science. This article considers some of these questions with respect to two common methods of applied history: analogy and genealogy. It applies these methods to understand two contemporary issues in the Middle East: the shadow war between Israel and Iran, and maritime tensions between Greece and Turkey.

Recommended citation

Mens, Jay . "Two Types of Applied History." Journal of Applied History, vol. 5. no. 2. (December 2023): 89–110.

Want to read more?

The full text of this publication is available via Journal of Applied History.