Administrative History
This is the website of the forum on Administrative History. Here you can subscribe to the e-mail list through which you can recieve and spread news, useful information, and links about the study and field of administrative history.
" No administrative system can be well understood without some knowledge of what it has been, and how it came to be what it is" Leonard D. White
"This is not a plea for writing history backwards, for structuring history in the light of current preoccupations. It is merely a reminder that, perhaps, social scientists and historians […] are locked into interdependency, and that inherent tensions should not prevent interaction" Vincent Wright.
'"Sociology", said the historian, "I know what that is. It is history with the hard work left out". "And history", replied the sociologist, "that is sociology with the brains left out" D.G. MacRae.
Introduction
Administrative history borders on many academic fields of research such as political science, philosophy, public administration, anthropology and, of course, history. While many people in these disciplines are working on administrative history (in the broadest sense), knowledge of eachothers' work and of events, conferences etc. can be quite limited. This is, in itself, often a result of geographical and disciplinary fragmentation. Furthermore, a mixture of historical and more social scientific approaches is sometimes regarded an uneasy match in academia.
This forum proposes to bridge any gap between the disciplines and the people working in them, who are all interested in administrative history. It is the basic assumption of this forum that the field of administrative history can learn much from a focus on international and interdisciplinary interdependency and exchange.
A Forum
We invite those working on administrative history to sign up to a forum/mailinglist, to facilitate exchange of ideas and information and to connect scholars with (potentially) similar interests regarding administrative history. After signing up, all members can share information via the mailinglist on events such as summer schools, conferences, working papers, research projects and publication outlets for work on administrative history.
Obviously: the bigger the forum, the bigger the benefits, so we hope more people will sign up every day! Please feel free to notify others who you might think are interested.
Getting Involved
Signing up for the mailing list and (occasional) newsletter requires sending your e-mail address to Toon Kerkhoff at Leiden University. Any useful information concerning events etc. can be sent to the same address, after which it will be distributed among all members.
A Linked In Community
Linked In is a website enabling people to establish professional relationships and networks. A new group on Linked In is made, called Administrative History and the Social Sciences: a Forum. Those willing to add this group to their profile on Linked In can, in this way, connect to other members of the group. This increases the possibilities for communication and exchange.
Please note: signing up to Linked In is, of course, not mandatory or essential! If you don't sign up you will still receive a newsletter and be a part of the mailing list.
Conveners
Drs. A.D.N. Kerkhoff (Leiden University, the Netherlands)
Prof. Dr. M.R. Rutgers (University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
Dr. F. P. Wagenaar (VU University Amsterdam, the Netherlands)