The Force of Comparison: A New Perspective on Modern European History and the Contemporary World

The Force of Comparison: A New Perspective on Modern European History and the Contemporary World
ISBN-10
1789203368
ISBN-13
9781789203363
Category
History
Pages
354
Language
English
Published
2019-09-01
Publisher
Berghahn Books
Author
Willibald Steinmetz

Description

In an era defined by daily polls, institutional rankings, and other forms of social quantification, it can be easy to forget that comparison has a long historical lineage. Presenting a range of multidisciplinary perspectives, this volume investigates the concepts and practices of comparison from the early modern period to the present. Each chapter demonstrates how comparison has helped to drive the seemingly irresistible dynamism of the modern world, exploring how comparatively minded assessors determine their units of analysis, the criteria they select or ignore, and just who it is that makes use of these comparisons—and to what ends.

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