文化史是甚麼

文化史是現前歷史研究當紅的主題，這大概無庸置疑。不過文化史究竟是甚麼呢？似乎又是眾說紛紜。昨天在看一本論文集"Cultures of Natural History"，編者的導言中倒是有一些不錯的看法。所謂不錯的意思是，清晰明瞭，而且很能幫助研究者思考課題。


他們指出，當前文化史的重點在於研究「實踐」(practice)，而實踐又可以分為五個層面：

1. Material Practice: ways of making, handling and transforming things

2. Social Pracice: covers whole ranges of asscociations, recruitments, delegations and negotiations

3. Literary Pracitce: conventions of genre, representation and persuation

4. Bodily Practice: forms of bodily, sartorial or gestural self-presentation and normative accounts of physical and emotional experience in response to particular situation.

5. Reproductive Practice: the means by which skills and knowledge are handed on from generation to generation.