Point of view (pov) and historical context

s.s

1. Point of View (POV) and Historical Context Thinking Like a Historian Global History 10

2. Determining Historical Context Some questions to consider when contextualizing a source: Who produced the source? Age, sex, economic background, ect. What is the genre of the source? How might this shape its content and viewpoint? Pamphlet , informational text, journal entry, ect. When was it produced? How does the timing of its production relate to other events? During the French Revolution? During the Industrial Revolution? How might political, social, religious, or economic events occurring at the same time have influenced the production of the source?

3. What is Point of View (POV)? It is one’s perspective toward a particular person or issue that has been shaped over a period of time due to one’s… experiences or motives race / ethnic origins nationality class status ideological position gender

4. Analyzing Point of View The first question you should ask yourself when analyzing the author’s POV is “ who produced the document?” – gender, age, ethnicity, social status, religion, intellectual beliefs, etc. How does a slave's point of view differ from the slave-masters point of view?

5. Analyzing Point of View The second question you should ask yourself is “who was the intended audience ?” – written privately, written to be read/heard by others (who?), official document for a ruler to read, commissioned painting, etc. How is a newspaper article different from a private journal entry?

6. Analyzing Point of View What is the MOTIVE of the author of the document? What is it they want to accomplish? How is a pamphlet suggesting to overthrow the government different from a government's constitution or written laws? What do these documents ask their reader to do?