“I always say that historians are craftsmen. We must be craftsmen”. Interview with Daniel James

In this interview, Daniel James tells us about his childhood in the United Kingdom and recalls summers spent at his miner uncle's house in Wales. We learn that he is the only son of a nurse and a metalworker. Both were drafted into the British Army to serve in World War II. His father -a member...

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Autores principales: Badaloni, Laura, Torres, Pablo
Formato: Artículo revista
Lenguaje:Español
Publicado: Investigaciones Socio-Históricas Regionales (ISHIR) Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR) 2025
Materias:
Daniel James
Oral History
Gender
Methodologies
History
Sociological Imagination
Historia Oral
Género
Metodologías
Historia
Imaginación sociológica
História Oral
Gênero
Metodologias
História
Imaginação Sociológica
Acceso en línea:https://ojs.rosario-conicet.gov.ar/index.php/AvancesCesor/article/view/2088
Aporte de:
Avances del CESOR (CONICET) de Universidad Nacional de Rosario
id I15-R237-article-2088
record_format ojs
institution Universidad Nacional de Rosario
institution_str I-15
repository_str R-237
container_title_str Avances del CESOR (CONICET)
language Español
format Artículo revista
topic Daniel James
Oral History
Gender
Methodologies
History
Sociological Imagination
Daniel James
Historia Oral
Género
Metodologías
Historia
Imaginación sociológica
Daniel James
História Oral
Gênero
Metodologias
História
Imaginação Sociológica
spellingShingle Daniel James
Oral History
Gender
Methodologies
History
Sociological Imagination
Daniel James
Historia Oral
Género
Metodologías
Historia
Imaginación sociológica
Daniel James
História Oral
Gênero
Metodologias
História
Imaginação Sociológica
Badaloni, Laura
Torres, Pablo
“I always say that historians are craftsmen. We must be craftsmen”. Interview with Daniel James
topic_facet Daniel James
Oral History
Gender
Methodologies
History
Sociological Imagination
Daniel James
Historia Oral
Género
Metodologías
Historia
Imaginación sociológica
Daniel James
História Oral
Gênero
Metodologias
História
Imaginação Sociológica
author Badaloni, Laura
Torres, Pablo
author_facet Badaloni, Laura
Torres, Pablo
author_sort Badaloni, Laura
title “I always say that historians are craftsmen. We must be craftsmen”. Interview with Daniel James
title_short “I always say that historians are craftsmen. We must be craftsmen”. Interview with Daniel James
title_full “I always say that historians are craftsmen. We must be craftsmen”. Interview with Daniel James
title_fullStr “I always say that historians are craftsmen. We must be craftsmen”. Interview with Daniel James
title_full_unstemmed “I always say that historians are craftsmen. We must be craftsmen”. Interview with Daniel James
title_sort “i always say that historians are craftsmen. we must be craftsmen”. interview with daniel james
description In this interview, Daniel James tells us about his childhood in the United Kingdom and recalls summers spent at his miner uncle's house in Wales. We learn that he is the only son of a nurse and a metalworker. Both were drafted into the British Army to serve in World War II. His father -a member of the Communist Party- introduced him to reading and history. He later encouraged him to study at the university. The family library provided those first books that introduced him to history, including some by Eric Hobsbawm. James then recalls his early education at Oxford and his entry into Raphael Samuel's History Workshop. Through his words, we relive the electrifying fascination he felt upon first hearing Edward P. Thompson. His account conveys, with sensitive precision, Thompson's passionate and theatrical display in front of an attentive, silent audience. Our conversation then explores the reasons that led him to choose Latin America and Argentina for his research, his journey leading up to Resistencia e Integración, and his encounter with Berisso and, crucially, with Doña María. His latest book with Mirta Zaida Lobato -Paisajes del Pasado- occupies an important place in this conversation. Also featured are his methodological reflections on the possibilities and limitations that historians experience when trying to reconstruct inevitably fragmented worlds. As a summary of his conception of the craft -and of this interview as well-we appeal to one of his quotes that takes us back to the sociological imagination postulated by Charles Wright Mills: “I always say that historians are craftsmen. We must be craftsmen.”
publisher Investigaciones Socio-Históricas Regionales (ISHIR) Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR)
publishDate 2025
url https://ojs.rosario-conicet.gov.ar/index.php/AvancesCesor/article/view/2088
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spelling I15-R237-article-20882025-06-10T15:22:43Z “I always say that historians are craftsmen. We must be craftsmen”. Interview with Daniel James “Yo siempre digo que los historiadores, las historiadoras somos artesanos. Debemos ser artesanos”. Entrevista a Daniel James "Eu digo sempre que os historiadores são artesãos. Nós devemos ser artesãos." Entrevista com Daniel James Badaloni, Laura Torres, Pablo Daniel James Oral History Gender Methodologies History Sociological Imagination Daniel James Historia Oral Género Metodologías Historia Imaginación sociológica Daniel James História Oral Gênero Metodologias História Imaginação Sociológica In this interview, Daniel James tells us about his childhood in the United Kingdom and recalls summers spent at his miner uncle's house in Wales. We learn that he is the only son of a nurse and a metalworker. Both were drafted into the British Army to serve in World War II. His father -a member of the Communist Party- introduced him to reading and history. He later encouraged him to study at the university. The family library provided those first books that introduced him to history, including some by Eric Hobsbawm. James then recalls his early education at Oxford and his entry into Raphael Samuel's History Workshop. Through his words, we relive the electrifying fascination he felt upon first hearing Edward P. Thompson. His account conveys, with sensitive precision, Thompson's passionate and theatrical display in front of an attentive, silent audience. Our conversation then explores the reasons that led him to choose Latin America and Argentina for his research, his journey leading up to Resistencia e Integración, and his encounter with Berisso and, crucially, with Doña María. His latest book with Mirta Zaida Lobato -Paisajes del Pasado- occupies an important place in this conversation. Also featured are his methodological reflections on the possibilities and limitations that historians experience when trying to reconstruct inevitably fragmented worlds. As a summary of his conception of the craft -and of this interview as well-we appeal to one of his quotes that takes us back to the sociological imagination postulated by Charles Wright Mills: “I always say that historians are craftsmen. We must be craftsmen.” En esta entrevista, Daniel James nos habla de su infancia en el Reino Unido y rememora los veranos en casa de su tío minero en Gales. Nos enteramos que es hijo único de una enfermera y un operario metalúrgico y que ambos fueron reclutados por el ejército británico para servir en la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Su padre –afiliado al Partido Comunista– lo acercó a la lectura y a la historia. Luego lo animó a estudiar en la Universidad. La biblioteca familiar proveyó aquellos primeros libros que lo iniciaron en la historia, entre ellos, algunos de Eric Hobsbawm. Después, James recuerda los comienzos de su formación en Oxford y su ingreso al History Worshop de Raphael Samuel. A través de sus palabras, volvemos a experimentar la fascinación electrizante que sintió al escuchar por vez primera a Edward P. Thompson. Su relato nos transmite, con sensible precisión, el despliegue apasionado y teatral de Thompson frente a un público atento y mudo. Nuestra conversación luego transita por los motivos que lo empujaron a elegir América Latina y Argentina para sus investigaciones, el recorrido hasta llegar a Resistencia e Integración y su encuentro con Berisso y fundamentalmente, con Doña María. Su último libro con Mirta Zaida Lobato –Paisajes del Pasado– ocupa un lugar importante en esta charla. También sus reflexiones metodológicas sobre las posibilidades y limitaciones que experimentan los historiadores e historiadoras al intentar reconstruir mundos inevitablemente fragmentados. Como síntesis de su concepción del oficio –y de esta entrevista también– apelamos a una de sus frases que nos retrotrae a la imaginación sociológica postulada por Charles Wright Mills: “Yo siempre digo que los historiadores, las historiadoras somos artesanos. Debemos ser artesanos”. Nesta entrevista, Daniel James fala-nos da sua infância no Reino Unido e recorda os verões passados ​​na casa do seu tio mineiro, no País de Gales. Ficamos a saber que é filho único de uma enfermeira e de um metalúrgico, e que ambos foram convocados para o Exército Britânico para servir na Segunda Guerra Mundial. O seu pai, membro do Partido Comunista, iniciou-o na leitura e na história. Mais tarde, incentivou-o a estudar na universidade. A biblioteca da família forneceu os primeiros livros que o introduziram na história, incluindo alguns de Eric Hobsbawm. James recorda então a sua educação inicial em Oxford e a sua entrada no History Workshop de Raphael Samuel. Através das suas palavras, revivemos o fascínio eletrizante que sentiu ao ouvir Edward P. Thompson pela primeira vez. O seu relato transmite, com uma precisão sensível, a exibição apaixonada e teatral de Thompson perante um público atento e silencioso. A nossa conversa explora, então, os motivos que o levaram a escolher a América Latina e a Argentina para a sua pesquisa, o seu percurso que o levou a Resistencia e Integración e o seu encontro com Berisso e, crucialmente, com Doña María. O seu mais recente livro com Mirta Zaida Lobato — Paisagens do Passado — ocupa um lugar importante nesta conversa. São também apresentadas as suas reflexões metodológicas sobre as possibilidades e limitações que os historiadores experienciam ao tentarem reconstruir mundos inevitavelmente fragmentados. Como síntese da sua concepção do ofício — e também desta entrevista —, recorremos a uma das suas citações que nos remete para a imaginação sociológica postulada por Charles Wright Mills: "Digo sempre que os historiadores são artesãos. Devemos ser artesãos." Investigaciones Socio-Históricas Regionales (ISHIR) Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR) 2025-06-05 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion application/pdf https://ojs.rosario-conicet.gov.ar/index.php/AvancesCesor/article/view/2088 10.35305/ac.v22i32.2088 Avances del Cesor; Vol. 22 No. 32 (2025): Junio Avances del Cesor; Vol. 22 Núm. 32 (2025): Junio 2422-6580 1514-3899 spa https://ojs.rosario-conicet.gov.ar/index.php/AvancesCesor/article/view/2088/3197 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

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