The city as an object of new social history: methodological approaches to research

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to analyze methodological approaches to the study of the city within the framework of new social history and historical urban studies, as well as to demonstrate how shifts in scholarly paradigms have influenced the understanding of the city as a social, cultural, and spatial phenomenon. Methods. The study is based on an interdisciplinary approach combining methods of social history, historical urban studies, microhistory, and urban sociology. The research employs critical analysis of scholarly concepts, comparative analysis, and elements of historical-typological and micro-analytical methods. Particular attention is paid to the methodological contributions of the Chicago School, new local history, and the history of everyday life. Results. The article demonstrates that the formation of historical urban studies occurred at the intersection of various humanities and social sciences, which determined its eclectic yet productive character. It is shown that the shift from macro-historical models to microhistorical approaches and the study of everyday practices made it possible to reconsider the city as a space of social interaction. The main theoretical approaches to urban space are analyzed, including ecological and zonal models, concepts of mental maps, urbanism as a way of life, and critical theories of space. Conclusions. The study concludes that contemporary research on the city is impossible without an interdisciplinary methodology that allows the city to be understood as a complex historical, cultural, and socio-economic process. New social history and microhistorical approaches facilitate a transition from abstract models to the analysis of lived urban experience, thereby opening new perspectives for the historical study of urbanization.