F Return China in the World homepage E

COMBINE LITERARY SENSITIVITY WITH ANALYTICAL THOROUGHNESS

H

WHAT IS A 'PRIMARY SOURCE' ?

• A primary source is from the time period by a participant, someone involved in the theme. An 'insider'. A secondary source is removed (in time and/or space) from the event, someone interpreting and discussing those events that they were not themselves involved in. An 'outsider'.

• However the distinction is sometimes fluid, and not just being written government documents. For example the national media (Beijing Review, People's Daily, Xinhua) in China is state controlled, so that one could argue that it is propaganda to a greater or lesser extent, and as such biased. That may be true, yet these ties also mean that such media sources are also indicative of 'inside' government thinking to some extent, what the state finds acceptable and perhaps wishes to expound. As such, they become quasi-primary sources, reflecting views that the 'inside' government finds acceptable rather than being 'outside' secondary observations

• Secondary sources for one theme can also become primary sources for another theme. Thus American newspaper reports from the late 1990s on China, or Gertz' The China Threat (2000) are are secondary' outsider reports vis-a-vis China, but actually become 'primary' sources if one is considering American 'China Threat' perceptions of China in the late 1990s.

In order to make full use of primary sources, various aspects can be considered.

[1] AUTHORSHIP (= Who)

If we know the author, then certain things can be looked out for, with a view to possible subsequent comment by you. This can involve their:

• Biographical details
• Ideological/philosophical/political/philosophical/ standpoints
• Authorship of other works
• Position in society (politically and socially, i.e. 'influence')

[2] CONTEXT (= When & Where)

Sometimes (e.g early primary sources) we do not know the actual author, so that matters of 'context' become even more important. The text does not arise in a vacuum. Often the 'time period' setting within which it arose often can be valuable, and sometime crucial, for shedding light on the text. In particular you should look out for its wider:

• Historical context
• Cultural/social/political/religious context

Here you could be on the lookout for the implications of what some literary/social scientists call 'discourse theory', i.e. that literature reflects wider/underlying social structures, with particular messages being embedded (hence a discourse) in literature. In a word 'context'.

NOTE: The Who + When + Where of a text can often shed light on WHY the text was written, for 'what' purposes, for 'whose' individual or group purposes, for which audience?

[3] CONTENT (= What)

Here we move into what is actually being expressed within the text, which can then serve as the base for looking outwards from it, e.g. bringing in:

• Language style
• Terminology
• Central point/s
• Comparison with other texts on that topic

Here you could be on the look out for what some historians like Arthur Marwick call unwitting, as well as witting (deliberate) testimony. Such 'unwitting' testimony can often be as, or even more, revealing than the more obvious 'witting' testimony. Deconstructing the 'construction'.

[4] SIGNIFICANCE (= So what !)

Finally we can try to stand back from the text and put it into an overall perspective, e.g. what use has it for us, what value does it have for its:

• Illustrative character, i.e reflecting the wider 'context/period', being typical or not
• Consequential character, i.e. affecting, influencing the wider 'context/period', being influential
• Corroborating or challenging established 'views', being typical or not
• Impact on yourself

or

3 + 1 + 1 + 1 = (Who + When + Where) [> often Why] + What content + So What!

F Return China in the World homepage E