Colin Elman is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Arizona State University.
Elman, Miriam Fendius : Arizona State University
Miriam Fendius Elman is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Arizona State University.
Summary
Bridges and Boundaries offers a conversation between what might loosely be described as traditionalist
diplomatic and military historians, and political scientists who employ qualitative case study methods to examine
international relations. The book opens with a series of chapters discussing differences, commonalities, and opportunities
for cross-fertilization between the two disciplines.
To help focus the dialogue on real events and research, the volume then revisits three empirical topics that have
been studied at length by members of both disciplines: British hegemony in the nineteenth century; diplomacy in
the interwar period and the causes of World War II; and the origins and course of the Cold War. For each of these
subjects, a political scientist, a historian, and a commentator reflect on how disciplinary "guild rules"
have shaped the study of international events. The book closes with incisive overviews by Robert Jervis and Paul
W. Schroeder.
Bridges and Boundaries explores how historians and political scientists can learn from one another and illustrates
the possibilities that arise when open-minded scholars from different disciplines sit down to talk.