Introduction: History as a ‘Martial Art’

Abstract

In this introduction, editors Eureka Henrich and Julian M. Simpson explain the impetus behind the volume—a desire to encourage a more reflective global conversation about identity and migration through the use of historical perspectives. They propose, after Bourdieu, that we think of history as a ‘martial art’, a political instrument that can inform, illuminate and encourage different types of thinking beyond the limited realm of academic research. Using history in this way can be a powerful challenge to the simplistic binaries and ahistorical notions that dominate global public and policy debates about immigration.