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The institutions of society have shaped both history and its study. Religious institutions, practices, and beliefs, have a significant and often unrecognized importance. Government has been influential, and economics has also. Educational is particulary important. Families are important, but not well studied. |
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These are also applied to other divisions of history. Prehistory can be examined only with difficulty, but antiquity, classical and medieval history, modern history, and the future all make use of institutions.
This is often neglected in a primarily political, secular treatment of history. Besides the questions about the distant past, the purpose and meaning of human events, the far future, and possible connection of history with a spiritual realm, religion as one of the major institutions of society has often been neglected.
Particular religions are the easiest to examine. Pagan religion including European, Asian, African, and American Indian dominated the world's history in antiquity. Abrahamic religion has had a major influence. Judaism is particularly important. Divisions of Christianity, including Roman Catholicism, Protestantism Orthodoxy, other traditional Christianity, and have been important, and Mormonism has additional insights to offer. Islam including Sunni and Shi'ite branches has had a major influence. Asiatic religion including Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, Oriental religions such as Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto and Persian religions such as Zoroastrianism, Manicheanism, and Mithraism have also been important in history. Secularism has been more influential recently.
Religious organization including unstructured organization, fragmented organization, and highly structured organization is not often well considered. Religious practice and belief have not yet been well examined here.
This has been traditionally considered the most important aspect of history. Most history has concentrated on nations, rulers, and warfare, and these are still an important component of it.
Particular governments have traditionally been a large and important focus of history. International governments have become significant in recent centuries. Traditional empires were largely supplanted by colonial empires. In the past century, modern compacts including temporary associations, special-purpose associations, and regional associations (such as the EU and NATO) have flourished. Two organizations with claims to be world governments, namely the League of Nations and its successor the United Nations are important. National governments have been more prominent than local governments.
Activities have been prominent. State relations such as warfare, diplomacy, and espionage have been important and highly visible in history. Administration has been prominent. Succession including election, inheritance, appointment, and seizure has also been used.
Government structure including government forms, heads of government such as rulers, executive systems, legislative systems, judicial systems and political parties and interest groups is significant.
Law International law has become important only in modern times. Western law has become significant. Asiatic law is not often considered explicitly, but is very significant. Tribal law is significant.
Economic systems including system behavior types of systems, networks, and firms are often ignored in a government or political-centered history. Industries are useful. Agriculture, building, transportation, communication, and social and medical services are all important. Particular companies such as BP, Toyota Motor, Chevron, ING Group, and Total can be categorized into various industries. Commercial and financial services engaged in by companies such as Wal-Mart, are significant. Extraction and Manufacturing industries such as Exxon-Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell are useful. Activities of production, distribution and trade, and consumption can be examined in history.
Particular schools including higher education at schools such as Harvard University, the University of Cambridge, and Stanford University, secondary education, and primary education is important in history. Educational organization, of administration, faculty, students,and curriculum can be considered. Cultural institutions including performance venues such as arenas or auditoriums, libraries, and museums is also useful. Teaching of compiled knowledge is vital. At its foundation is historical research and writing.
Particular families, kinship and ancestry, parenting, and marriage are not usually studied in as much detail as other areas.