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6.7.Historicalcontextualizationandperiodization
Figure 6.10 shows another case of chronological and historical contextualization.
Here, it is a question of producing a periodization based on existing historical
knowledge which serves the analyst as a reference point. In our example, it is the
history of France, subdivided into periods which, preliminarily, appear valid to
specialists in that field. These eras are identified in a specific micro-thesaurus, which
forms part of the ASW thesaurus (Figure 6.11). Of course, this micro-thesaurus can
be adapted, replaced or simply used alongside other micro-thesauruses devoted to
the eras of French history.
In the example shown in Figure 6.10, the analyst's work is organized as follows:
− 1
st
stage: the analyst identifies the history, the historical formation for which
the existing periodization in the form of eras is valid. In our case, it is the history of
France.
− 2
nd
stage: the analyst identifies the era(s) relevant for his task of analysis which
consists of finding the historical context which is appropriate and pertinent for his
work. Here, it is the era of the French Classical Age.
Figure6.12.
ExtractfromtheASWmicro-thesauruscontainingthe
differenterasinChinesehistory
These two stages form a sub-sequence which is pre-supposed by all the other
sub-sequences making up sequence 3 devoted to the contextualization (of a
knowledge object thematized in the audiovisual text being analyzed) in the history
of France.
− 3
rd
stage: the analyst can now undertake a more fine-grained periodization
which is adapted to the object of his analysis. He begins to describe the particular
period in question and which is situated either within an era or across two or more
