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Li Youdong

Research interests

Li Youdong (1975-) now works in the Institute of History and Culture of Tianjin Normal University as a professor. His main research interests are focuced in History Historical Materialism,Comparative and Western Modern and Contemporary History Theories. He started his academic career firstly on comparing the civilization origins between Chinese and Greek. In the practice of comparative history, he realized that the eastern and western civilizations are not only different in ontological historical path and experiences; but also there are many hidden, tacit and subtle differences in Chinese and western researchers' historical epistemology and the the oretical tools. This makes difficult for Chinese and western historians to make consent on comparative premises, methods,theoretical framework, common sense, concepts, discourses and grand narratives. In recent years, he have begun to pay attention on how to carry out theoretical reflection on comparative history，in order to establish a ‘proper’ comparative framework. In his understanding, historians should clearly understand their own cognitive process and take this as the starting point for their own research. Theoretical analysis and reflection should be carried out on various concepts, discourses, paradigms and grand narratives which were originally taken for granted in historian's epistemology. The purpose of his theoretical reflection is to think about how to achieve mutual ‘understanding’ between Chinese and western academic circles in comparative history. It is because of the need for theoretical reflection that he is more interested in discourse theory, postmodernism, postcolonialism, hermeneutics, historical materialism, etc. and want to realize the ‘fusion of horizons’ of different theories to overcome the bias brought by a single theory.

Education:

Li Youdong graduated from Liaocheng Normal University (now Liaocheng University) in 1998. He entered Tianjin Normal University in 1998 and received a master's degree in history.The master's thesis focuses on the Southeast Asian financial crisis that occurred in 1997. The topic is Comparative Study On The Modernization Process of Indonesia And Malaysia Before And After The Financial Crisis. In 2004, he received his doctor's degree from Tianjin Normal University. The topic of his thesis is The Comparison Between The Origins Of Chinese And Western Civilizations. The distance between the themes of master's thesis and doctoral thesis reminds him that modernity has been exerting a strong influence in western historiography from ancient to modern history.

Teaching

Introduction to Historiography (undergraduate students)

History of Western Historiography (undergraduate students)

Contemporary School of Western Historiography (postgraduate students).

Professional Experience：

2011.9-2012.2,visiting scholars in Stanford University's Department of Classics.

Scientific ResearchProject：

1.PI（Principal Investigator）：

①the provincial and ministerial level project, The Accumulated Construction of Concepts of  Occidental And Oriental Concepts in World History

②the provincial and ministerial level project, Tianjin New Era Curriculum Ideological And Political Reform in Course "Introduction to Historiography "

2.CO-PI：

①Key Projects of Philosophy and Social Sciences Research, Ministry of Education，“Research on the Process of Urbanization in European Rural Areas and Its Reference Significance”

②National-sponsored Social Sciences Funding Program，“A Study on the Historical and Geographical Background of the Origin of Ancient Chinese Civilization”

③He participated in the compilation of the textbook "Introduction to Historiography" which belong to the "Tenth Five-Year" National Plan of General Higher Education.

Academic papers:

[1]Li Youdong, "Review of Narrative Patterns of Western Civilization", Researchon Historical Theory, 2018, No.4. The full text of this article was reprinted in world history of Information Center for Social Science of RUC，2019，2；and was also reprinted also in the Social Science Digest(12th issue in 2018) and the History and Society Digest (4th issue in 2018) (The Digest of History and Society).

[2]Li Youdong, "An Analysis of the Formation and Causes of Nation from European Historical Experience", "Social Science", 2018, No.8. This article was reproduced in the Chinese Social Sciences Digest (No.12, 2018).

[3]Li Youdong, "What is the West? -Comments on Narrative Discourse of Western Civilization", The Social Science Front, No.5, 2018. The full text of this article was reprinted in ‘History’ of Information Center for Social Science of RUC，No.7, 2018, and was also reprinted in the full text in "Xinhua Digest" (online edition) No.24, 2018.

[4]Li Youdong, "New Trends of Urbanization in European Rural Areas", Economic and Social History Review, No.4, 2016. The summary of this article is reproduced in the column of "Extract of Arguments" in 2017 of Xinhua Digest. At the same time, the full text of this article is also reproduced in the full text of "Xinhua Digest" (online edition), No.12, 2017.

[5]Li Youdong, "Preliminary Qualitative Observation of World History Coursesin the Department of History of American Universities-Taking Nine American Universities as Examples",History Teaching, No.7, 2016.

[6]Li Youdong, "Rural Living Standards in the Process of Urbanization in Western Europe", "GuangmingDaily", 2015-02-28(011).

[7]Li Youdong, "Two Different Perspectives in the Comparison of Eastern and Western Civilizations", "Researchon Historical Theory", No.1, 2014.

[8]Li Youdong, "The Origin of Time Order and Large-scale Cooperation of Agricultural Civilization", "Social Science", No.1, 2013.

[9]Li youdong, "The Specific Geographical Environment For The Emergence Of Cooperative Agricultural Civilization-A Comparative Study On The Geographical Background of The Origin of Agricultural Civilization In The Middle And Lower Reaches of The Yellow River", "Agricultural Archaeology", No. 4, 2008.

[10]Li Youdong, "Interpretation of History Theory on Ordinary High School History Curriculum Standards (Experiments) ",History Teaching Issues, No.3 in 2008. The full text of this article was reprinted in History, Geography Teaching and Learning in Middle Schools of Information Center for Social Science of RUC，No.10, 2008.

[11] Li Youdong, Wang Jing，Historiophoty and History Teaching，History Teaching (Middle School Edition),No.8，2008.

[12] Li Youdong. Theory and Practice of Historical Imagination and Historical Assumption，History Teaching(Middle School Edition), No.6, 2007.

[13]Li Youdong, "A Comparison of Geographical Environments of the Origin of Pre-Qin China and Ancient Greek Civilization", "Historical Monthly", No.5, 2007.

[14]Ba Xinsheng, Li Youdong, "Review and Reflection on Several Theoretical Models of Exploring the Origin of China", "Journal of Fujian Normal University (Philosophy and Social Science Edition)", No.4, 2006.

[15]Li Youdong, "Preliminary Study on the Formation of the Central Plains Civilization Core Area", "History Monthly", No.6, 2005.

[16]Jin Runcheng, Li Youdong, Ma Zhenxing, "Historical and Geographical Background of the Origin of Chinese Civilization from Guanzhong Area","Journal of Tianjin Normal University (Social Science Edition)", No.2, 2002.

Awards

In 2018, he won the first prize of Tianjin Municipal Teaching Achievement in Higher Education as the third participant.

In 2018, he won the first prize for Teaching Achievement of Tianjin Normal University as the as the third participant.

In 2017, he was selected into Young and Middle-aged Key Innovative Talents Training Plan of Tianjin High Education.

In 2004, he won the first prize of Tianjin Municipal Teaching Achievement in Higher Education as the forth participant.

In 2004, he won the first prize for Teaching Achievement Of Tianjin Normal University as the as the forth participant.

In 2004, he participated in the construction of The National Excellent Course of" Introduction to Historiography".

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