University of Minnesota
Department of History
history@umn.edu
612-624-2800


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Edward Farmer

612-624-7301
Department of History 916 HellerH

Department Affiliations

Narrative

I was trained in East Asian Regional Studies and Modern Chinese history. My research has concentrated on the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), but years of teaching have broadened my interests: first to comparative Asian History, then to comparative World History. Coming from a Chinese history background, I have tried to see world and global history from a perspective that resists Eurocentric assumptions. In recent years this has led me to reexamine Ming history from a global perspective.


Specialties

  • World & Global History
  • Comparative Early Modern History
  • History of Ming China
  • Modern Chinese History

Educational Background

  • Ph.D.: Harvard University, 1968.

Publications

  • "Western civilization, Modernity, and World History: Some Perspectives from East Asia": Farmer, Edward L, 2001.
  • "Shijieshi zhongdi Mingshi yanjiu" (The Study of Ming History in a World HistoryContext): Farmer, Edward L, 2004.
  • The Information Age: Introduction to Global History Since 1950. Farmer, Edward L, Kendall/Hunt, Author, 2007.

Research Activities

  • "Prepresentations of Empire": Ming China seen through gazetteer illustrations, 1998
  • "Then and Now": A Framework for Global Historical Analysis, 2004

Creative Activities

  • The Shanghai Communiqué Then and Now: A Historical Perspective: Unpublished paper, 2002
  • Illustration as Text, as Painting and as Map: Some Thoughts about Ming Gazetteer Images: Unpubished paper, 2003
  • Ming China’s Pursuit of Cultural Homogeneity: Unpublished paper, 2004
  • Ming Taizu and the Chinese Social Orde: Unpublished paper, 2005
  • Patriarchy in One Country: Zhu Yuanzhang’s Concept of the Ideal Social Order: Unpublished paper, 2006

Professional Activities

  • Director: National Resource Center in International Studies and Foreign Language and Area Studies Grant Program, Institute of Global Studies
  • Director of Publications, Center for Early Modern History
  • Managing Editor, Ming Studies
  • Editor, Ming Studies Research Series

Awards

  • NDFL Fellowship for Chinese, 1961-65
  • Fulbright Fellowship, Taiwan, 1965-67
  • ACLS Chinese Civilization Fellowship, 1975-76
  • Wang Institute of Graduate Studies Fellowship, 1984-85
  • Morse-Alumni Award for Undergraduate Education, 1989
  • Committee for Scholarly Communication with China, Travel Grant, 1994
  • University of Minnesota Academy of Distinguished Teachers, 1999

Courses Taught

  • Hist 1015 - Introduction to Global History: The Information Age
  • Hist 8630 - Seminar in World History
  • Hist 3/5467 State and Revolution in Modern China
Alternative Output Formats Alternative Output Formats

Featured Faculty

  • Gary Cohen Awarded Austrian Medal of Honor

    CohenMedl02-thumb-350x262-20924.jpg
    Gary Cohen has been awarded the Austrian Medal of Honor (Verdienstkreuz) for Science and Arts, First Class. The ceremony was held at the Austrian Embassy in Washington. He was presented the award by Dr. Christian Prosl, the Austrian Ambassador to the United States.

    Congratulations to Gary! This is a much-deserved recognition of Gary's scholarship on the Habsburg Empire and his leadership of the Center for Austrian Studies.

    November 17th, 2009
  • Regina Kunzel, Lambda Literary Award Recipient

    Regina Kunzel has been awarded the Lambda Literary Award in the category of LGBT Studies for her book Criminal Intimacy: Prison and the Uneven History of Modern American Sexuality. Congratulations Regina.

    June 5th, 2009
  • Donna Gabaccia, Fesler-Lampert Chair

    Tthe Graduate School has appointed Donna Gabaccia to the Fesler-Lampert Chair in Public Humanities for 2009-2010.

    June 5th, 2009

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