HAT Question 3: What does a source reveal about a society?

Question three is so daunting because, aside from it being the longest question of the paper, you are probably unused to analysing sources without knowing their context. Usually at A-Level or GCSE, you are using a source to provide evidence to a particular argument, or as the basis for further discussion, whereas in the HAT the amount of context given is limited to not much more than a particular time and place. Rather than see this as a hindrance, however, you can embrace the opportunities it provides: you do not need to worrry about whether what you are saying is actually true, because they deliberately select sources about which you will know nothing beforehand. Therefore, you can allow your historical imagination to run wild. Question three is an exercise in constantly asking yourself "what might this show?" and "what could that mean?" until you have deduced something that could be relevant. Remember, it does not matter whether your inferences are factually correct, rather the examiners want to see that you are capable of thinking about the world of the past in an imaginative way, recognising that it does not have the same assumptions we have, and therefore showing that you can develop complex ideas from a series of simple inferences. One of the hardest parts of the question concerns structure, and how best to organise what can seem like a random collection of inferences and ideas. The best way to do this is to think about the themes that connect all societies throughout history, and the questions that come from them. For example: Gender- Do they conceive of gender separately from biological sex? Does this confer different roles on males and females? How does this affect power dynamics in the home and in politics? When and how are these roles socialised to the next generation? And so on... Economy- Is the economy complex or simple? Are people/families/communties self-sufficient or do they rely on trade? Is labour highly specialised and does this affect power or status? Does the economy drive culture, or vice versa? And so on... Geography- Do people attempt to live in harmony with their natural environment or overcome it? Does the geography affect the structure of the economy, or the culture? Are the external influences of the environment more significant than internal issues? And so on... You can take the same approach, of constant questioning, to numerous themes, such as military, culture, science, poltics, families and children, death and relation to the past, religion, authority, and many others. Considering the assumptions modern society holds about each theme, and the questions they raise, is the best way to prepare for the HAT. Once in the exam, themes such as these are the best way to organise the collection of thoughts you may have about the source, and thinking again about the issues each theme poses will allow you to achieve a deeper level of analysis that can reveal meaningful insights about a society. You should also think about what issues or people are missing from the source and why that might be. Remember to be imaginative and creative in your approach, as long as you ground your ideas in the source the examiners will not mind if you suggest ideas that are slightly 'wacky' or 'out of the box'. Indeed, this part of the HAT can be very fun, it is a chance to show off how far you can push an argument with very limited information.