1/10 - "How historiographies of slavery, trade and migration have evolved in CH and Brazil"

1/10 - "How historiographies of slavery, trade and migration have evolved in CH and Brazil"

Humanities, Social Sciences & Thought History NHAHistory: theory and methodsNHAHHistoriography
🎙 Université de Lausanne 👥 36K 📅 February 23, 2026 ⏱ 117 min 👁 91 📄 expert opinion 🧭 2026-08-02
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

historiographyslaverytrademigrationSwitzerlandBrazilAtlantic worldtransatlantic connections

Summary

The video is the first session of a conference titled ‘Slavery, Resistance and Democracy: Exploring Swiss-Brazilian connections in the 19th century Atlantic world’, held at the University of Lausanne. The session, moderated by Bernhard C. Schär and Izabel Barros, features four senior scholars: Béatrice Ziegler, Rafael de Bivar Marquese, Mary Ann Mahony, and Maria Helena P. T. Machado. The discussion focuses on why it took so long for Swiss and Brazilian historiographies to engage with each other, despite deep historical connections dating back to the 17th century. The speakers highlight factors such as historiographical specialization, funding constraints, political contexts (e.g., dictatorship in Brazil), and the recent turn to global history. They also discuss the challenges and opportunities of building transnational research collaborations. The session sets the stage for a broader exploration of the entanglements between Switzerland and Brazil in the 19th century, including slavery, migration, and economic exchanges.

148 words

Critical Evaluation

The video provides a valuable and insightful discussion on the historiographical evolution of slavery, trade, and migration in Switzerland and Brazil. The panelists are highly qualified scholars with extensive expertise, lending credibility to their observations. The discussion is well-moderated, allowing each speaker to contribute unique perspectives based on their research backgrounds. The arguments are logically presented, and the speakers acknowledge the complexity of the topic, avoiding oversimplification. The session effectively highlights the reasons for the delayed scholarly engagement, including historiographical specialization, funding issues, and political contexts. The discussion also touches on methodological challenges in building transnational histories, which is a significant contribution to the field. However, the content is primarily based on personal experience and interpretation rather than systematic evidence, which limits its scientific rigor. The lack of formal citations and the conversational format mean that some claims are not fully substantiated. Additionally, the video is part of a conference series, so it may not provide a comprehensive overview on its own. Overall, the video offers a high-quality expert opinion that is both informative and thought-provoking, but it should be complemented with more detailed scholarly works for a thorough understanding.

190 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on the evolution of historiographies of slavery, trade, and migration in Switzerland and Brazil.

Quality & Reliability

8/10

The video features four senior scholars with established academic credentials, discussing historiographical developments in a conference setting. The content is well-structured and grounded in their research expertise. However, as a panel discussion, it lacks formal citations and peer review, and the claims are based on personal experience and interpretation.

Key Moments

Cited Sources

Concurring Sources

Contribution & Novelties

The video contributes to the historiography by bringing together scholars from different national traditions to discuss the evolution of slavery, trade, and migration studies in Switzerland and Brazil. It highlights the reasons for the delayed scholarly engagement and proposes new frameworks for transnational research.

Pour aller plus loin :

  • Global History — Provides an overview of the field that encourages transnational perspectives.
  • Historiography of slavery — Offers context on how slavery has been studied historically.
  • Swiss-Brazilian relations — Gives background on the diplomatic and historical ties between the two countries.

90 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile shows high scores in quality of information and reliability, reflecting the expertise of the speakers. The quantity of information is moderate, as the discussion is focused but not exhaustive. The technical level is moderate, making it accessible to a broad audience.

Reliability 8/10