what history is matters lessthan how history works; that power itself works together with history; and that thehistorians’ claimed political preferences have little influence on most of the actualpractices of power. A warning from Foucault is helpful: “I don’t believe that the questionof ‘who exercises power? can be resolved unless that other question ‘how does ithappen?’ is resolved at the same time.”1 Emphasis added in excerpt, not in original.
this describing history to analyzing how historical narratives function within systems of power. It aligns with Foucauldian thought, which sees power not just in rulers or governments but in everyday practices, knowledge, and discourse.