Economic and Social History examines the economy and society in the Greek area and diaspora during the post-Byzantine and modern period, and, followingly, in the Greek state. Its research aims are to study the development of the economy, as well as the ways by which individuals, households, the administrative and government institutions have contributed to economic and social change. Topics of interest are the commercial, industrial and banking enterprises, as well as the living and working conditions of individuals.
History
Economic and Social History was a main field of research at the previously autonomous Institute of Neohellenic Research (INR), with origins in the post-dictatorship period of renewal of research topics and activities of the Institute. The section of Economic and Social History (18th-20th c.) was organized in 2006 with the convergence and merge of older INR programs. The initial programs, their description and the first research directors were:
“Mechanisms of the rural economy in the Greek regions of the Ottoman empire and in the Venetian dominions, 15th-19th c.”
Coordinator: Spyros Asdrachas.
Associates: Evangelia Balta, Eftychia Liata, Paris Konortas, Eleftheria Zei.
The Program was divided into personal projects with the main object to study the mechanisms that determined rural economy in the Greek regions of the Ottoman Empire and the Venetian dominions. The first case-studies were drawn from Thessaly, the Serres region, Kerkyra, Argolis and Paros. The primary sources were the multifarious ledgers of financial and legal nature (15th - 19th c.), and the currency exchange rates between the Ottoman and Venetian Greek-speaking regions. One of the main scopes of the program has always been the study of Ottoman capital taxation ledgers.
The Program also organized the weekly seminars at the INR (E. Liata, A. Matthaiou, P. Polemi (eds), Víosi kai katagrafí tou Oikonomikoú. I martyría tis apomnimónefsis. Spýros Asdrachás. Kýklos Seminaríon (The Experience and Indexing of Economics. The Testimony of Memorization. Spyros Asdrachas; Seminar Cycle), IHR/NHRF Athens 2007 ISBN 978-960-7916-59-4, and The Seminars of Sp.I. Asdrachas at the NHRF (1994-2007). http://www.eie.gr/nhrf/institutes/inr/structure/section_b_semiariaAsdracha-gr.html
