Questioni di scala. Ottiche molteplici

The scale to be used for research is a crucial tool for women’s and gender history. The microhistorical approach was considered at first. Then, “decentering history” in the global dimension was adressed, involving the micro-spatial, global, world, connected histories. The use of “multi-scale approaches”, or, to put it in French terms, of “jeux d’échelles” allowed to explore different levels of investigation while being aware of gender-related power asymmetries. These approaches include global microhistory, the verb-oriented method, the study of mobilities exploitation of mobility paths by means of cross-local history, the reconstruction of networks of relationships, the biographical approach, thehistory of objects, the self-representations – from correspondence to court statements.