《中国近现代史史料学/大学史学研究生系列教材》尝试以学术理念和方法，处理中国近现代史硕士研究生史料学教材的书写。在充分借鉴学界成果经验的基础上，从历史认识的过去性和史料概念的开放性等特质出发，重新认识史料在历史研究中的重要地位，即史料学不仅是一种工具，而且是一种方法论：史料的查找、整理、解读、考订和运用的原则方法以及各种目录、索引的大量补充，说明史料学在历史研究中的实用性。而通论性史料的强调和史料价值层级等第的新划分，应因了当前中国史学研究过分。“碎片化”和跨学科化的挑战，改变以往史料学书写与历史研究关系中的消、滞后状态，体现了其理论上应具的主动性和前沿性。在重视并及时补充新出的传统载体史料种类（档案、报纸、期刊、日记、函电、文集、方志、笔记、野史等）的前提下，新增了电子化、数据库史料；突出了因研究新法引入牵动而从前被低估的社会调查、考察报告、回忆口述、丛书、类书等史料的介绍和价值；措意史料要籍介绍的典型化、系统条理化、分布合理化。这些均展现了史料学内容体例上书写的前瞻性。《中国近现代史史料学/大学史学研究生系列教材》在目前同类教材体系中，具有全面性、实用性、原创性、前沿性、特点和优点。可供中国近现代史硕、博士研究生，高年级本科生以及有一定程度的史学爱好者使用和阅读。

Based on archival material from the cities of Genoa, Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, and Naples, as well as on published sources, such as travel journals, and artistic representations, this volume presents an original view of the culture of early modern Italy. The book addresses particular themes - specifically those of perception and communication - as well as serving to exemplify modes of analysis in the currently developing field of historical anthropology. In the first part of the book, Peter Burke examines the stereotyped ways in which contemporaries perceived social groups such as saints, beggars, and working women, and shows how these stereotypes were used, consciously and unconsciously, both by the authorities and by ordinary people.