Historians approach the study of the past in many ways. Some attempt to analyze the entire spectrum of historical evolution within a particular period or within a specific nation. Others, working within or across national histories, specialize in the history of particular social institutions, such as the family, business or churches, or the historical development of ideologies or of cultural concepts such as race or gender.
Historians borrow tools freely from other disciplines.
For some historians, the methodologies of the social sciences become critical tools for the study of the past, while others prefer a historical approach more akin to the methods of the humanities and literature. Most adopt some mixture of methodologies. Some historians argue that studying the past brings them to a better understanding of the present. For them, the past provides useful insights into the current behavior of individuals and institutions. Others stress the uniqueness of every historical situation and are less prone to seek lessons in the past.