<p>i think it depends on the professor and the department regarding how recent an event they’re willing to study. many look at history as a process rather than a series of isolated events, and i’ve read countless books that reserve an introductory or concluding chapter for “the present day.” yeah, that can’t be the focus of the research in its entirety, but it can be the initial seedling from which the rest of the historical examination grows.</p>
<p>i think it just comes down to the rigidity of advisers and departments.</p>