The interplay of conceptions of accounting and schools of thought in accounting history

Abstract

Paralleling the advent of different conceptions of accounting in the past two decades or so is the distinction between what are now known as the “traditional” and “new” schools of accounting history research. Viewing accounting as a social practice, as opposed to a mere technical practice, orientates the historical researcher firmly into the arena of the new accounting history, which recognizes the pervasive and enabling characteristics of accounting and gives rise to concerns about studying the implications of accounting change on organizational and social functioning. This literature study examines the interplay of conceptions of accounting with schools of thought in the historical accounting literature. It seeks to enhance an understanding of the underlying connections between the conceptions of accounting embraced by researchers of contemporary accounting and the schools of thought adopted by historical accounting researchers. As the state of play in accounting history research appears to have become a little predictable, certain challenges are identified for accounting historians of the future.