His goal has been to explore and expand the nature and limits of theoretically informed historical understanding.
[2] His work integrates recent developments in critical theory, such as post-structuralism and psychoanalysis, and examines their relevance for the rethinking of history.
[3] It also explores and elaborates the use in historical studies of techniques developed in literary studies and aesthetics, including close reading, rhetorical analysis, and the problem of the interaction between texts or artifacts and their contexts of production and reception.
[4] In addition to its role in the field of history, LaCapra's work has been widely discussed in other humanities and social science disciplines, notably with respect to trauma theory and Holocaust studies.
[5] At Cornell, where he is now professor emeritus, LaCapra has held joint appointments in the departments of History and Comparative Literature.