Goldsmiths, Aston, Kingston, LSBU …. Confronting History’s cuts and closures in 2021
In this post Professor Emma Griffin—President of the Royal Historical Society—considers recent cuts at UK History departments and the current defence of History and historians at Goldsmiths, University of London. 2021 has proved a year of considerable turmoil for academic History, with closures and staffing reductions at a number of institutions: how do we best prepare for the year ahead?
Precarious Professionals: Gender, identities and social change in modern Britain
Dr Heidi Egginton and Dr Zoë Thomas introduce their new, edited collection: ‘Precarious Professionals: Gender, Identities and Social Change in Modern Britain’ — the latest title in the RHS’s ‘New Historical Perspectives’ book series. The collection, available as a free Open Access edition, expands conceptions of professional identity for different women and men in the past and shows how working lives might be more equitably reimagined in the future.
Can we unlearn imperialism in photographic research?
How should historians engage with the source materials that record and communicate empire from the perspective of imperial rule? Are there ways of working with sources that enable researchers to free themselves from the intellectual constraints imposed by historical imagery and its categorisation? Maria Creech explores her methodological approach to ‘unlearning’ imperialism.
‘Positive Action’ workshop for early-career historians of colour
In August of this year, the Society organised its first ‘positive action’ workshop for early-career historians of colour. The initiative was led by the RHS’s Race, Ethnicity and Equality Working Group which was responsible for the RHS’s Race Report (2018). Here, Dr Diya Gupta and Dr Jonathan Saha explain the motivations for the workshop, and reflect on the outcomes of what’s hoped will be the first in a programme of focused training events.
Facing current challenges can be a vital part of our curriculum
Earlier this year, historians at Aston University faced the threat of programme and department closures. Here Dr Ilaria Scaglia recounts her response and that of the wider community. Though prompted by crisis, forceful advocacy for programmes can, Ilaria argues, foster greater appreciation of history’s value and of mutual support between historians, teachers and students.
‘I open up my mouth and I just sing’: Studying Black health and the humanities
In the eleventh post for our ‘Writing Race’ series, Dr Amber Lascelles introduces the Black Health and the Humanities project at the University of Bristol. The project sits at the intersection of Black humanities and medical humanities, and brings together scholars whose research intervenes in Black health across a range of disciplines, including history, art, sociology, law, literature, media and theatre.
Royal Historical Society invites applications for new governance and journal roles
The Royal Historical Society invites applications from RHS Fellows for four posts central to the Society’s governance and development as a learned society. Two are Officer roles on Council, the Society’s governing body: Honorary Secretary and Secretary for Professional Engagement. Two are new Editor roles to oversee the academic development of the Society’s journal, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society.
Ten Tips for Getting Published in Academic Journals
What are the 10 key things to consider when publishing your first History article? Our recent RHS ‘Getting Publishing’ training workshop (21 July) brought together journal editors, recently published authors, and 200 early career historians. It was full of good advice – from how to pitch an article, to working with editors, to Open Access. Here we choose 10 highlights: ten things to consider when preparing and publishing your research.
Eating and Aetiology in the Overthrow of Robespierre
How should historians think about a single day in a momentous event such as the French Terror? Here Colin Jones suggests we reconsider historical approaches to human agency in the context of moments of crisis and revolution. Studying one single, pivotal day in the French Reign of Terror (9 Thermidor, 27 July 1794), he argues that historians pay closer attention to the micro and the quotidian – food, hunger, time of day – in macro-scale events.
UKRI Open Access protocols: August 2021
On 6 August, UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) published its long-awaited report on its future approach to Open Access publishing. The Report has implications for historians receiving UKRI funding who seek to publish that research as articles, monographs and book chapters. Here we review UKRI’s Open Access protocols: setting out their implications for historians, and — equally importantly — what remains unknown at this stage.
Why Historically-white Sororities and Fraternities are racially problematic in US universities
‘Greek Life’ is a distinctive part of the social and cultural experience of universities in the United States, and has faced recent scrutiny for acts of racism, sexism and homophobia. Yet, as Dr Taulby Edmondson argues here — in the latest article in the ‘Writing Race’ series — the existence of longstanding Black sororities and fraternities complicate calls for an end to this culture. Studying how minorities use and transform predominantly white institutions raises questions about how we go about deconstructing the white supremacy within them.
RHS Publication, Research and Teaching Awards, 2021
The 2021 Royal Historical Society Awards were announced on Friday 23 July. Eleven categories recognise excellence in publication, research and teaching, awarded jointly with the Institute of Historical Research. Here you can learn more about the winners and runners-up, and their work, and watch the awards ceremony which was held this year by video.
