IMO it’s a big problem that people think meritocracy in higher education = a more diverse student body at Oxbridge, as opposed to fewer people caring about the symbolic value of Oxbridge in the first place.

Lots of great suggestions yday (below) - would love to hear more! What should a student primer on "theory" and historical practice include in 2026? >Critical Race Theory >Queer theory >Spatiality >Fascism >Environments >Disability theory >Visual cultures >The body >Technoscience >Archaeology

Ben Mechen@benmechen.bsky.social · last wk.

These are chapters in a 1999 intro to history/theory, updated a bit in 2016: >Empiricism >Marx >Psychoanalysis >Poststructuralism >Annales >Gender >Historical sociology >Postcolonialism >Emotions What would a 2020s update include? Or drop? Does such a book still have a place? Thoughts v welcome!

These are chapters in a 1999 intro to history/theory, updated a bit in 2016: >Empiricism >Marx >Psychoanalysis >Poststructuralism >Annales >Gender >Historical sociology >Postcolonialism >Emotions What would a 2020s update include? Or drop? Does such a book still have a place? Thoughts v welcome!

What are people’s favourite, or most useful, general introductions to historical theory for new students? Eg Green and Troup, Houses of History; Tosh, Pursuit of History…etc

What are people’s favourite, or most useful, general introductions to historical theory for new students? Eg Green and Troup, Houses of History; Tosh, Pursuit of History…etc

Chuffed to see my article on feminist responses to the unemployment crisis of the 1980s out in JBS:

“Women, Where Are Your Jobs Going?”: Feminism and the Problem of Unemployment in Thatcher’s Britain | Journal of British Studies | Cambridge Core

“Women, Where Are Your Jobs Going?”: Feminism and the Problem of Unemployment in Thatcher’s Britain - Volume 65

cambridge.org

It's a bandage not the requisite surgery or medication, but the BA ECRN is open to all UK based SHAPE researchers within 10 years of the PhD (or equivalent), excluding career breaks, regardless of employment status. Free to join, travel to events is funded, members can apply for internal funding 2/2

Early Career Researcher Network

An inclusive, researcher-led network for UK-based early career researchers working in the humanities and social sciences

thebritishacademy.ac.uk

Thanks Ben. One of the more chilling findings is that in the Hums especially, even the notoriously exploitative fixed-term teaching only contracts are disappearing. If research volume is reduced and concentrated, that will accelerate, as fewer researchers need teaching replaced while on grants. 1/2

I’ve been working fixed-term, teaching-only contracts for a decade, moving from uni to uni while keeping research going on the side It’s a tiring, dread-inducing state of seemingly permanent impermanence It’s good to see the BA crunching the numbers on an experience the sector has normalised

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 3w ago

'The analysis also finds that the proportion of Shape academic staff in teaching only contracts has risen across all career stages between 2012-13 and 2024-25. The proportion of staff in mixed teaching and research contracts saw a decline across that same period.' 3/3

This looks brilliant. Catherine (and Keith McClelland/Nick Draper) gave me my first paid "history" job, pre-PhD, as an administrator for the LBS project. It was incredible to spend a year around work that was pushing the conversation fwd in such a profound way. Catherine is also very (very!) nice

Onni Gust@onnigust.bsky.social · 3w ago

Sent off the final proofs of my, Esme Cleall & Fae Dussart's edited collection, 'Troubling the Island Story: the impact and legacy of Catherine Hall's historical work in and beyond Britain.' Full of joyful, thoughtful & insightful essays on Catherine Hall's work: share.google/LB8ZsycJpXdm...

I guess this is good to see but: a) I wonder if they have actually spoken to any ECRs on research contracts who have taken parental leave (key issues unaddressed here) and b) the majority of early-career academics are on (inherently discriminatory) fixed-term teaching rather than research contracts…

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · last mo.

Very good to see DSIT, supported by many funders and research organisations, explicitly leaning into gender equality in the research landscape. 'If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.' (H.D. Thoreau, 1854)

Also working-class autodidacts didn't just read alone - they read in groups, set up libraries and reading rooms, and battled for Mechanics' Institutes (many long ago merged into unis) to teach music, history, and politics. They built the public adult education infrastructure that's being destroyed

Peter Whitewood@pwhitewood.bsky.social · last mo.

This misses the point. Self-education has become more accessible in the last 20 years than at any point in history, though not through ‘amateur reading’. The problem isn’t access to information but learning how to evaluate it critically - and that brings us back to universities (and Humanities)

Leaving aside that many teaching contracts are fixed-term and ppl aren’t around long enough for promotion, these are impossible metrics. What employers actually want is the ability to carry a heavy teaching load and to teach things outside your field without fuss. Hard to innovate in that context!

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · last mo.

'Teaching-focused academics across the UK are increasingly evaluated on their capacity for “innovation” and “creation”. Yet within many promotion frameworks, these terms remain conceptually unclear, unevenly applied, and difficult to evidence consistently.'

I think this quote really demonstrates for me something that is quite weird and hard about watching reactions to sector redundancies while precarious - because I am expected to do exactly this next year. And no one seems to find it a problem. (1/2)

Andy Brockman@andybrockman.bsky.social · last mo.

"The idea that people will be able to hold it together and deliver a term of teaching before they vanish off into the horizon, is bizarre, spiteful and naive as well.” The Times HE's punchy account of Exeter University's #BonfireOfTheHumanities & what one academic describes as "existential terror".

Well everyone else seems to be doing it & so I will too! @manchesterup.bsky.social big summer half price sale 🥳. You can get my 'Housewives & Citizens' for just £12.50, worth it for the cover alone (in my humble opinion 😀). @womenshistnet.bsky.social #skystorians

Finally got my hands on a print copy of our edited collection: www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/1...

UCL IOE announces partnership w Gaza’s three non-profit universities Al-Aqsa University, Al Azhar University, Islamic University of Gaza Congratulations Profs Li Wei and Rachel Rosen and colleagues for making this possible on our side Let’s go @bdsucl.bsky.social! www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/202...

What a bargain: £12.50 for what Chris Waters calls an 'impressive, co-edited collection of 11 historical essays, four ‘reflections’, and a concluding ‘conversation’ – all prefaced by an immensely valuable introduction' and a 'benchmark for our times'. And a photograph of my great uncle Stan.

Ben Mechen@benmechen.bsky.social · last mo.

Besides loads of other excellent MUP books, the hardback of our collection Masculinities in Modern Britain is on sale here for a bargainous £12.50 >>> manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526174697/ (You can also get the PDF for free at Manchester Hive) @tricksterprince.bsky.social

Besides loads of other excellent MUP books, the hardback of our collection Masculinities in Modern Britain is on sale here for a bargainous £12.50 >>> manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526174697/ (You can also get the PDF for free at Manchester Hive) @tricksterprince.bsky.social

Manchester University Press - Men and masculinities in modern Britain

Men and masculinities in modern Britain - Browse and buy the Hardcover edition of Men and masculinities in modern Britain by Matt Houlbrook

manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk

Manchester University Press@manchesterup.bsky.social · last mo.

Our Summer Sale is now on! For TWO WEEKS ONLY, every single book on our website is 50% OFF. No code needed, discount applies automatically at checkout. Shop now: manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk Must end 9th July! #SummerSale #booksky

Our Summer Sale is now on! For TWO WEEKS ONLY, every single book on our website is 50% OFF. No code needed, discount applies automatically at checkout. Shop now: manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk Must end 9th July! #SummerSale #booksky

More vandalism. To speak only of my fields, Exeter HASS has been a locus of so much agenda-setting research in history of sexuality, gender history, trans history over the last 20 years. Solidarity with all colleagues over there facing these cuts.

Ben Phillips@benphillips1989.bsky.social · last mo.

A statement from Exeter UCU branch @ucu.org.uk - please share far and wide.

Rlly enjoyed reading this long essay/auto-historiography(?) on history/materialism/space by @katrinanavickas.bsky.social - also v nicely surprised to see it mention our @pastpresentsoc.bsky.social article on Rotherhithe dockworkers alongside great work by many others incl. the londondeadpubs guy

Katrina Navickas@katrinanavickas.bsky.social · 3mo ago

The second part of my mega essay/work in progress is now published, though it's ongoing and not finished. historyofpublicspace.uk/draft-essay-...

Looking forward to the free speech defenders coming out in support of Helen Cammock. www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...

Artwork removed from National Portrait Gallery after row over Churchill’s role in Bengal famine

Turner winner Helen Cammock withdraws piece after 50 peers criticise claim former PM ‘starved people’

theguardian.com

Please note that we have decided to postpone Ruth's paper until the autumn due to the heat warning for London later this week >>>

Caitríona Beaumont@caitbeaumont.bsky.social · 2mo ago

📣 Come join us at @ihr.bsky.social for last @cont-brit-hist.bsky.social seminar of 2025/26. A great paper to end the term with @ruthdav.bsky.social speaking about her forthcoming book. Book via link below: Weds 24 June: 5.30pm, in-person only. See you there @womenshistnet.bsky.social #skystorians

Looking forward to speaking next Wednesday at Contemporary British History seminar on women’s welfare activism. Do come along if you are in London.

📣 Come join us at @ihr.bsky.social for last @cont-brit-hist.bsky.social seminar of 2025/26. A great paper to end the term with @ruthdav.bsky.social speaking about her forthcoming book. Book via link below: Weds 24 June: 5.30pm, in-person only. See you there @womenshistnet.bsky.social #skystorians

Women's welfare activism: Everyday power and politics in twentieth-century Britain

Contemporary British History Seminar

history.ac.uk

Occasionally bumped into Carlo Ginzburg doing photocopying in UCL when I worked there. He would sometimes come and do guest lectures. Once I mumbled something about being inspired by micro-history and he looked at me as if I was mad.

Brilliant new article by the fantastic @saimanasar.bsky.social in @jbritishstudies.bsky.social. Going straight on my reading lists for the next academic year!

Saima Nasar@saimanasar.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I’m really pleased to see my article on “The Asian Mother and Baby Campaign” in the @jbritishstudies.bsky.social Many thanks to @leverhulme.ac.uk for funding this research. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

I'm looking for some extra work this summer so if anyone has anything - e.g. remote research (especially London archives or Cambridge area), transcription, editing, proofing, etc, or knows of anyone looking, then feel free to let me know!

Carlo Ginzburg searching for clues about the rise of the clue as an 'evidentiary paradigm' is maybe my favourite thing that he wrote - joining the dots between Morelli, Freud and Sherlock Holmes >>> beasley.sdsu.edu/Ginzburg.pdf