Society

How people group together, organise their rules and systems are all part of what create a society. In this section articles examine the nature of society how it interacts with other themes of culture, power, etc. and how societies have developed and changed over time. The structures of the ancient...

Among the posthumous attempts to celebrate his scientific importance, alongside recognition of the unwarranted injustices to which he was subjected, two important statues to Alan Turing are highlighted by Dave Martin. Article taken from The Historian 136

Barry Doyle reveals how the devastating Provisional IRA bombing of two Birmingham public houses in 1974 led to a resurgence in first-aid training and preparation, on the scale with which we are familiar today. Article taken from The Historian 136

Harry Cocks marks the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act with an examination of what has happened since this crucial piece of legislation. Article taken from The Historian 136

Hugh Gault explains why, 50 years later, 1968 is still remembered as a dramatic year. Article taken from The Historian 136

This article has been created from the podcast of the same name on this website by Professor Sally R. Munt, University of Sussex. It has been put into article form by Paula Kitching, and the factual and arguments of the piece are those of the original author.  Article taken from The...

Sarah Badcock sheds light on how ordinary Russians responded to the revolutions of 1917 that sought to change their lot and bring them freedom. Article taken from The Historian 135

Malcolm Crook discusses why it was so difficult to end the most famous revolution of the eighteenth century and why it led to bloodshed and absolutism. Article taken from The Historian 135

Matthew Restall explores current ideas about the end of the Aztec Empire. For an empire that existed half a millennium ago in a hemisphere far away, we have a remarkably clear sense of what brought the Aztecs down. Or at least, we think we do. Our general assumption is that the very nature of...

Forty years after his higher degree research into the history of sport, Trevor James explores the much wider context in which that research now stands. Four hundred years ago, in 1617, James I made a decisive intervention into the simmering debate which had existed since the puritanical upsurge in Queen...

Dave Martin relates how the statue of one of our imperial ‘heroes’ prompted a campaign to have it taken down while the statue of another imperial ‘hero’ prompted a fund-raising campaign for its repair. As the tide of Empire ebbed across the globe vestiges of British rule remained, some great,...

Joe Wilkinson takes us on a tour of the island of Zanzibar, where the slave trade continued long after the British abolished it. Mention Zanzibar and most people will think of an Indian Ocean paradise, perfect for honeymooners, relaxing on the popular pristine white north-eastern beaches of Bwejuu and Paje,...

In Part 5 of our series on Social and Political Change in the UK 1800-present we look at religion in the U.K. This set of podcasts features Dr Janice Holmes of the Open University, Revd Dr Jeremy Morris, Dean, Fellow, and Director of Studies in Theology at King's College, Andrew Copson,...

This posthumously published article by John Springhall was presented to us, with recommended illustrations, shortly before his death. I t reflects his interest in popular culture and how people lived their lives in quite a remarkable manner. Adult-directed British uniformed youth movements played a  significant but often overlooked role during...

In Part 3 of our series on Social and Political Change in the UK 1800-present we look at diversity in the UK. Our initial podcasts examine African and Caribbean UK History, South Asian UK History and British Chinese History. We shall be adding to these podcasts over time. The first...

In Part 4 of our series on Social and Political Change in the UK since 1800 we focus on UK LGBT History. This series of podcasts features Dr Matt Cook and Dr Sean Brady of Birkbeck, University of London, Professor Sally R Munt of the University of Sussex and Dr Emma Vickers...

In this podcast, Dr Tommy Dickinson of the University of Manchester, discusses the life and significance of Alan Turing. Alan Mathison Turing, (23 June 1912 - 7 June 1954) was a British pioneering computer scientist, mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher and mathematical biologist. Turing is widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer...

In this podcast, Dr Tommy Dickinson of the University of Manchester, looks at the historical medicalization of homosexuality and transvestism.  1. Introduction.2. The impact of British Press in framing British perceptions.3. European research into sexual pathology.4. The emergence of 'sexology' in Britain.5. The influence of Freud.6. The impact of WW2...

Podcast and Presentation from HA Annual Conference 2014 Saturday - Session 1 - SGKL1 In search of phantom fortunes: working-class gambling in Britain c.1906-61 - Professor Keith Laybourn Diamond Jubilee Professor of the University of Huddersfield Determined attempts were made by the middle classes, and some religions, to legally stamp...

Saturday - Session 2 - SGRS2 The ladies' Grand Tour - Professor Roey Sweet - Professor of Urban History, University of Leicester The concept of the ‘grand tour' is generally associated with aristocratic young men sowing their wild oats and picking up collections of art and antiquities with which to...