Carolyn Steedman is een historicus die zich richt op het leven van de Engelse arbeidersklasse en arbeidsverhoudingen in het industriële tijdperk. Haar werk duikt in de dagelijkse ervaringen en de complexe dynamiek tussen meesters en bedienden die het moderne Engeland vormden. Steedmans analyse dringt door tot de diepten van sociale structuren en onthult subtiele nuances in menselijke interacties binnen de sferen van werk en huiselijkheid. Ze biedt een scherpe, inzichtelijke lens voor historisch onderzoek en ontdekt de minder voor de hand liggende verhalen en geleefde realiteiten van het verleden.
What is the point of poetry for historians? The answer lies in this new 'history of history', which looks at the question through the prism of W. H. Auden's Cold War history poems and of poetry and history education from the eighteenth century to the present day. -- .
Focusing on everyday legal experiences, from that of magistrates, novelists and political philosophers, to maidservants, pauper men and women, down-at- heel attorneys and middling-sort wives, History and the Law reveals how people thought about, used, manipulated and resisted the law between the eighteenth and the twentieth centuries.
Exploring the often-overlooked dynamics between servants and their employers in late eighteenth-century England, this book uncovers the intricate social hierarchies and personal relationships that defined the era. Through vivid narratives and historical insights, it sheds light on the lives of those who served and the impact they had on society, revealing a complex interplay of power, class, and identity.
The narrative offers a captivating exploration of English working-class life during the late 1800s, as seen through the lens of celebrated historian Carolyn Steedman. It delves into the social dynamics, struggles, and resilience of the working class, providing a rich historical context that highlights their experiences and perspectives during this transformative period.
Dust is a witty and highly original investigation into the development of modern history writing. This book considers how history writing belongs to the currents of thought shaping the modern world, and suggests that, like dust, the 'matter of history' can never go away or be erased. -- .
Carolyn Steedman's 1950s South London childhood was shaped by her mother's longing: "What she actually wanted were real things, real entities, things she materially lacked, things that a culture and a social system withheld from her... When the world didn't deliver the goods, she held the world to blame." When Carolyn Steedman grows up and begins to look for reflections of her and her mother's lives in history, theory, and literature, she finds that "the tradition of cultural criticism that has employed working-class lives, and their rare expression in literature, has made solid and concrete the absence of psychological individuality - of subjectivity." Through an in-depth comparison of personal experience and prevailing political and social science theory on the psychology and attitudes of working-class people, Landscape for a Good Woman challenges an intellectual tradition that denies "its subjects a particular story, a personal history, except when that story illustrates a general thesis." In this poignantly written and thoroughly researched work, the common theoretical conclusion that the survival struggles of working-class people precludes the time necessary for more genteel "elaboration of relationships" is shot full of delightfully life-affirming holes. -- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. -- From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Jesse Larsen
Focusing on an unconventional relationship between a Church of England clergyman and his pregnant maidservant, this book explores love and domestic service in eighteenth-century England. Set against the backdrop of significant historical events, it challenges traditional narratives by examining themes such as Anglicanism, the economic impacts of the industrial revolution, and the dynamics of domestic service. The work also reflects on the intersections of history and literature, making it valuable for scholars and students interested in social and cultural history.
The autobiography offers a unique perspective on the life of a soldier during the Sikh Wars, detailing his experiences in both military and policing roles. Written after his retirement in 1881, it reflects on the ideologies that created divisions in society, providing insights into the historical context and personal reflections of the author. The narrative serves as both a memoir and a commentary on the social dynamics of his time, making it a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of 19th-century life.