New Directions in Social and Cultural History - by Rohan McWilliam & Lucy Noakes & Sasha Handley (Paperback)

About the Book

"What does it mean to be a social and cultural historian today? In the wake of the 'cultural turn', and in an age of digital and public history, what challenges and opportunities await historians in the early 21st century? In this exciting new text, leading historians reflect on key developments in their fields and argue for a range of 'new directions' in social and cultural history. Focusing on emerging areas of historical research such as the history of the emotions and environmental history, New Directions in Social and Cultural History is an invaluable guide to the current and future state of the field. The book is divided into three clear sections, each with an editorial introduction, and covering key thematic areas: histories of the human, the material world, and challenges and provocations. Each chapter in the collection provides an introduction to the key and recent developments in its specialist field, with their authors then moving on to argue for what they see as particularly important shifts and interventions in the theory and methodology and suggest future developments. New Directions in Social and Cultural History provides a comprehensive and insightful overview of this burgeoning field which will be important reading for all students and scholars of social and cultural history and historiography"--

Book Synopsis

What does it mean to be a social and cultural historian today? In the wake of the 'cultural turn', and in an age of digital and public history, what challenges and opportunities await historians in the early 21st century? In this exciting new text, leading historians reflect on key developments in their fields and argue for a range of 'new directions' in social and cultural history. Focusing on emerging areas of historical research such as the history of the emotions and environmental history, New Directions in Social and Cultural History is an invaluable guide to the current and future state of the field.

The book is divided into three clear sections, each with an editorial introduction, and covering key thematic areas: histories of the human, the material world, and challenges and provocations. Each chapter in the collection provides an introduction to the key and recent developments in its specialist field, with their authors then moving on to argue for what they see as particularly important shifts and interventions in the theory and methodology and suggest future developments. New Directions in Social and Cultural History provides a comprehensive and insightful overview of this burgeoning field which will be important reading for all students and scholars of social and cultural history and historiography.

Review Quotes

"New Directions in Social and Cultural History offers great insight into the field of social history by providing compelling examples of scholarly work that can serve as sources of information to academic disciplines beyond history ... It has certainly sparked my interest to delve deeper into some of the studies and research fields mentioned in this book." --H-Socialisms

"For anyone drawn by the challenges and excitements of contemporary historical studies, there can be no better guide." --Cultural and Social History

"An impressive, well-written volume that not only addresses the current state of play in social and cultural history, but relates it to influential political and intellectual movements and points to future trends. It will be an extremely useful volume for students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level." --June Purvis, Emeritus Professor of Women's and Gender History, University of Portsmouth, UK

"This engaging collection of essays encourages the reader to think critically about - and productively with - recent work in social and cultural history. In mapping a field characterised by dialogue and collaboration, it historicises current practice, contests conventional categories, and explores new approaches and cross-disciplinary encounters. The contributors explain what social and cultural history is today whilst also making insightful suggestions about its future. This is an essential read for everyone with a stake in how we understand the past." --Claire Langhamer, Professor of Modern British History, University of Sussex, UK

"New Directions in Social and Cultural History's lively essays and essential introduction show us how the discipline has evolved, providing an excellent starting point for history students. It is filled with analysis that is nuanced, thought-provoking, and attuned to how past and present intersect." --Susan R. Grayzel, Professor of History, Utah State University, USA

About the Author

Sasha Handley is Professor of Early Modern History at the University of Manchester, UK.

Rohan McWilliam is Professor of Modern British History at Anglia Ruskin University, UK.

Lucy Noakes is Rab Butler Chair of Modern History at the University of Essex, UK.