So, last Thursday the department for education (DfE) ordered schools in England 'not to use resources from organisations which have expressed a desire to end capitalism'. This has prompted quite a strong reaction from many on the left (and not on the left) on the (quite reasonable) grounds that it appears to prevent teaching the... Continue Reading →
The worldwide reaction to the murder of George Floyd has shocked me, the murder of George Floyd has not. Another of our students speaks out
Last week we showcased a series of blog posts written by History (and Joint Honours History) students at the University of Northampton. Today we have another, from Amelia, who has just competed her first year at Northampton studying History and Media Production. Again, this is a very personal reflection and it contains language which might cause offence out of context. ... Continue Reading →
Racism, feminism and the role of white privilege
This is last of the series of blogs from our students this week, inspired by the Black Lives Matters protests, and it comes from Holly, one of our History Masters post graduates. As a white female growing up in East London, the concept of multi-culturalism has always been something that has intrigued me and made me proud... Continue Reading →
‘All Lives won’t matter until Black Lives Matter too’: Knowledge. Equality. Justice
'All Lives won't matter until Black Lives Matter too' This is the now the sixth in a s series of blog posts written by undergraduate students at the University of Northampton. These are personal reflection on the killing of George Floyd in the USA and the wave of protests that have followed from that across... Continue Reading →
Black Lives Matter – a series of posts from History at Northampton
Today we start a series of personal blog posts from staff and students reacting to the killing of George Floyd and the protests here and around the world. The first of these is from Ursula, who has just completed her second year of study for a degree in History at the University of Northampton. NB: Ursula's... Continue Reading →
Have we learned anything from the past?Or are we as superstitious as our early modern ancestors?
History is supposed to give us a sense of perspective, some way of understanding current events by looking backwards, at those in the past. I’ve seen some very good articles, comments and blogs on the 1919 ‘Spanish Flu’ pandemic (which wasn’t Spanish at all of course), and some reflections on how our ancestors coped with... Continue Reading →
Educating Generation Z
I have a lot of sympathy for my students – we Millennials were criticised for exactly the same reasons that they receive public condemnation.
Top Tips for New University Students: From a Soon to be Second Year History Student
University is hard, and it’s hard to know how to prepare for it. To help, here are my top tips for new students. I made these tips from lessons I learnt from my first-year experience. 1. Know how much money you have. I know this sounds simple but it is very important. Before coming to... Continue Reading →
History Dissertations: Top Tips for Students
We’ve finished our most recent dissertation cycle here at Northampton. The marking is done and the results have been released. It seems a useful time to reflect as I prepare meetings to discuss projects with students for next year. We've had some great results, some fascinating dissertations, some of them first class. As the convenor... Continue Reading →
Kelmarsh Hall and the Heritage of Country Houses
I recently made a visit, with my colleague, Dr Caroline Nielsen, to Kelmarsh Hall in Northamptonshire. Kelmarsh was built in the 1730s to a Palladian design by Francis Smith with the architect James Gibbs for the Hanbury family. The Hall retains many of its original features and 1000 acres of the original estate, including working... Continue Reading →