9X6 – Dissertation Preparation for Honours History (2020/1)

Annotated Bibliography

Taras Shevchenko Storinka. “Taras Shevchenko’s Poem ‘My Testament’.” Accessed  1st February, 2021 https://taras-shevchenko.storinka.org/my-testament-poem-of-taras-shevchenko-translated-by-john-weir.html

I found this article while searching online for works by Taras Shevchenko, as his work would be considered primary sources. I chose to research Shevchenko’s work as he was a leading Ukrainian nationalist and poet, from the 19th century, with this nationalist movement being the focus of my dissertation. In the poem, Shevchenko outlines his desires for a free Ukraine, unbound from any Tsarist Russian oppression, which had banned the publication of documents and teaching in the Ukrainian language. Therefore, Shevchenko’s poems would be useful for me, as they offer a direct insight into the mind of Ukraine’s most prominent nationalist, whose work was hailed in awakening Ukrainian national consciousness.

Kostomarov, Mykola. “Two Russian Nationalities.” In Towards an Intellectual History of Ukraine : An Anthology of Ukrainian Thought from 1710 to 1995, edited by Ralph Lindheim, and George, S.N. Luckyj, 122-134. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1996.

This is a poem written by Mykola Kostomarov, a pan-slavic activist, ethnographer, Ukrainian historian and author. In the poem, Kostomarov highlights the differences between Ukrainians and Russians, with the intention of identifying a distinct Ukrainian identity. Altough the poem doesn’t make any case for Ukrainian separatism, it can still be used to analyse the feelings of the Ukrainian nationalists. In order to try and suppress the Ukrainian nationalist movement, the Russian Imperial authorities tried to deny any differences between Ukrainians and Russians, arguing that they were the same people. Subsequently, I believe this is a good primary source, as it makes clear examples of how the Ukrainian people differ from the Russians, therefore legitimising the claims made by the likes of Taras Shevchenko.

Miller, Alexei. The Ukrainian Question. Budapest: Central European University Press, 2003.

This is a book that examines the Ukrainian nationalist movement, with an emphasis on the Russian authorities reaction to the Ukrainian question. In the book, Miller explains the origins of the Ukrainian nationalist movement, with its awakening coinciding with events like the French Revolution and the American War of Independence. I find this useful because, it links back to what Shevchenko said about freedom, with the Ukrainian nationalists wanting independence and liberty. Furthermore, the historiography verifies Kostomarov said about divergences between Ukraine and Russia, with middle class intelectuals in Ukrainian Universities being inspired by events in France and America, which encouraged Ukrainians to start secret societies and publish literature in the Ukrainian langauge.

 

1. “Fife Woman Jailed”. Evening Telegraph, 20 September 1950. https://go-gale-com.ezproxy-s2.stir.ac.uk/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=26484&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=22&docId=GALE%7CID3240411358&docType=Article&sort=Pub+Date+Reverse+Chron&contentSegment=ZBLF-MOD1&prodId=BNCN&pageNum=2&contentSet=GALE%7CID3240411358&searchId=R9&userGroupName=unistirl&inPS=true. Accessed 27 January 2021

I found this source on the British Library’s Newspaper Archive by following Helen’s instructions in the video on how to search articles using a key word and date filter – in my case ‘abortion’ and ‘1950-1960’. The article reports on the trial of an illegal abortionist, giving me an insight into how illegal abortionists would justify their actions, as well as, sentence length and the attitudes of the legal system. I’ve planned for attitudes of the press, abortionists and officials to form a key part of my research so this article is very useful. 

2. “Case Against Evans “Overwhelming””. Times, 15 July 1953. https://go-gale-com.ezproxy-s2.stir.ac.uk/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=Newspapers&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchResultsType=SingleTab&hitCount=1&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=1&docId=GALE%7CCS69423343&docType=Article&sort=Pub+Date+Forward+Chron&contentSegment=ZTMA-MOD1&prodId=TTDA&pageNum=1&contentSet=GALE%7CCS69423343&searchId=R4&userGroupName=unistirl&inPS=true. Accessed 27 January 2021 

This article was obtained the same way as the one above, except this time via the Times Digital Archive. The source is not specifically about abortion, but is about a woman who has been murdered and the accused used the fact that she wanted an aboriton as part of his defence. It was useful because it is stated that a lot of people were aware of the fact that she had made enquiries into having an abortion. This made me start thinking about how secretive the process of having a backstreet abortion was and has made me want to look for evidence of this in further sources. 

3. Fisher, Kate. Birth Control, Sex and Marriage in Britain 1918-1960. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Oxford Scholarship Online 

I found this book by searching the library catalogue using the term ‘the history of abortion in Britain’. After reading the abstract it sounded like it would give me a good general overview and some solid context for my own work. The book is based on the results of an oral history project, whereby individuals and couples were interviewed about their experiences of sexuality. It aims to examine changes in attitudes, at an individual level, during the wider sexual revolution that appeared to be taking place in Britain in the period that my dissertation focuses on. I plan to make use of the oral testament in the interview transcripts relating to views on, or experiences of, illegal abortion, as part of my evidence. 

4. Jones, Emma L. “Attitudes to abortion in the era of reform: Evidence from the Abortion Law Reform Association correspondence”. Women’s History Review 20, no.2 (2011): 283-298. http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxy-s1.stir.ac.uk/eds/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=8df39667-f644-4918-90e8-349188acc161%40sdc-v-sessmgr02&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=edselc.2-52.0-79953838930&db=edselc. Accessed 28 January 2021

This journal article was found in the same way as the book above. The evidence inside which is taken from letters will provide an insight into the experiences of women who actually had an illegal abortion, this will be invaluable to my research. From the readings this week though I have reminded myself to bear in mind that the people writing into the association would have been doing so because they were in favour of abortion reform and so their views would not have been reflective of everyone.     

In addition to the sources that I have identified above I also plan on using trial records from criminal proceedings taken against illegal abortionists. I found ‘Sources for Studying Crime History’ by Zoe Alker and Lucy Williams on the Liverpool University Press e-resource full of useful information on how to do this effectively. Lastly, I will be using Helen’s instructions to find parliamentary debates on the issue, which will help me to see how opinion evolved as reform grew nearer.

Conroy, James, A Very Scottish Affair: Catholic Education and the State’ Oxford Review of Education. Vol.27 no.4 The State Schools and Religion (Oxford: Taylor&Francis, 2001)

An interesting piece of secondary literature which focuses on the separation of catholic and non-denominational education, exploring the elements of both the 1872 Education Act and the 1918 Education Act while providing a narrative of how sectarian attitudes have been at the forefront of the argument on separate education in Scotland.

‘Sectarianism in Schools’ The Scotsman, October 1934. 

Newspaper article demonstrating the rise of interest in the unjust provisions of section 18 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1918. The article is an pivotal piece of primary evidence as it captures the mood of the situation and is one of a few articles that highlight the growing feeling of sectarianism based on education in Scotland.

Gallagher, Tom, ‘Divided Scotland: Ethnic Friction and Christian Crisis’ (Glendareul: Argyll, 2013)

A contemporary history of sectarianism in Scotland over a broad period of time ranging from pre 1985 up until the 2014 independence referendum. Gallagher’s account covers a broad range of issues that stem from sectarian attitudes and how Scotland has moved through the decades with this still very much a pressing issue.

‘Roman Catholics Interests: Archbishop of Glasgow on Sectarianism: THE EDUCATION ACT’ The Scotsman. November 1934

A crucial piece of primary evidence which demonstrates a feeling between both Catholics and Protestants as to who was to blame for the idea of separate education. Demonstrates that both sides were accusing one another of prolonging the issue and is a good indicator of capturing the mood and feelings of the Catholic community in response to an attack on them through section 18 of the Education Act (Scotland) 1918.

The readings I haven undertaken this week I gathered through using both JSTOR and the universities Scotsman newspaper archives. These sources are useful for using in my dissertation for several reasons. First of all, the body of secondary literature I have read so far are useful for setting my dissertation in the wider context. Gallagher’s account covers a broad range of issues which make it easy to capture the situation as a whole, given that sectarianism is a huge issue which has many contributing factors such as football, education and of course religion. Gallagher’s work takes into account all of these which makes setting in wider context easier to do. On the other hand, Conroy’s article focuses more on my specific issue which is the separate education of catholic and non-denominational Scottish children. Conroy covers a wide era which also attributes to what I am researching in terms of how separate education has prolonged the sectarian issue that has plagued Glasgow and of course Scotland as a whole, for centuries. In addition to my secondary sources, allocating newspaper articles from the Scotsman archives have provided a real insight into capturing the mood of society at that time and first-hand accounts of how people felt about the impact and implications of the 1918 Education Act, particularly section 18. Moreover, using this weeks seminar readings helped to break down the kind of sources I will need to use in my dissertation,  Miriam Dobson’s section on newspapers allowed me to recognise exactly what I was looking for and not to get too bogged down with an overload of information as often newspapers offer a wealth of information and through this reading It allowed me to be more focused on getting the more specific pieces of evidence rather than a huge body of text that is not all relevant.

For the primary source exercise I used MEMSO to access medieval sources.

Statutes of the Realm. Volume 4 Part 1 [1547-1585], p. 53 Volume 4.1 (1547 – 1585)
This seems to be a documentation of the acts passed in parliament by King James I of England. The act which would relate to my dissertation subject would be “An Act against conjuration of witchcraft and dealing with evil and wicked spirits”
(https://sources-tannerritchie-com.ezproxy-s2.stir.ac.uk/browser.php?ipid=203698)
If I have understood this source correctly, then it would back up the argument that James I of England did not leave the ‘witch-craze’ behind him in Scotland as some scholars have claimed. Instead, a law went through parliament in London which forbid any relations to witchcraft etc. Although, it would be expected for such a law to be in place as the witch hunts were trending across Europe at the time.

The secondary sources I have found, until now, are books in my collection that I’m certain to have access to. The rest, such as primary sources, I plan to gain access to online from archives etc. Hopefully there will be opportunities to gain access to archives physically when it comes to write the dissertation.
Additionally, I intend to use the universities E-books in the library catalogue.

Breverton, Terry. Brevertons Phantasmagoria – a Compendium of Monsters, Myths and Legends. Quercus Publishing Plc, 2011.

Davies, Owen. Grimoires: a History of Magic Books. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010.

Goodare, Julian. Scottish Witches and Witch-Hunters. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.

HUTTON, RONALD. The Witch: A History of Fear, from Ancient Times to the Present. NEW HAVEN; LONDON: Yale University Press, 2017.

Institoris, Heinrich, and Christopher S. Mackay. Malleus Maleficarum. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.

Lipscomb, Suzannah. A History of Magic Witchcraft & the Occult. New York, NY: DK Publishing, 2020.

Maxwell-Stuart, P. G. Witchcraft: a History. Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus, 2004.

Reid, Alexander George. Annals of Auchterarder and Memorials of Strathearn. Theclassics Us, 2013.

The National Archives
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/early-modern-witch-trials/

I am at present stuck in two minds of which topic I want to do my dissertation on, with one idea involving the Tudor period and the other involving something related to Victorian culture and society’s impact on literature or vice versa. My annotated bibliography will be on the Victorian topic until I make up my mind.

Bibliography

Secondary sources

Bilston, Sarah. The Promise of the Suburbs: A Victorian History in Literature and Culture. New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2019. Accessed January 30, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv8jp0kj.

This book explores the impact of writes such as Charles Dickens on the stereotypes of suburban life in Victorian Britain. The book states that the stereotypes of a dull suburban life were first created to push disdain on the ‘new’ middle classes of the times, Bilston argues that that the suburban life however, represented the future on the middle classes, she does this through exploring a variety of  Victorian literature analysing their impact on these issues. This book could be useful in my dissertation in connecting the literacy of the times to the historical social issues of society in this period. Although the source would only be useful should i choose to focus upon the societal impacts on Victorian literature and culture.

 

Marlene LeGates. “The Cult of Womanhood in Eighteenth-Century Thought.” Eighteenth-Century Studies 10, no. 1 (1976): 21-39. Accessed January 29, 2021. doi:10.2307/2737815.

This source evaluates how Literacy changed the portrayal of women in victorian times to the obedient wife, This extract discusses how novels celebrating marriage (rather than the scandle of 18th century upper class) reflected the advanced English economy as that is what the bourgeoisie wanted. The source explains that the ruling classes wanted the economy to be portrayed this way. The source also discusses the literacy changes that were influenced by the enlightenment and the changing society. This source could be useful for my dissertation in discussing the flip side of the coin, as to how victorian culture and feminism as-well as the enlightenement influenced wruters of this period. However it offers little in the critical analysis of the effect these changes had. It is a source that has potential use.

 

Timko, Michael. “The Victorianism of Victorian Literature.” New Literary History 6, no. 3 (1975): 607-27. Accessed January 29, 2021. doi:10.2307/468468.

This historical text relates to the sense of identity in Victorian times where theories from the enlightenment such as darwinism were very influencial. The text discusses how in a time of idealism the factors of romanticism and darwinism were very much opposed causing an arguable split in society. The source discusses the rising darwinism mindsets in victorian culture and the fear of human nature that comes alongside this and how romantacism of the times allowed the victorian upper and middle classes to escape reality. this could be a useful source in showing the shift in Victorian culture through the early years of queen Victoria’s reign. This source however would need to be further backed up by a narrower explanation of darwinism and why it was importanct to victorian culture.

Primary sources

Ellegård, Alvar. “The Readership of the Periodical Press in Mid-Victorian Britain: II. Directory.” Victorian Periodicals Newsletter, no. 13 (1971): 3-22. Accessed January 30, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20084905.

This source shows the increasing interest in the state of society and culture throughout the Victorian period through the reader numbers of newspapers across the country, this source also shows the parallel between more education and an increased literacy rate. However, if it were to be used as a source in my dissertation i would need to find further evidence to back up these statements and discuss their relevance to Victorian society.

I would like you to publish a 500-word annotated bibliography of primary and secondary sources you might like to use in your dissertation. Use the tools you learned about in the mini-lecture from Helen Beardsley and write a reflection of how you found the sources and how you might use them in a dissertation. Apply relevant insights from this week’s readings.  Click here to see this guidance about how to do an annotated bibliography produced by the University of Leeds.

Please make sure you’ve uploaded your post by 7th February

 

Hi Everyone, my name is Emily and I’m from Cumbernauld. I’m thinking of doing my dissertation on the cinematic depictions of WW2. I’ve not been the biggest fan of online learning, I’m a bit old fashioned and don’t really like technology, so it has been a bit of a struggle.

Hi my name is Darren, I am from Dunoon a small town on the west coast. I currently do not know what topic I am going to choose for my dissertation but have a particular interest in British and European history within the 20th century.  Regarding online learning, I think it has its pros and cons, I miss social aspect of seminars and lectures and sometimes struggle to stick to a routine.

Hello everyone, I’m Cameron and I am from Shetland but currently living in Stirling. I am looking to do my dissertation on Napoleon possibly his impact on British national identity or something like that. Online teaching has been fine but the problem is more forcing myself to go outside for walks to keep my sanity that I have trouble with.