Staff Profile:Dr Jacqui Turner
- Name:
- Dr Jacqui Turner
- Job Title:
- Lecturer in Modern History
- Responsibilities:
Director of Outreach and Widening Participation
Undergraduate Teaching
Year 1: Making the Modern Family and the Origins of the Welfare State
Year 2: 'Rebel Girls' Radical Women 1795-1919'
Year 2: People's History of Modern Britain (team-taught module, my contribution being 'Gender and Society' and the 'March of the Women' and 'The 'Roaring' Twenties and the Bright Young People')
Year 3: Discovering Archives and Collections (placement module)
Year 3: 'Battleaxes and Benchwarmers' - The aftermath of suffrage and female early MPs 1918-1931
Year 3: Dissertation supervision
Postgraduate
MA (PGT):
Building a New Jerusalem: The emergence of the Labour Party in Britain (co-taught with Professor Matt Worley)
Theory and Themes: Gender and Women's History
Historical Skills and Resources: Engaging with collections and material culture
Dissertation supervision
PhD (PGR):
Supervision: I am currently supervising PhD research founded largely in the Astor papers including - the Astor legacy, Christian Science and the Anglican Parliament, plus Elizabeth, 6th Baroness Craven: female travel and autobiographical writing in the late Eighteenth Century and early Nineteenth Century.
PhD research skills
What's not there? Absences and difficult histories in collections - gender and the archive
Curating exhibitions from the archive
- Areas of Interest:
Research
I am broadly interested in C19th and early C20th parliamentary politics and political cultures including gender, early feminism and that heady mix of working class politics and religion.
My existing research 'The soul of the Labour Movement' is a detailed examination of the Victorian morality and spirituality upon which the life of the Labour movement was built and includes the wider contribution of the women's movement, children's associations and radical literary traditions. My new book The Labour Church: Religion and Politics in the Early Twentieth Century was published by I.B. Tauris in spring 2018. I plan to return to socialism and working class politics after 2020 to expand my existing research on Christian Socialist Women.
My current research concerns early female pioneers in politics, focusing largely on female MPs between 1919 and 1931 primarily as 'sex-candidates'. I examine the contribution of early female MPs but also reassess the importance of the 1918 Representation of the People Act on British democracy, in relation to women and the emergence of female public politicians - I am particularly interested in Nancy Astor, who was the first female MP to sit in the House of Commons and whose papers are held at the University of Reading.
Public engagement
After spending several years working in heritage, I remain interested in archives and collections, museums and heritage.
I am currently working with the national Vote100 project on the centenary of the women's vote and local ReadingVote100 projects. I look forward to project-managing the Astor100 centenary programme from the University of Reading in 2019 - a series of projects and events designed to celebrate 100 years since Nancy Astor became the first woman to take her seat in Parliament. The Astor archives are held here at the University of Reading Special Collections. I am advising on the refurbishment of Reading Museum galleries.
Collections-based teaching
I am a huge advocate for collections-based teaching. In all modules from year 1 through to postgraduate study, my students visit the University of Reading's Special Collections and utilise primary material. Handling primary material connects the student with the past and introduces them to the joy unearthing an unexpected gem. I also endeavour to take my third-year students to Parliament to meet a female MP to engage with women's place in society and politics today as well as in the past.
Recent Awards and Nominations:
Diverse and Inclusive Teaching Excellence Award 2017
"I nominated Dr Jacqui Turner for RUSU's Diverse and Inclusive Teaching Excellence Award which she won. Jacqui supported me throughout my degree, enabling me to pursue topics I was passionate about. I honestly cannot stop praising her."
Nikita Rai (BA History)When I first heard that I had been nominated for the diversity and inclusivity award I was incredibly honoured but initially a little surprised - I fundamentally teach a history of posh white women. But in reality it is a history of feminists and radicals, who demanded to be included, challenged their boundaries, defied expectations and made certain that their voices were heard. At the core of my teaching I make room for everyone by engaging more broadly in a diverse range of demands for rights and representation. Based on student feedback we have expanded teaching spaces, moving beyond the classroom and the essay, diversifying assessment and making it more relevant through blogs, vlogs, reflective online research, suffrage inspired scrapbooks and engaging with collections-based learning. Students of all backgrounds have found common ground in exploring archival material. Teaching is a privilege and a joy in life and my students often become research soul-mates. They deserve a diverse and inclusive environment that does not always come from the same point of view and where they can express their self-identity and take this into their own research as this is how the best degrees are won.
Collaborative Teaching Award 2018
Partnered celebration of 'Vote 100' with Dr Madeleine Davies (English Literature) and Mr Guy Baxter (University Museums and Special Collections Services). In celebration and inspired by 'Vote 100'.
"The 'Feminism 100' event series was jointly organised by the School of Languages and Literature and the School of Humanities and ran over the spring term. It made three significant achievements; it produced a creative and innovative school-led collaboration, cultivated a close partnership between staff and students from History, Classics and Literature, and showcased the value of work placement modules. The collaboration is a shining example of what we are most proud of at Reading - our students and our teaching and learning partnerships."
Research Engagement and Impact Award finalist 2018 (pending)
Other Responsibilities
Director of Outreach and Community Engagement (for the Department of History only)
Community and Schools Outreach activities can be seen here https://www.reading.ac.uk/history/outreach-and-community/hist-outreach-and-community.aspx on our website and are available throughout the academic year. Staff within the Department of History have a strong commitment to engaging with the local community, schools and other institutions. While on some occasions we may not be able to respond to individual request from schools, we are keen to share our internationally renowned research in a variety of topics through a series of events where you can meet both our staff and students. We are also available online and encourage you to follow our blog to keep up to date with what is going on in the Department.
- Research groups / Centres:
Contribution to the MA(Res) in History
- Publications:
-
YNumber of items: 4.
2018
- Turner, J. (2018) The Labour Church: religion and politics in Britain 1890-1914. International Library of Political Studies. I.B. Tauris, London, UK, pp304. ISBN 9781784539436
- Turner, J., McCarthy, H., Bartley, P., Gay, O. and Sutherland, D. (2018) The Tomb 1918-1963: the first female MPs. In: Voice and Vote: Celebrating 100 Years of Votes for Women. History of Parliament, London, pp. 80-86. ISBN 9781906670702
2016
- Turner, J., (2016) Nancy Astor. Living heritage: women and the vote. www.parliament.uk
2009
- Turner, J. (2009) Labour's lost soul? Recovering the labour church. In: Worley, M. (ed.) The Foundations of the British Labour Party. Ashgate, Farnham, pp. 153-169. ISBN 9780754667315
Dr Jacqui Turner on Twitter @Jacqui1918
Dr Jacqui Turner on Facebook jacqui.turner.9066
Battleaxes and Benchwarmers blog https://jacquiturner.me/author/jacquiturnerblog/
Department of History on Twitter UniRdg_History
Department of History on Facebook UniRdgHistory
Follow our blog at https://unireadinghistory.com/
