Modern European Histories and Cultures
Theme leaders
Overview of theme
Modern European Histories and Cultures develops a number of significant strengths within the Schools of Languages and European Studies, Humanities, and Arts and Communication Design. The aims of Modern European Histories and Cultures are to:
- stimulate and enhance research in the area through a programme of cross-departmental and disciplinary workshops and seminars;
- encourage and facilitate the development of joint research grant proposals;
- give focus and impetus to postgraduate recruitment.
The theme builds on the fact that Reading probably has the largest concentration of French and Italian history specialists in the UK, many of whom are located in our modern languages departments. See our opportunities available to Modern Languages postgraduate research students and the list of research centres in the School, some joint with the Department of History.
The theme links a family of interrelated research topics in the participating departments. These cluster into four overlapping strands, all of which involve substantial connections between historical and cultural studies, as well as between studies of different countries.
Theme topics
Nation and identity
- National identity and:
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- cinema and the visual arts, literature and language
- education
- the colonial 'other'
- Jewish identity within Europe
- Gender, childhood, domestic space and national politics
- War:
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- language
- identity
- memory
Travel and exile
- Exile, displacement and writing in early modern France
- Francophone Indian Ocean: diasporas, migrations and identities
- Polish Drama: emigration deportation and exile
- Cross-Channel travellers and artists in the 19th centuary
- Mapping France: cartography and cartographers
The Church, religion and the State
- France: Old Regime and Revolution attitudes towards the Clergy
- Italy: religion and education
- Germany: Church policy and ethnic identity 1920 to 1990
Leadership, regimes, institutions
- Italy: cults of Garibaldi and Mussolini
- France: Gaullism
- inventing a new regime: institutional reforms in 18th centuary France
- European integration
Schools currently involved
School of Languages and European Studies (SLES)
- French: Professor Joël Félix, Professor Andrew Knapp, Professor Mary Bryden
- German: Dr Peter Barker, Dr Üte Wölfel
- Italian: Professor Christopher Duggan, Mr Chris Wagstaff, Dr Shirley Vinall, Dr Daniela La Penna, Dr Francesca Medioli
School of Humanities
- History: n.j.atkin@reading.ac.uk, Dr Frank Tallett, Professor Richard Bosworth, Dr Lynda Risso
- History of Art: Dr Simon Lee, Dr Anna Gruetzner Robins
School of Arts and Communication Design
- Film, Theatre and Television: Dr Teresa Murjas
