Culture, Exchange, Heritage: Temporary return migration in the British World, c1900 to 1925 (ADSS/DRFHUM7P/61865)

Following History’s recent major success in REF2014 (18th out of 83 nationally in quality of research outputs), we are seeking proposals on the theme of ‘Culture, Exchange, Heritage: Temporary return migration in the British World, c1900 to 1925’.

Recent studies have enriched our understanding of the scale of migration from the British and Irish Isles to destinations around the world. While the flow of people to places in Canada and Australasia was significant, estimates also suggest, however, that a significant number of emigrants did not settle abroad permanently. Some returned to Britain, while others relocated to another British colony overseas. Migratory pathways criss-crossed, and, even in the nineteenth century, those departing for foreign shores often remained very mobile. Still return migration of peoples from the British and Irish Isles remains a largely neglected area of research, with the temporary return being especially elusive in scholarship.

We encourage applicants who wish to explore the temporary return of British and/or Irish migrants. The scope of the PhD should address the following three interconnected aims:
1) The doctoral research will establish systematically the different types of temporary return within a British World context.
2) Drawing on this systematic assessment, the PhD will investigate both the role temporary returnees played in shaping British and/or Irish views of overseas destinations, as well as views of Britain/Ireland in these destinations.
3) Placing emphasis on short-term returnees, the doctoral research should also explore the degree to which encounters of temporary return migrants were a key factor in the moulding of the emerging countries’ own perceptions of themselves and the ‘Mother Country’.

Candidates may wish to examine the temporary return of peoples from Britain/Ireland with reference to a number of specific contexts: war and imperial conflict; sport and sporting culture; early ‘roots tourism’; education; politics; and associational life. We will be pleased, however, to consider other themes. The project will draw not only on personal archives, letter collections, government records, and the papers of colonial societies (such as the New Zealand Society of London), but will also harness the recent advances in the digitisation of newspaper material.

The successful applicant(s) will be affiliated to the British and Irish Worlds research group; the group regularly brings together like-minded historians within and beyond the department to discuss work-in-progress, organise conferences and symposia and collaborate on major research grants. Major recent investment in resources to support research activities in the area of British and imperial studies include: 19th Century British Library Newspapers; Irish Newspaper Archive; the Online Churchill Archive; Nineteenth Century Collections Online; Times Digital Archive; JSTOR collections.

Enquiries regarding this studentship should be made to: Dr Tanja Bueltmann, [Email Address Removed]

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/
Please ensure you quote the advert reference above on your application form.