The Making of Character: Education and the Formation of Character in the Nineteenth Century Cooperative Movement

This project will explore the intellectual sources that shaped the concept of character found in the writings of, and works associated with, the leading figures of the nineteenth century cooperative movement in Britian, situating them in their social, political and historical context.

Aims and objectives

The cooperative movement in nineteenth century Britain developed in response to the immiseration of the industrial working classes. The aim of the movement was to secure the financial and moral betterment of its members, and cooperative associations had an educative as well as economic purpose. Whilst associations often looked to teach their members particular business skills, the educative purpose of the movement was more broadly the moral improvement of character. Current research has tended to overlook this aspect of the movement, and to focus instead on the skills involved in cooperating. This project will focus on the virtues of cooperation. It will examine how these were expressed through educational ideas and ideals, and will also investigate the connection between education and the building of character and virtue as expressed through the literature of cooperation.

The research will contribute to the understanding of the intellectual origins of the cooperative movement by examining the intellectual sources that influence the conception of the cooperative character as it is set out in the writings of, and works associated with, the leading figures of the nineteenth century cooperative movement (Robert Owen, G. J. Holyoake, Dr William King, et al.) The specific focus of the research project will be flexible, depending on the candidate’s interest and expertise. For example, it could examine the sources of the idea of the cooperative character in the writings of eighteenth and nineteenth century political theorists and philosophers, or it might look at the impact of various religious discourses on the conception of cooperative virtues.

The project will form part of a larger investigation led by Dr Keith Crome that traces the historical transformations in the concept and function of education in the cooperative movement from its beginnings through to the present day, and which examines the way in which these changes have impacted on the development of the movement. It will complement research into the ideas and ideals of cooperation and their impact on the cultural identity of Manchester and the Northwest being undertaken by the Cooperatives and Democracy Forum (a multi-disciplinary network of academics and researchers from within MMU) in partnership with the Cooperative College, Manchester. The research will benefit from access to the extensive material held in the Cooperative Archive, which is housed in the Cooperative College.

The supervisory team for this project will be Dr Keith Crome and Dr Olga Kuznetsova of Manchester Metropolitan and Dr Cilla Ross, Vice Principal: Cooperative Education and Research, The Cooperative College, Manchester

The closing date for applications is 31st January 2017.
To apply, please use the form on our web page: http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/postgraduate-research-course/ - please note, CVs alone will not be accepted.

For informal enquiries, please contact: [Email Address Removed]
Please quote the Project Reference in all correspondence.