War, Media and Society's Avatar

War, Media and Society

@wms-unikent.bsky.social

Centre for the History of War, Media and Society @ University of Kent https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/munitions-of-the-mind/

47 Followers  |  72 Following  |  1 Posts  |  Joined: 17.09.2025  |  1.4016

Latest posts by wms-unikent.bsky.social on Bluesky

Seminar title: Perceptions and realities of First World War experiences and legacies in the context of social class

Seminar title: Perceptions and realities of First World War experiences and legacies in the context of social class

A longitudinal study of the lives of the cohort of predominately lower middle-class men who attended a locally-endowed grammar school in south-east London and were potentially eligible for service in the First World War finds that, in terms of overall context, the war tended to be an interlude rather than a rupture with the survivors largely and uneventfully resuming their pre-war life trajectories. For many, pre-war education and pre- and post-war migratory movements seem to have had a more significant influence in shaping life outcomes than war experiences, which themselves did not necessarily follow accepted patterns and perceptions. Against this background it is argued more generally that assumptions which may (and, in some cases, have) been made about British men’s war experiences and their legacy take insufficient account of socio-geographic background and pre-and post-war trends in some social groupings. Dr Andrew Whittaker is an Honorary Research Fellow of Goldsmiths, University of London.

A longitudinal study of the lives of the cohort of predominately lower middle-class men who attended a locally-endowed grammar school in south-east London and were potentially eligible for service in the First World War finds that, in terms of overall context, the war tended to be an interlude rather than a rupture with the survivors largely and uneventfully resuming their pre-war life trajectories. For many, pre-war education and pre- and post-war migratory movements seem to have had a more significant influence in shaping life outcomes than war experiences, which themselves did not necessarily follow accepted patterns and perceptions. Against this background it is argued more generally that assumptions which may (and, in some cases, have) been made about British men’s war experiences and their legacy take insufficient account of socio-geographic background and pre-and post-war trends in some social groupings. Dr Andrew Whittaker is an Honorary Research Fellow of Goldsmiths, University of London.

The IHR War, Society and Culture seminar series is back next week! Join us as we kick off the new term with a paper on the FWW and social class from @andrewwhittaker.bsky.social 💥

⏰ 24/09/25, 5.30pm
📌 Online via Zoom / In-person at @ihr.bsky.social

Register here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

17.09.2025 16:09 — 👍 7    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

@wms-unikent is following 20 prominent accounts