History@Portsmouth

University of Portsmouth's History Blog

Author Archive | Fiona McCall

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“How can you be an artist and not reflect the times?” – studying Nina Simone and her times

By on October 16, 2024 in Learning in Focus, Research in Focus

Below Pauline Standley describes the experience of studying for a master’s degree in history (MRes) at Portsmouth.  She looked at the role of Nina Simone as a civil rights activist, a feminist, and someone who reflected the broader socio-political shifts of her time.  Pauline’s supervisor was Dr Lee Sartain. Nina Simone. For many, her name immediately brings to mind her iconic, richly textured voice, often accompanied by signature sounds of the trumpets and piano in timeless classics like “I Put a Spell on You” or “Feeling Good”. While these songs undoubtedly capture her unshakeable legacy, Nina Simone is also a reservoir of intersectional experiences that reveal much about the socio-political […]

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The Society for Nautical Research Winter Lecture Series 2024-5

By on October 2, 2024 in Events

The Society for Nautical Research have announced the schedule for their forthcoming winter online lecture series. The series aims to promote research into economic, social, political, military and environmental aspects of nautical history, drawing on British, European and international experience. Our own UoP history lecturers Dr Cathryn Pearce and Dr Matthew Heaslip will be giving lectures in February and March next year! Lectures held fortnightly on Wednesday evenings at 6:30PM (UTC) between October 2024 to March 2025. They will be held online (via zoom) and free to members of The Society For Nautical Research. To become a member see  https://snr.org.uk/become-a-member/  For queries see the convenor at: daisy.turnbull@myport.ac.uk. Lecture Schedule 9th October 2024 […]

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The different experiences of black and white women within the US feminist movement

By on August 14, 2024 in Learning in Focus, Research in Focus

Recent UoP history graduate Rebekah Sistig’s dissertation looked at how inherited racism divided members of the second-wave feminist movement in the USA.  She discusses her research below, with some good tips on breaking down the process. Rebekah’s supervisor was Dr Lee Sartain. Angela Davis, Betty Friedan, bell hooks and Gloria Steinem – all icons of the second wave feminist movement in the US, all women who dedicated their lives to fight against sexism. But were they truly united in their fight against the patriarchy? Was the supposed ‘sisterhood’ all it was chalked up to be? Judging by their contrasting books, organisations, ideologies, and social groups, I think it may not […]

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Researching the role of the Western powers in concealing Japanese War Crimes

By on August 7, 2024 in Learning in Focus, Research in Focus

Recent UoP history graduate Benjamin Taylor wrote his third-year dissertation on Japanese war crimes, discovering that the US and other Western states played a far larger role in the cover-up than has been previously acknowledged.  Below he writes about the trial and error process of writing his dissertation, and how the guidance of his supervisor, Dr Rudolph Ng, has been vital. My chosen topic for my dissertation was an investigation of the cover-up that has surrounded Japanese war crimes. Specifically, my dissertation sought to answer two questions: has there been a cover-up surrounding Japanese war crimes? And two, if so, which country was most instrumental in creating and perpetuating this […]

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