Tag: naval history

  • ‘Ports Cities in Comparative Global History’: Team members collaborate with researchers in Hong Kong

    ‘Ports Cities in Comparative Global History’: Team members collaborate with researchers in Hong Kong

    Earlier this month, a number of team members visited Hong Kong to participate in a series of institutional visits and present at an international conference on ‘Port Cities in Comparative Global History’ at Hong Kong Baptist University. To find out more about the conference, read this excellent blog by one of our PhD researchers, Charlotte Steffen, who presented their paper ‘Beyond China Town- The Multi-national Migration of Chinese Students in Europe’ on the second day of the event. The link to Charlotte’s blog is here.

    Prof Brad Beaven introducing the Port Cities and Maritime Cultures research centre.
    Drs Tam Ka Chai, Melanie Bassett, Katon Lee, Robert James and Matthew Heaslip.

     

     

  • Researching the letters of Allied service personnel in WW2: A student podcast

    Researching the letters of Allied service personnel in WW2: A student podcast

    Recently, the internationally-renowned museum, The D-Day Story, published on their website a podcast recorded in 2022 by three second year History students, Amy Deighton, Jessie Rickman and Sam Marchetti. The students, who are now in the final year of their studies, worked with the museum’s archives as part of their assessment for the ‘Working with the Past’ module, coordinated by Mike Esbester. The second-year module encourages students to work with our local community partners where possible and produce work that has a benefit to them and the organisation they are working with. To hear the podcast, go to the D-Day Story website here.

  • “Officers of the society”: Lloyd’s Register surveyors in China and transnational maritime networks, 1869-1918

    “Officers of the society”: Lloyd’s Register surveyors in China and transnational maritime networks, 1869-1918

    On 14 December 2022 University of Portsmouth PhD researcher, Corey Watson, presented at the second joint Naval History/ History research seminar of the year. In the paper Corey, who is in the second year of his doctoral programme, discussed the crucial role that the small group of surveyors who worked for Lloyd’s Register in China played as middle-men in this global maritime system. If you missed the paper, the recording is available to watch here. You will need the following password MLFv8c.z to access the recording. An abstract for Corey’s paper is below. To read more about Corey’s PhD programme, generously funded by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, see Dr Melanie Bassett’s blog on the Port Towns and Urban Cultures website.

    Shanghai shortly after opening the port to foreign trade. Wikimedia Commons.
    Abstract
    In 1869, a Lloyd’s Register ship and engineer Surveyor was for the first time posted to Shanghai, China. The surveyor, Joseph John Tucker, upon arriving in Shanghai marked the beginning of a rapid and global expansion of the Lloyd’s Register Society’s influence. By the end of the First World War the society had hundreds of surveyors in post across all five continents. These marine surveyors – veteran marine engineers whose expertise covered shipbuilding and maintenance, maritime safety, and maritime technology – played important roles in facilitating the ever-expanding networks of maritime knowledge, trade, and migration that increasingly connected the late 19th century world. This paper will draw on the concept of ‘new imperial history’ to investigate how these imperial maritime networks of knowledge functioned by analysing the lived experiences of these Lloyd’s Register surveyors. It also develops on a burgeoning literature which stresses the importance of these transnational networks and the ‘infrastructural globalization’ of the ‘world system’ that they underpinned. This paper will specifically engage with the themes of maritime knowledge networks, the movement of people, and the resultingly complex cultural identities that were produced. It will be shown first that by studying these maritime professionals, there can be found a number of interesting contradictions in the workings of maritime networks as the long reach of London struggled, with mixed success, to keep a degree of control over its agents far from home. Furthermore, it will be demonstrated that these surveyors, who played crucial roles as middle-men in these global maritime systems, found themselves with complicated and frequently shifting cultural identities and levels of professional agency as a result of their engagement with these networks.
  • How to prepare for life after university: History graduates reveal how the University’s careers services helped them gain vital workplace experience

    How to prepare for life after university: History graduates reveal how the University’s careers services helped them gain vital workplace experience

    In this blog Luke Nicolson, who graduated with a History degree from Portsmouth in July (well done, Luke!), discusses a project he undertook as part of the second year module, ‘Working with the Past’. Luke and some of his fellow students interviewed recent UoP History graduates and asked them about their careers since graduating. In this blog Luke reveals that the various opportunities the students undertook while studying at Portsmouth helped them in their current careers. The module ‘Working with the Past’ is coordinated by Dr Mike Esbester.

    With the findings of interviews from four graduates of History who studied at the University of Portsmouth, this blog will explore the effectiveness and usefulness of extracurricular activities and external placements in relation to a History degree and a full-time career post-graduation. Those interviewed were Melissa, Cathryn, Chloe and Rebecca. Each interviewee gave a detailed explanation on which activities and placements were helpful during their degree, and explored how they prepared them for the career they now undertake. 

    The first graduate to be interviewed for this research project was Melissa, who was a project manager for the Epsom race course mass vaccination centre on the NHS graduate scheme. Melissa explained how attending a careers fair put on by the University of Portsmouth was where she first heard about the NHS graduate scheme. Emphasising how useful and helpful the careers fairs are, Melissa recommended all students that are not completely sure about what career path they want pursue, should attend them. She shared how the fair offers a wide range of careers that would interest the majority of students. Melissa also shared how she participated in a variety of sports societies during her first year at the University of Portsmouth. She explained how this helped improve her social skills, which was extremely useful in preparing her for her chosen career. Frequently meeting new people also enhanced Melissa’s communication skills, allowing her to communicate more effectively with her university tutors which helped improve her degree. Overall, Melissa explored how being proactive in relation to extra-curricular and external activities can be very useful in helping with your History degree and career once graduated. 

    The next person to be interviewed was Cathryn. Currently, Cathryn works in a member of Parliament’s constituency office where she regularly carries out case work and organises constituency events. During her time at the University of Portsmouth, Cathryn was a part of the History Society and actively attended the weekly social meets. She explained how these drastically improved her social and communication skills. Cathryn also explained how the History Society was very useful in helping her in her degree. Discussing and debating with like-minded students helped enhance her analytical skills, leading to improvements in her research and assignments. As well as participating within the History Society, Cathryn also undertook part time work experience. She explained how this helped improve her time management within her degree; she became more proactive which coincided with more in depth and thorough research. She also noted that part time work experience fully prepared her for her full-time career; she had the skills and experience required to carry out her job to an excellent standard. Overall, Cathryn emphasised the importance of taking part in extra-curricular societies and gaining part time work experience during a degree. She explained how these activities gave her sufficient skills and experience to improve your degree and prepare you for a full-time career. 

    Next to be interviewed was Chloe, who is currently employed as the Records Manager and Policy Officer for the Falkland Islands Government. During her first year at the University of Portsmouth, Chloe became an Archive volunteer at the Portsmouth City museum. Chloe strongly emphasised how important and useful this activity was in relation to her degree and career post-graduation. Firstly, she touched on some of the skills and attributes she gained from this volunteer placement that helped her with her degree and career. These included the ability to catalogue archival material, assisting and organising exhibitions, assessing the conditions of records and conducting basic preservation and conservation work. Chloe explained how all these skills directly linked to her History degree and ensured her research and assignments were completed to a level of high quality. Chloe also shared how the placement fitted well with her History degree. She was able to take advantage of the records and archives held at the museum. This placement also created valuable and useful connections for Chloe to use as referees to support her throughout her career. Finally, the placement helped Chloe gain professional accreditation as a registered member of the Archive Records Association, which was key to her progressing in her chosen career. Overall, Chloe showed how her volunteering placement was extremely helpful for her degree and her career post-graduation. She explained how this placement gave her various skills that benefited her research and also gave her the connections to help her progress through her career. 

    The final person to be interviewed was Rebecca. Currently, Rebecca works as a curator at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth. During her time at the University of Portsmouth, Rebecca volunteered for a year and a half at the Royal Navy Submarine museum in Gosport. During her placement here, Rebecca gained key skills that helped her with her degree and full-time career once graduated. For example, she shared how the placement improved her confidence and social skills. The placement enhanced her ability to debate with other historians and improved her research and analytical skills. This helped with her degree as she was able to carry out more thorough and detailed research to create well written assignments. Rebecca also noted how the connections she made during her placement were useful when she applied for full time employment. Overall, Rebecca shared how volunteering can enhance your research and analytical skills, improve your confidence and increase your connections for possible full-time employment throughout your career.

    All four interviews give a detailed and thorough explanation on why extra-curricular activities and external placements were important and useful in relation to current degrees and full-time employment. Attending career fairs, participating in societies, taking a placement, or volunteering allowed them to learn the necessary skills required for a History degree and also provided valuable connections which they all used to progress in their careers.

  • Bridging the gap between the academic and non-academic worlds II: Making research accessible

    Bridging the gap between the academic and non-academic worlds II: Making research accessible

    In this blog Dan Squire, who graduated with a History degree from Portsmouth in July (well done, Dan!), discusses a project he worked on last year with some of his fellow History students for the module ‘Working with the Past’, coordinated by Dr Mike Esbester. As part of their project, the students looked into how academic historians take their work ‘out of the academy’ and into the public realm. Dan and his fellow students interviewed our Dr Mel Bassett, who researches the history of dockyard workers, to find out how she has tried to engage the wider public in the history she studies.

    As part of our work for the module ‘Working with the Past’, I and a few of my fellow students interviewed Dr Melanie Bassett about how and why historians interact with the public. Mel gave us many insights into her personal experiences of interacting with the public, addressing the concerns many historians have when showcasing their work to the public. Mel spoke about tackling issues such as keeping the public engaged in historical discussions and the different methods that can be utilised to achieve this goal. Mel also went on to stress the importance of accessibility and how technology can play a significant role in facilitating a shift to a more connected historical dialogue between the public and historians.

    Mel has employed various methods to capture the public’s interest by making History accessible and enjoyable for everyone involved. One outreach project that Mel was involved in, called Sickly Slums and Sailortowns, is an excellent representation of how historians can expand their audience. The project introduced children to their local history as they discovered what life was like for the port towns’ inhabitants. The workshop culminated in a tour around Portsea, finishing in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, giving participants a first-hand experience of their local history as they even got to sit in a hammock on board HMS Warrior! This outreach project offered a fantastic taster day into History with the primary aim of capturing the interest of the participants. Exposing History to children at an early age can only be a good thing. Not only will it give them more of an appreciation for the subject, it will also help them develop an understanding of the world they live in.

    Mel encapsulated her attitude towards working with the wider public when she told us “It is a really exciting time to be a historian; being able to work in the public eye and showcase what it is we do.” Mel feels that historians have the ability to help people gain a sense of topical issues by giving context to events. This was particularly evident when Mel highlighted the importance of other aspects of her research, particularly relating to the British Empire and its implications on today’s society. Mel has examined how the Empire affected ideas of race and belonging within Britain, demonstrating how historians can help by using their research to answer the bigger questions that the public ask.

    Making History accessibility is, Mel said, a major issue for historians who are looking to engage a wider audience. Mel spoke about the role that she had played in digitising part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy‘s collection, which involved creating online exhibitions to go on their website. Online exhibitions enable the public to view resources hidden away in the museum’s archives, which are often not on display in the museum due to a lack of physical space. This means that the public can have full access to all the possible exhibits that the museum has to offer.

    Mel also discussed another side of accessibility: the need to understand that people do not always want to be lectured to; it is important, Mel said, to allow people to see the collections themselves and do things in their own time. Modern technology has also allowed more traditional written History to become more accessible. As well as writing longer academic-focused pieces, many historians now engage with the public by writing shorter, more reader-friendly posts. Therefore, the public can digest the information in a condensed way.

    Mel also offered her thoughts on improving accessibility in the future, pinpointing the fact that we need to empower the wider public by giving them the tools they need to further their own research if they wanted to. This raises an interesting argument about online archives. Although theoretically they are now more accessible than ever due to them negating geographical restrictions, members of the public are often met with new restrictions in the form of paywalls on many sites, meaning online archives are only available to people who can afford to pursue their interest in history.

    Finally, Mel spoke to us about her experience of working on the TV programme Britain’s Most Historic Towns. While being positive about the involvement of documentaries and TV shows in History, Mel also mentioned the dangers a historian can face working with the media. Mel was acutely aware of the fact that any time you offer your expertise or opinion, there is always the potential for someone to disagree. This highlighted the difficulty of expressing a view in a 10-minute segment on TV that has been built up through years of research and critical thinking. Mel went on to say that if historians were given longer to contribute, they could add more information to help contextualise their views and lower the chance of their point being misunderstood.

    Overall, Mel was extremely positive about working with the wider community and says that making History more available to the public can on be a good thing. It is clear then, that Mel’s aim as a historian is to encourage the wider public to explore and engage with history more freely. Her research is a very important part of her job, she says, but so is helping to create a new generation of historians.

  • My Experiences with Learning Development

    Cameron Meeten, who is studying for a master’s degree in naval history, encourages all students to take advantage of the services offered by our learning development tutors.  Although not at the moment able to meet students face to face, the learning development tutors can still offer plenty of advice by online methods.

    Learning development is one of the most valuable resources at the university and I implore all SASHPL students to take advantage of the guidance available. Learning development offer personal guidance in the development of academic skills and have something to offer all students regardless of where they are in the process of their degree.[1] Whilst attending the Student Voice Committee at the beginning of the year there were discussions about the ways in which the university provides academic support to students. I was at the start of a new degree and after hearing about the support that learning development provide, I decided to pay a visit. When I was an undergraduate I unfortunately did not utilise the help offered by learning development; this was partially because I was not aware what they did for students. I would have certainly paid them a visit during my undergraduate degree had I known how learning development can help students like myself.

    Rhetoric, German engraving, c. 1541, British Museum
    Rhetoric, German engraving, c. 1541, British Museum

    My first visit to learning development was to gain insight into how to improve the structure of my essays. I submitted a draft of the essay that I was writing and arranged a one-to-one meeting. At the meeting Laura kindly went through my essay with me and providing a detailed set of notes on how I could be clearer setting out my argument, and how I could improve the signposting in my work. This significantly helped me improve my essay which I later received a distinction in the clarity of writing and structure portion of the feedback. Learning development helped me with a very specific part of my essay writing, and they offer a wide variety of academic advice. In the one-to-one meetings learning development offer specific essay guidance such as essay writing skills, the use of academic language as well as the development of critical thinking skills. Leaning development also offer more general study advice such as organisational, reading, and note-taking skills. I am certain that every student could do with some help on at least one of the areas that learning development are able to assist with.

    One of the most useful services provided by learning development is assignment feedback. Following my first visit to learning development I have used this service on every single assignment that I have submitted. Learning development can look at an assignment draft (up to 1500 words) and will go through it with you in a one-to-one meeting. Following this meeting your learning development tutor will email you a document which outlines their feedback and the discussion points of the meeting. No essay is perfect, and sometimes a second set of eyes on a piece of work can be of great value.

    In addition to one-to-one meetings learning development also offer workshops which you can book an appointment on to.[2] These workshops are tailored to provide help to a group of students on a very specific topic. These workshops are particularly useful if there is a specific area which you wish to focus on. Workshops that have been provided in the past include critical thinking, referencing and dissertation sessions.[3]

    Learning development offer appointments to any SASHPL students who are looking for guidance with their academic work. The help and advice they offer is very beneficial when acted upon, and I encourage all SASHPL students who wish to improve their work to pay a visit. Unfortunately face to face meetings are not available for the time being due to the coronavirus outbreak, however feedback can still be provided via email.

    Good luck to all students who decide to utilise the help that is available to them!

    Thank you Laura, for all the help you have given me so far this year.

    [1] https://moodle.port.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=5877

    [2] https://sashpllearningdevelopment.youcanbook.me/

    [3] https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/sashpl-learning-development-6248854919