End of 2011

I have finally done my Hist5000 paper, the conference was very stressful and I'm just glad its over! Rachel was there to support me, she sat through so many papers and didn't pass out due to boredom. Some of the Race and Resistance papers were truly dull in the extreme so she deserves a mighty pat on the back! We had a KFC bucket to celebrate, good times :-) A girl who appreciates food as much as I do is to be cherished!
I am glad Christmas is nearly here, I do feel tired of my course. If I could go back in time perhaps I would study politics instead. Then again maybe I wouldn't. All I have left now are one optional module and the dissertation itself, as well as a research proposal but I'm not sure what that involves. 


I am not sure what to buy family for Christmas, no doubt I will choose some books again. Waterstones often have a 3 for 2 book offer on, so perhaps I will take advantage of that. 

Carol Concerts and Me

Leeds University Union is tomorrow the host of a particularly early carol concert on December 1st, put on as a joint spectacle by Christian Unions from both the University of Leeds and the Leeds Met. The early date is presumably assure the largest possible student audience as students will soon be drifting off back home. Engaging with an increasingly recalcitrant and stratified student population is becoming increasingly difficult at the best of times, so I can't say I blame the CU's for striking while the iron is still somewhat luke-warm.

Normally I attend as I enjoy the sense of nostalgia from previous enforced attendance at numerous childhood carol concerts accompanied by some tedious acting role in a nativity play, as well as presenting me with the opportunity to snaffle half a dozen free mince pies. I am particularly prone to bouts of nostalgia (no doubt linked in some way to my love of history) so despite knowing better I feel pulled into attending. Of course this shared communal nostalgia is exactly what the CU's are hoping to cash in on, for them this is the grand daddy of evangelical events, a once a year opportunity to present the saving Gospel of their Lord Jesus Christ to as many unbelievers as possible. Easter just does not compare for getting bums on seats! The contract we (non-Christians) all sign when we attend these events is implicit rather than explicit: we get some free refreshments and get so sing all the old favourites, and in return you have to sit there and listen to a roughly half hour evangelical message. Being an enormous sucker, I am still willing to make this deal.

This year's event holds particular interest to me as part way through the evening's 'entertainment' is a talk about the Christmas message by none other than Amy Orr-Ewing. Having a particular interest in evangelical Christianity (largely under the classical Sun-Tzu principle of knowing one's enemy) I am well aware that Amy ranks probably among the best and brightest of all UK evangelicals concerned directly with higher levels of Christian apologia, receiving a first class degree in Theology at Christ Church, Oxford and an MA in theology from King's College before turning her hand to professional writing. I have spent many an hour listening to her talks and presentations online and am rather shamefully excited to see her 'live'. Perhaps this will be a chance to cross swords with a genuine Christian intellect? Sadly, I will probably just stuff some mince pies into my scruffy rucksack and shuffle out of the back entrance once the festivities are over, as I don't think my philosophy of religion is quite in her league.

Abstract/Synopsis

One common feature of academic work is the placement of an 'abstract' at the beginning of a substantial piece of research. In tends not to be too common in academic history although I've grown to think of it as an excellent idea. As part of 'thinking through' all the issues associated with my dissertation I thought it might be worthwhile to attempt writing one for my own piece of work. Given that the topic is on:

'Operational Strategy and Tactics at the Battle of the Somme'

this is my initial attempt at an abstract/synopsis:

'This work will examine the historical literature that deals with the battle of the Somme concerning operational strategy and tactics. In addition to outlining the arguments of key works that have touched on this topic I will be attempting to assess the causes behind the many changes that have taken place from 1918 to the present day (2012). In particular, I will be focusing on what strategic principles or lessons those dealing with the Somme have attempted to take from the events of 1916, and how they too changed over time. The impact of both the professionalisation of British academic history as well as the wider intellectual challenges to historical study will also be addressed through this study.'

Ok that will do for now. I am not at all happy with it, perhaps I will mull it over further in the gym and come back and edit it into oblivion.

Dissertation Focus

In a few weeks time I have to present a paper, outlining my research proposal for my dissertation due next September. As a means of support I have enlisted my girlfriend to come 'observe' me, hopefully this will not backfire! The format is 15-20 minutes presenting your paper in a format of your choice (although handouts and/or PowerPoint are strongly recommended).

I was originally meant to be doing a course in military history here at Leeds but that course was binned, a fate that is symptomatic for military history more broadly in the UK. Nonetheless, this can be compensated for by a military focused dissertation and having acquired the necessary supervisionary expertise I am thankfully able to start one! My topic is on the Great War, more specifically on the British Army and operational strategy and tactics on the Western Front. Yet I am not attempting to conduct a 15,000 word piece of original research (as is normally the case) but am instead going to attempt a historiographical work. Yet the literature on this topic is simply too big to cover adequately for a mere dissertation, so I needed a way to narrow this topic down. This can be done in one of three ways:

Firstly, I could find some way to narrow the time-scale of the historiography in question, for instance, choosing to focus solely on the relevant literature from 1919-1939. I am not a fan of this approach, as any late start date or early end point seems somewhat arbitrary to me. Historiography rarely divides into neat and tidy epochs fit for critical discussion.

Secondly, there is the option of narrowing the focus on to a particular battle of campaign, however most battles have made little significant impact and so in effect I would be limited to probably either the battle of the Somme in 1916, or 3rd Ypres in 1917 (otherwise known as Passchendaele). Cambrai was an option I considered, but there didn't seem to be the required level of historical reading to support it.

The third, and final, option was to consider a relevant historical figure and assess their impact on strategy and tactics of the Great War. As with the former option, this is not as big a choice as might appear as when considering the British Army there is only really the character of Douglas Haig, not even his immediate operational subordinates (like Rawlinson) are significant enough to generate enough historical writing to support a dissertation.

As is perhaps evident, I instinctively dislike the first option, and so was left to grapple with the latter two choices. After delving into sample reading for both topics I plumped for the battle/campaign focus, largely due to my dislike of the endless number of biographical works I would be forced to endure by studying the impact of Haig. This left me with one final decision, Somme or Passchendaele? I went with the Somme, as, for various reasons, it has left a significantly bigger historiographical 'footprint', even if it does seem like a somewhat obvious choice. All that remains is to come up with a snazzy title, one that will woo the crowd of historians I am soon to face. Something along the lines of:

'The Battle of the Somme: An Historiographical Investigation in Operational Strategy and Tactics'

or I could just reverse word the damn thing:

Operational Strategy and Tactics at the Somme: A Historiographical Investigation'

I just don't know!

Careers Events and the Public Sector

Today I attended an hour long presentation given as part of a one day careers event at the University of Leeds under the slightly cheesy title of  'EXPO11'. I generally find these events fairly depressing experiences and I'm glad to say that today was no exception. Most of the advice given at these events is either couched in so much management/HR speak as to be virtually indecipherable into common English, or is simply so generic as to be merely common sense. 

For example, one of the 'expert' point put across by a speaker was that when completing a job application form it is advisable to write a complete answer. Well thanks for that! I was planning on just mashing the keyboard with my fist until I hit the word limit, guess I'll now have to revise my strategy.

Although there were a variety of talks and events available today I could only bare to subject myself to one of them so I elected to attend a 3pm talk being given on applying for careers in the public sector. There where 4 people invited in to speak on this topic, most of them from the local council. What surprised me the most was the lack of any emphasis placed on the key differences on working in a public service career and the for-profit private sector. Indeed, they seemed keen overall to stress the similarities in their style of work! Not once were the virtues public service mentioned, indeed the recent applicants who talked seemed to have simply stumbled into the job as if by accident. There seemed to be a complete obliviousness to the profoundly political nature of their jobs, one lady trumpeted the management of almost total cuts for severely disabled citizens of Leeds as another 'skill' to put on her bloated CV, a mere exercise in technocratic efficiency. Although I am still keen to pursue some sort of public service career, this talk did not instill me with confidence as to the caliber of people I may end up working alongside!

When asked a question about job security in the public sector, something I thought would be a clear benefit to working there, the consensus seemed to be that 2 year contracts were now the norm and this was a good thing as after 2 year any normal person would have mastered their previous role and be looking to move on anyway! I found it truly extraordinary that such limited tenure and security of position could be treated in such a manner. What is in effect a major defeat for public workers and all those interested in working in the profession is now being presented as a victory of dynamism and efficiency, able to maximise the life experiences for all employees involved! Fun times ahead for all concerned no doubt.

As a final point I would just like to mention the giant fucking elephant in the room that seems to rarely crop up at careers events. This is the issue of there being ALMOST NO GRADUATE JOBS OUT THERE WHATSOEVER. One of the pundits today cheerily yelped something today about a 'steadily improving situation' and expressed confidence in all of us finding work. Yeah, well maybe. But it sure doesn't look that way to me! The shitty economic situation really doesn't seem to impact the glossy rhetoric of all these career events, its just as 'blue sky' as it was before, with perhaps an even greater emphasis on cut-throat competition. 

Although all undergraduates and postgraduates are endlessly bombarded with mails and flyers to attended these cursed events I honestly don't recommend them. Spend the time doing something worthwhile, like smashing your face into a pebble-dashed wall or actually getting on and doing some reading! 

Summer in Leeds

One of the benefits of the course I'm completing at the University of Leeds is that this summer I have no set academic work to do. This means I have months of free time to spend on anything I want! Economic orthodoxy points in no uncertain terms to getting a job but having worked hard to get here I really can't be bothered subjugating myself to whatever terrible jobs will likely be on offer for summer students. Poor pay and working conditions are all too frequent in the New Capitalism, and given that I don't have to play that game right now, I will abstain.
 

Instead I am going to work my way through a series of classic texts that will (hopefully) make me a better and more learned person! I'm starting with all of Ayn Rands stuff then moving onto works by recently deceased social democratic author Tony Judt. Judt wrote the set text for my first semester module on post-war Europe, and his fluid writing style and analytical ability have made me a fan (possessing near identical political sympathies is always a bonus!). I am certainly making a conscious effort to not allow selective bias to filter out any works I would not normally work through, if you only read those who cleave closely to your own beliefs then you will end up all the poorer. If, as a social democrat, you cannot engage with Hayek and Friedman then you will end up a political caricature and infinitively less able to defend your tenuous position against others better prepared.

My only real academic task for the summer is to come up with a topic for my dissertation next year (and select a supervisor based on this decision), but inspiration can come from the strangest of places so broad reading is perhaps no bad thing. The Leeds University Library contains a substantial archive on the Great War, so perhaps that would be a good resource to tap into? Further investigation is required but I look forward to a summer of learning whatever I decide to research!