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Abbie Tibbott|<\/strong>a.f.tibbott@pgr.reading.ac.uk<\/a><\/h2>\n‘We are not equal, and never shall be.’ Citizenship and the Conservative Cabinet under the leadership of Stanley Baldwin, 1924-1929.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nSupervision:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Dr Jacqui Turner<\/li>\n
- Professor Matthew Worley<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
My research examines the actions taken by the 1924 Conservative Cabinet, led by Stanley Baldwin, that influenced the experience of citizenship in the 1920s. By making extensive use of historic Cabinet Papers, I am analysing attempts made by the Cabinet in the 1920s to disenfranchise those in receipt of Poor Law relief, as well as investigating wider attitudes towards citizenship in the interwar period. The post-war ideology of Conservatism focused on nationalism, patriotism and individualism, leading to questions from those in the highest circles of government as to who \u2018deserved\u2019 to participate in the democratic process through casting a vote at general elections. My interdisciplinary research explores the intersection of history, politics, and sociological thought on the concepts of belonging and entitlement.<\/p>\n
Find out more about Abbie and her research at https:\/\/www.reading.ac.uk\/history\/stories\/abbie-tibbott<\/a><\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”1249,1262″ img_size=”350×200″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/h2>\nFiona Lane|<\/strong>f.h.lane@pgr.reading.ac.uk<\/a><\/h2>\nMunicipal Rent Strikes in England in 1939: The Significance of Women\u2019s Co-operative Action<\/h3>\n
Supervision:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Dr Jacqui Turner<\/li>\n
- Professor Matt Worley<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The year 1939 witnessed a rash of rent strikes, from tenants in the East End of London who refused to pay their private property owners, to mortgage strikers who defaulted on payment to their building societies because of substandard construction of new houses, to municipal tenants on corporation housing estates who protested rent rebate schemes or rent increases. There have been very few studies of municipal rent strikes in 1939 and most have concentrated on the role of the CPGB. My thesis examines the actions of the female participants, how they were treated and regarded by the authorities and contemporaries, and what this demonstrated about their position in society. I have recently submitted my thesis and hope to viva in Autumn 2025.<\/p>\n
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Robin Harragin Hussey|r.e.h.hussey@pgr.reading.ac.uk\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\nHealing Christianity in Great Britain: The establishment of Christian Science, 1910-1960 <\/strong><\/h3>\nSupervision:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Dr Jacqui Turner\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Dr Mara Oliva<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u201cThere is no doubt that we have in the Church neglected the connection that does exist between faith and health, and it is largely because of that that Christian Science, for example, has been able to gain so many adherents; for the practice of Christian Science had brought incalculable benefit to many people\u2026\u201d These words, delivered to the Manchester Diocesan Conference in 1924 by Bishop William Temple, indicate the extent to which the Christian Science movement has impacted not only the Church of England but also the wider society. By that time Nancy Astor had been a Member of Parliament for five years. She was the first woman to take up her seat in the House of Commons and she was a Christian Scientist. My thesis examines how this American Protestant import had such an impact on British social, religious and political culture in the early 20th Century.<\/p>\n
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Amanda Ariss\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nThe uses of imperialism in feminist and suffrage politics in the UK from 1885-1918<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nSupervision:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Dr Jacqui Turner (University of Reading)<\/li>\n
- Professor Sumita Mukherjee (University of Bristol)<\/li>\n
- Funded by AHRC SWWDTP<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The principal research question concerns how popular memory, public histories and suffrage campaigners\u2019 self-memorialisation have addressed the complex relationships between feminism, suffragism, race and imperialism in the UK in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This research should shed fresh light on how academic and public histories of race, empire and gender influence one another. At a time when so-called \u2018culture wars\u2019 form a significant part of political discourse, this is an important question.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/astor100\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/70\/2023\/08\/Fawcett-statue.jpg\")
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Dr Melanie Khuddro (from March 2023)|<\/strong>melanie.khuddro@pgr.reading.ac.uk\u00a0<\/a><\/h2>\n‘Ten thousand Esthers and Miriams by the million’: The dissemination of the Christian Science faith, 1885-1933\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\nSupervision:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Dr Jacqui Turner\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Professor Matt Worley<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
My thesis tackles questions relating to Christian Science which is explored as the first and largest female-founded denominational faith within the American New Religious Movement. It positions the institutor, Mary Baker Eddy, as an essential feature of the religion though the thesis aims to divorce Eddy as an individual from Christian Science. Themes of female authority, leadership and autonomy serve the purpose of indicating the utility of Christian Science as a catalyst to enable women in the context of physical and intellectual masculine spaces. The research also discusses the profound effect of Christian Science on elite circles of women through the establishment of the London branch Ninth Church which had a disproportionate number of politically and socially influential women. The overall objective of my thesis is to demonstrate a consistency in the feminist output of Christian Science that has thus far been the topic of controversy in academic literature.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/astor100\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/70\/2025\/05\/Picture1-1-300x230.png\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Supervision:<\/strong><\/p>\n My research examines the actions taken by the 1924 Conservative Cabinet, led by Stanley Baldwin, that influenced the experience of citizenship in the 1920s. By making extensive use of historic Cabinet Papers, I am analysing attempts made by the Cabinet in the 1920s to disenfranchise those in receipt of Poor Law relief, as well as investigating wider attitudes towards citizenship in the interwar period. The post-war ideology of Conservatism focused on nationalism, patriotism and individualism, leading to questions from those in the highest circles of government as to who \u2018deserved\u2019 to participate in the democratic process through casting a vote at general elections. My interdisciplinary research explores the intersection of history, politics, and sociological thought on the concepts of belonging and entitlement.<\/p>\n Find out more about Abbie and her research at https:\/\/www.reading.ac.uk\/history\/stories\/abbie-tibbott<\/a><\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”1249,1262″ img_size=”350×200″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n Supervision:<\/strong><\/p>\n The year 1939 witnessed a rash of rent strikes, from tenants in the East End of London who refused to pay their private property owners, to mortgage strikers who defaulted on payment to their building societies because of substandard construction of new houses, to municipal tenants on corporation housing estates who protested rent rebate schemes or rent increases. There have been very few studies of municipal rent strikes in 1939 and most have concentrated on the role of the CPGB. My thesis examines the actions of the female participants, how they were treated and regarded by the authorities and contemporaries, and what this demonstrated about their position in society. I have recently submitted my thesis and hope to viva in Autumn 2025.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Supervision:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThere is no doubt that we have in the Church neglected the connection that does exist between faith and health, and it is largely because of that that Christian Science, for example, has been able to gain so many adherents; for the practice of Christian Science had brought incalculable benefit to many people\u2026\u201d These words, delivered to the Manchester Diocesan Conference in 1924 by Bishop William Temple, indicate the extent to which the Christian Science movement has impacted not only the Church of England but also the wider society. By that time Nancy Astor had been a Member of Parliament for five years. She was the first woman to take up her seat in the House of Commons and she was a Christian Scientist. My thesis examines how this American Protestant import had such an impact on British social, religious and political culture in the early 20th Century.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Amanda Ariss\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The uses of imperialism in feminist and suffrage politics in the UK from 1885-1918<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Supervision:<\/strong><\/p>\n The principal research question concerns how popular memory, public histories and suffrage campaigners\u2019 self-memorialisation have addressed the complex relationships between feminism, suffragism, race and imperialism in the UK in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This research should shed fresh light on how academic and public histories of race, empire and gender influence one another. At a time when so-called \u2018culture wars\u2019 form a significant part of political discourse, this is an important question.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Supervision:<\/strong><\/p>\n My thesis tackles questions relating to Christian Science which is explored as the first and largest female-founded denominational faith within the American New Religious Movement. It positions the institutor, Mary Baker Eddy, as an essential feature of the religion though the thesis aims to divorce Eddy as an individual from Christian Science. Themes of female authority, leadership and autonomy serve the purpose of indicating the utility of Christian Science as a catalyst to enable women in the context of physical and intellectual masculine spaces. The research also discusses the profound effect of Christian Science on elite circles of women through the establishment of the London branch Ninth Church which had a disproportionate number of politically and socially influential women. The overall objective of my thesis is to demonstrate a consistency in the feminist output of Christian Science that has thus far been the topic of controversy in academic literature.<\/p>\n\n
<\/h2>\n
Fiona Lane|<\/strong>f.h.lane@pgr.reading.ac.uk<\/a><\/h2>\n
Municipal Rent Strikes in England in 1939: The Significance of Women\u2019s Co-operative Action<\/h3>\n
\n
<\/p>\nRobin Harragin Hussey|r.e.h.hussey@pgr.reading.ac.uk\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
Healing Christianity in Great Britain: The establishment of Christian Science, 1910-1960 <\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
<\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\nDr Melanie Khuddro (from March 2023)|<\/strong>melanie.khuddro@pgr.reading.ac.uk\u00a0<\/a><\/h2>\n
‘Ten thousand Esthers and Miriams by the million’: The dissemination of the Christian Science faith, 1885-1933\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"