Plebeian Cultures in Early Modern England: 35 Years after E. P. Thompson

Saturday, 21st February 2009
University of Warwick

This one-day conference will provide a forum for scholars who are using insights from social, cultural and political theory to reconstruct the experience of the common people in early modern England. Thirty-five years after E. P. Thompson published his pioneering article on ‘Patrician Society, Plebeian Culture’ in the Journal of Social History, an essay which has deeply influenced the historiography of early modern England, we aim to evaluate recent developments in the study of plebeian cultures by providing a forum for scholars and students alike to both celebrate and reflect critically upon Thompson’s legacy. Crucially, this will also provide the foundation for constructing a new framework for future research into the experience and mentalities of the common people in early modern England.

Speakers: Keith Wrightson (Yale), Bernard Capp (Warwick), Craig Muldrew (Cambridge), David Rollison (Sydney), John Walter (Essex), Phil Withington (Cambridge), Andy Wood (East Anglia) .

For more information, including a provisional programme and booking forms, see the website:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/hrc/confs/pc/
Or email Sue Dibben at hrc@warwick.ac.uk

Note: A limited number of postgraduate bursaries are available to cover the cost of conference fees on a first-come, first-served basis.