People's History Museum - UCLAN
Ann: Fee Bursary PhD Studentship: The Labour Party and Rhodesia, 1961-1980
The aim of this PhD studentship is to enhance historical understanding of the Labour Party's relationship with Rhodesia in the trans-Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) period. Historians and social scientists have tended to neglect the Labour Party's influence on the 'Rhodesian question' between 1961 and 1980. Those who have considered the subject have generally adopted a governmental approach and failed to place developments in overall context, resulting in the emergence of a disjointed and incomplete picture of the Labour Party's interaction with Rhodesia.
The student will be expected to construct and produce a viable and coherent research project, assisted by the supervisory team, that could address several interlocking themes and questions. These may include:
- the relationship between the British labour movement and the African Nationalist movement in Rhodesia.
- the debate within the Labour Party and wider British labour movement over the issue of UDI and potential responses, including possible military intervention and the implementation of sanctions.
- the Labour Party, trade union and Co-operative movements interaction with the wider anti-apartheid movement.
- the relationship between ZANU and ZAPU and its impact on Labour's search for a credible Zimbabwean independence settlement.
By analysing a traumatic post-colonial episode, shaped by the foreign policy of two Labour governments, the study would make substantial contributions to the development of transnational labour history and wider debates surrounding the British labour movement's relationships with imperialism and decolonisation.
The History subject area within the School of Education and Social Science at UCLan is home to a vibrant research community with regular seminars and conferences. The successful applicant will contribute towards UCLan's institutional partnership with the People's History Museum (PHM). In particular, their research would draw on a wealth of underutilised collections held at the Labour History Archive and Study Centre at the PHM as well as other relevant archives at Rhodes House, the Bodleian Library and The National Archives.
Applications are invited from candidates with an MA or a good BA (Hons) degree in related disciplines such as History, Politics and African Studies, and an interest in the broad area of labour history and wider social movements.
For an informal discussion or if you would like further information, please contact Dr. Billy Frank - [mailto]bfrank@uclan.ac.uk[/mailto] or Telephone 01772 - 893851.