Teaching the History of the Big Society Some Ideas from the Outset George Campbell Gosling Oxford Brookes University

Reasons for making charity and civil society a central theme in the teaching of modern British history 1. Sources 2. Debates 3. Relevance

Painting of the Trial of Bill Burns in 1822, the world’s first prosecution for animal cruelty If I had a donkey wot wouldn't go, D' ye think I'd wollop him? No, no, no! But gentle means I'd try, d' ye see, Because I hate all cruelty. If all had been like me, in fact, There'd ha' been no occasion for Martin's Act Music Hall ditty SOURCES

DEBATES AND THEORIES ‘Social control’ and the ‘gift relationship’ – class relations

DEBATES AND THEORIES ‘Social control’ and the ‘gift relationship’ – class relations Did philanthropy liberate women from the domestic sphere?

DEBATES AND THEORIES ‘Social control’ and the ‘gift relationship’ – class relations Did philanthropy liberate women from the domestic sphere? Did the rise of the welfare state crowd out civil society? ’

DEBATES AND THEORIES ‘Social control’ and the ‘gift relationship’ – class relations Did philanthropy liberate women from the domestic sphere? Did the rise of the welfare state crowd out civil society? Social science approaches – such as the creation of ‘social capital’

RELEVANCE: HISTORICAL Poverty and welfareClass relations Role of womenCultural associations Imperial networksMinority groups Social changeMoral debates

RELEVANCE: CONTEMPORARY DEBATE

To summarise: The history of charity and civil society is ripe of teaching Both sources and historical debates are plentiful and varied It offers a way into a wide range of historical themes Relevance to political debates is not new and should be embraced