Paul Thompson – författare

Oral history gives history back to the people in their own words. And in giving a past, it also helps them towards a future of their own making. Oral history and life stories help to create a truer picture of the past and the changing present, documenting the lives and feelings of all kinds of people, many otherwise hidden from history. It explores personal and family relationships and uncovers the secret cultures of work. It connects public and private experience, and it highlights the experiences of migrating between cultures. At the same time it can bring courage to the old, meaning to communities, and contact between generations. Sometimes it can offer a path for healing divided communities and those with traumatic memories. Without it the history and sociology of our time would be poor and narrow.In this fourth edition of his pioneering work, fully revised with Joanna Bornat, Paul Thompson challenges the accepted myths of historical scholarship. He discusses the reliability of oral evidence in comparison with other sources and considers the social context of its development. He looks at the relationship between memory, the self and identity. He traces oral history through its own past and weighs up the recent achievements of a movement which has become international, with notably strong developments in North America, Europe, Australia, Latin America, South Africa and the Far East, despite resistance from more conservative academics.This new edition combines the classic text of The Voice of the Past with many new sections, including especially the worldwide development of different forms of oral history and the parallel memory boom, as well as discussions of theory in oral history and of memory, trauma and reconciliation. It offers a deep social and historical interpretation along with succinct practical advice on designing and carrying out a project, The Voice of the Past remains an invaluable tool for anyone setting out to use oral history and life stories to construct a more authentic and balanced record of the past and the present.

In this revised edition of Paul Thompson's successful book, he traces oral history through its own past and weighs up the recent achievements of this international movement. He challenges myths of historical scholarship and looks at the use of oral sources by the historian. The author offers advice on designing a project; discusses reliability of oral evidence; considers the context of the development of historical writing including it's social function.; and looks at memory, the self and the use of drama and therapy. This new edition has been substantially revised and updated and includes an expanded discussion of narrative approaches and new technology used in the recording of information. Reviews from the second edition of Voice of the Past: Oral History 'Paul Thompson is a passionate and convincing crusader in the cause of oral history' The Times Educational Supplement 'It must be rare in modern academic life to replace your own unrivalled book after 10 years with an even better one, but he has done so. His new material on memory and the self, and on drama as therapy, should be read by literary critics in their infancy.' The Independent '...the first book to combine a theory of oral history, the technical processes involved, and a road map of where oral evidence fits into the landscape of western historiography.' American Historical Review

Gender and Memory is the fourth volume of the International Yearbook of Oral History and Life Stories. Once again, its theme is a fundamental issue, the shaping of memory by gender. Are the different ways in which men and women are recalled in public and private memory, and also the differences in men's and women's own memories of similar experiences, simply reflections of unequal lives in gendered societies, or are they more deeply rooted? How early in childhood do girls and boys reveal differences in memory? How far does the character of memory change as gender roles evolve? The Special Editors of Gender and Memory, Selma Leydesdorff, Luisa Passerini, and Paul Thompson, draw on original contributions reflecting on the relationships between gender and memory in western and eastern Europe, China, Africa, Australia, the United States and Brazil.The aim of the International Yearbook is to increase our understanding of the recent past and the changing present. It sets out to present and interpret autobiographical testimony, whether in the firm of written autobiography, oral history, or life story interviews. Each issue forms a coherent volume focusing on a single theme. The three previous volumes are Memory and Totalitarianism (volume one 1992; special editor Luisa Passerini); Between Generations: Family Models, Myths and Memories (volume two, 1993; special editors Daniel Bertaux and paul Thompson), and Migration and Identity) volume 3 1994; special editors Rina Benmayor and Andor Skotnes).Edited by an international group of leading scholars, the Yearbook is genuinely interdisciplinary and intellectually stimulating. It will appeal to students in many areas, including, history, sociology, literature, physchology and anthropology.

Calling for a broader, new approach to social mobility research, Daniel Bertaux and Paul Thompson here move beyond pure statistics to use qualitative techniques - such as life stories and family case studies - to examine more closely the dynamics of mobility and address more fundamental sociological questions.Up to now, the extensive sociological literature on mobility has been based around the survey method. As a result, we have access to abundant statistical data, but there is little information available to explain how and why people follow particular life paths. To overcome these limitations, the authors have developed an alternative, complementary approach using life stories, case histories of whole families over several generations, or case studies of local communities. Employing the case-study approach does not prevent the identification of structural trends; on the contrary, it allows us to analyse those collective processes through their local effects, restoring the links with the classics of sociological thought.The authors, together with a group of researchers who have worked closely with them, tackle problems such as: - What exactly is transmitted between generations: is it wealth or land, occupational models or skills, social networks, or values and orientations?- What kind of assets can immigrants draw on?- How can a social elite survive the upheaval of a popular revolution?- What is the impact of marriage on the mobility of men and women?- How far can belonging to one locality rather than another, or choosing a particular house, shape mobility paths and aspirations?- Do dreams of mobility matter?

The last twenty-five years of the twentieth century was a period of extraordinary change in organizations and the economies of the developed world. This continues today. Such has been the scale and momentum of events that, for some analysts, the only comparable periods are the early part of the twentieth century in which the shift to mass production and large-scale organization was accomplished, or the industrial revolution itself a hundred years earlier. Researchers in Europe and the USA in particular have been studying change in work and organizations, but there has been little attempt to systematize and draw together the results of their work. So far, the emphasis amongst writers on organizations considering the problem of contemporary change has been on ways of conceptualizing events, rather than also considering evidence. But what has actually happened? How much of the flux of events is real change, and how much mere change in emphasis in which apparent change is overlaying organizational continuity? How far are changes in particular events and sectors connected, and is an overall understanding of complex processes possible?The Oxford Handbook of Work and Organization aims to bring together, present and discuss what is currently known about work and organizations and their connection to broader economic change in Europe and America. Issues of conceptualization are not neglected but, in contrast to other comparable volumes, the emphasis is firmly on what is known what and has been observed by researchers. The volume contains a range of theoretically informed essays, written by leading authorities in their respective fields, giving comprehensive coverage of changes in work, occupations, and organizations. It constitutes an invaluable overview of the accumulated understanding of research into work, occupations and organizations in recent decades. It shows that in almost every aspect of economic institutions, change has been considerable. The subject area of work, occupations and organizations is considered in four major sections of the volume: I, Work, Technology, and the Division of Labor; II, Managerial Regimes and Employee Actions; III, Occupations and Organizations; and IV, Organizing and Organizations. In this way the contemporary situation in work and organizations is considered extensively in its different dimensions and interconnections. The contributors have been selected for their expertise and include many leading authors in organizational analysis and substantive research. The handbook is thus an authoritative statement, and offers a valuable account of organizations at this time.

The last twenty-five years of the twentieth century was a period of extraordinary change in organizations and the economies of the developed world. This continues today. Such has been the scale and momentum of events that, for some analysts, the only comparable periods are the early part of the twentieth century in which the shift to mass production and large-scale organization was accomplished, or the industrial revolution itself a hundred years earlier. Researchers in Europe and the USA in particular have been studying change in work and organizations, but there has been little attempt to systematize and draw together the results of their work. So far, the emphasis amongst writers on organizations considering the problem of contemporary change has been on ways of conceptualizing events, rather than also considering evidence. But what has actually happened? How much of the flux of events is real change, and how much mere change in emphasis in which apparent change is overlaying organizational continuity? How far are changes in particular events and sectors connected, and is an overall understanding of complex processes possible? The Oxford Handbook of Work and Organization aims to bring together, present and discuss what is currently known about work and organizations and their connection to broader economic change in Europe and America. Issues of conceptualization are not neglected but, in contrast to other comparable volumes, the emphasis is firmly on what is known what and has been observed by researchers. The volume contains a range of theoretically informed essays, written by leading authorities in their respective fields, giving comprehensive coverage of changes in work, occupations, and organizations. It constitutes an invaluable overview of the accumulated understanding of research into work, occupations and organizations in recent decades. It shows that in almost every aspect of economic institutions, change has been considerable. The subject area of work, occupations and organizations is considered in four major sections of the volume: I, Work, Technology, and the Division of Labour; II, Managerial Regimes and Employee Responses; III, Occupations and Organizations; and IV, Organizations and Organized Systems. In this way the contemporary situation in work and organizations is considered extensively in its different dimensions and interconnections. The contributors have been selected for their expertise and include many leading authors in organizational analysis and substantive research. The handbook is thus an authoritative statement, and offers a valuable account of organizations at this time.

Oral history gives history back to the people in their own words. And in giving a past, it also helps them towards a future of their own making. Oral history and life stories help to create a truer picture of the past and the changing present, documenting the lives and feelings of all kinds of people, many otherwise hidden from history. It explores personal and family relationships and uncovers the secret cultures of work. It connects public and private experience, and it highlights the experiences of migrating between cultures. At the same time it can bring courage to the old, meaning to communities, and contact between generations. Sometimes it can offer a path for healing divided communities and those with traumatic memories. Without it the history and sociology of our time would be poor and narrow.In this fourth edition of his pioneering work, fully revised with Joanna Bornat, Paul Thompson challenges the accepted myths of historical scholarship. He discusses the reliability of oral evidence in comparison with other sources and considers the social context of its development. He looks at the relationship between memory, the self and identity. He traces oral history through its own past and weighs up the recent achievements of a movement which has become international, with notably strong developments in North America, Europe, Australia, Latin America, South Africa and the Far East, despite resistance from more conservative academics.This new edition combines the classic text of The Voice of the Past with many new sections, including especially the worldwide development of different forms of oral history and the parallel memory boom, as well as discussions of theory in oral history and of memory, trauma and reconciliation. It offers a deep social and historical interpretation along with succinct practical advice on designing and carrying out a project, The Voice of the Past remains an invaluable tool for anyone setting out to use oral history and life stories to construct a more authentic and balanced record of the past and the present.

What is and what makes a nation? What forces work for and against the emergence of new nations? What does the emergence of a nation mean to its people, and what does it mean to international stability? Nation Building in Comparative Contexts answers these questions. Nine leading area specialists compare and analyze the long history of nationalism in Europe, with its shorter histories in the Americas, Asia, and Africa. The result is an outstanding contribution to understanding the problems confronting today's emerging nations, one that remains of importance to the field.The essays in this book provide the tools for comparison and analysis across continents and centuries. The chapters dealing with Europe, where the political and historical evidence is richest, stress the broadest outlines of the nation-making process. The chapter on Asia concentrates on revolutionary war; the two chapters on Africa, where the creation or failure of nation-states is a matter of the political situation of the moment, raise the largest number of concrete problems.Investigators have discovered that the making and breaking of nations is a process that must be studied in its general and uniform aspects, especially if the unique features of each country and epoch are to be understood better. The essays in this book are first steps in the comparison and analysis across the continents and centuries. To some degree, each combines concerns of the historian, social scientist, and of policy-maker and statesman.

Labour process theory is consolidated in Working Life to develop a credible account of the relationships between capitalist political economy, work systems and the strategies and practices of actors in the employment relationship. Beyond this, the book explores the future of labour process analysis.

A critical, in-depth, analytical analysis offering a distinctive perspective, this well respected, rigorous and authoritative text has been updated to include the latest international research and practice. The 4th edition includes new material on contemporary topics such as; performance management, emotional and aesthetic labour, resistance and misbehaviour at work, new developments in corporate structures and labour markets, and work life balance. There is a new chapter on knowledge and improved pedagogy, making it more student friendly, we have also developed a companion website to support both the student and lecturer.Incorporating a wealth of empirical research this unique approach puts organisations in a socio-economic context, and covers psychological material, as well as broader issues, and provides students with a thorough understanding of the nature of work and organisations.

This text evaluates the most up-to-date theory and research, bringing together and contrasting conventional and critical approaches from organisational analysis, management studies, labour process theory and social psychology. Major changes are taking place in the world of work organisations. These are located in their economic and political contexts and with respect to their practical effects. Emphasis is placed upon redefining the behavioural agenda to focus on issues of subjectivity and identity, to complement the analysis of structure, power and control.

Workplaces of the Future examines change in workplace structures and relations and considers what the contemporary workplace looks like. The book contains a wide range of issues and examples from factory and office, manual and non-manual work, public and private sector that illustrate the nature of the future of work. Contributions are drawn from the key names in this field and include international material.

Sacred Cows and Hot Potatoes challenges many of the assumptions of current agricultural policies—such as equating "farm" with "rural," high farm prices with high farm incomes, or farm programs with food programs—and examines the agrarian roots of these policies. From the origins of agrarian myths to the latest controversies over farming and the environment, this book provides an overview of the use and abuse of agrarian values in policymaking. Illustrated with pictures, cartoons, and graphs, the book will appeal to a broad audience, including policymakers, rural sociologists, agricultural economists, political scientists, ethicists, and the interested public.

Sacred Cows and Hot Potatoes challenges many of the assumptions of current agricultural policies—such as equating "farm" with "rural," high farm prices with high farm incomes, or farm programs with food programs—and examines the agrarian roots of these policies. From the origins of agrarian myths to the latest controversies over farming and the environment, this book provides an overview of the use and abuse of agrarian values in policymaking. Illustrated with pictures, cartoons, and graphs, the book will appeal to a broad audience, including policymakers, rural sociologists, agricultural economists, political scientists, ethicists, and the interested public.

Any life story, whether a written autobiography or an oral testimony, is shaped not only by the reworkings of experience through memory and re-evaluation, but also art. Any communication has to use shared conventions not only of language itself but also the more complex expectations of 'genre': of the forms expected within a given context and type of communication.This collection of essays by internationl academics draws on a wide range of disciplines in the social sciences and the humanities to examine how far the expectations and forms of genre shape different kinds of autobiography and influence what messages they can convey. After investigating the problem of genre definition, and tracing the evolution of genre as a concept, contributors explore such issues as:* How far can we argue that what people narrate in their autobiographical stories is selected and shaped by the reportoire of genre available to them?* To what extent is oral autobiography shaped by its social and cultural context?* What is the relationship between autobiographical sources and the ethnographer?Narrative and Genre presents exciting new debates in an emerging field and will encourage international and interdisciplinary debate. Its authors and contributors are scholars from the fields of anthropology, cultural studies, literary analysis, psychoanalysis, social history, and sociology.

Oral History, Health and Welfare discusses the significance of oral history to the history of the development of health and welfare provisions. It includes discussion on:* the end of the workhouse* professional education and training of midwives* HIV and Aids* birth control* the role of the community pharmacist* pioneers of geriatric medicine* oral history and the history of learning disability.

This book examines the roots of contemporary environmental consciousness and action in terms of both popular experience and tradition. A wide range of geographical and thematic case-studies explore the myth, tradition and collective memory that shape our environmental thought.Containing a wealth of empirical source material, this book will be invaluable for sociologists and historians alike.

New computer and communications technologies have acted as the catalyst for a revolution in the way goods are produced and services delivered, leading to profound changes in the way work is organized and the way jobs are designed. This important book examines the nature, setting and impact of new technologies on work, organization and management. Conventional debates about new technology often invoke optimistic visions of enhanced democracy, rising skills and economic abundance; others predict darker scenarios such as the destruction of jobs through labour-eliminating devices. This book proposes an alternative perspective, arguing that technology can be powerful, but in and of itself has no independent causal powers. It considers the impact of new technologies on manufacturing, clerical, administrative and call centre employment, in both managerial and professional arenas, and introduces the growing phenomena of telework. The book also assesses the important political and economic forces that restrict or facilitate the flow of new technologies on national and global levels. New Technology @ Work is an illuminating and thought-provoking text that will prove invaluable to all serious students of business, management and technology.

New computer and communications technologies have acted as the catalyst for a revolution in the way goods are produced and services delivered, leading to profound changes in the way work is organized and the way jobs are designed. This important book examines the nature, setting and impact of new technologies on work, organization and management. Conventional debates about new technology often invoke optimistic visions of enhanced democracy, rising skills and economic abundance; others predict darker scenarios such as the destruction of jobs through labour-eliminating devices. This book proposes an alternative perspective, arguing that technology can be powerful, but in and of itself has no independent causal powers. It considers the impact of new technologies on manufacturing, clerical, administrative and call centre employment, in both managerial and professional arenas, and introduces the growing phenomena of telework. The book also assesses the important political and economic forces that restrict or facilitate the flow of new technologies on national and global levels. New Technology @ Work is an illuminating and thought-provoking text that will prove invaluable to all serious students of business, management and technology.

For a period of over seventy years after the 1917 revolutions in Russia, talking about the past, either political or personal, became dangerous. The new policy of glasnost at the end of the 1980s resulted in a flood of reminiscence, almost nightly on television and more formally collected by new Russian oral history groups and western researchers. This book is a fascinating collection of life stories and family history interview material collected by the editors and two Russian groups of interviewers.

This book examines the roots of contemporary environmental consciousness and action in terms of both popular experience and tradition. A wide range of geographical and thematic case-studies explore the myth, tradition and collective memory that shape our environmental thought.Containing a wealth of empirical source material, this book will be invaluable for sociologists and historians alike.

Any life story, whether a written autobiography or an oral testimony, is shaped not only by the reworkings of experience through memory and re-evaluation, but also art. Any communication has to use shared conventions not only of language itself but also the more complex expectations of 'genre': of the forms expected within a given context and type of communication.This collection of essays by internationl academics draws on a wide range of disciplines in the social sciences and the humanities to examine how far the expectations and forms of genre shape different kinds of autobiography and influence what messages they can convey. After investigating the problem of genre definition, and tracing the evolution of genre as a concept, contributors explore such issues as:* How far can we argue that what people narrate in their autobiographical stories is selected and shaped by the reportoire of genre available to them?* To what extent is oral autobiography shaped by its social and cultural context?* What is the relationship between autobiographical sources and the ethnographer?Narrative and Genre presents exciting new debates in an emerging field and will encourage international and interdisciplinary debate. Its authors and contributors are scholars from the fields of anthropology, cultural studies, literary analysis, psychoanalysis, social history, and sociology.

For a period of over seventy years after the 1917 revolutions in Russia, talking about the past, either political or personal, became dangerous. The new policy of glasnost at the end of the 1980s resulted in a flood of reminiscence, almost nightly on television and more formally collected by new Russian oral history groups and western researchers. This book is a fascinating collection of life stories and family history interview material collected by the editors and two Russian groups of interviewers.

"Geography Matters" is a Key Stage 3 course created for pupils of all abilities. It provides an exact match to the requirement of the revised National Curriculum, and to the units of the Key Stage 3 Scheme of Work. The pupil textbooks for each year are parallel in their content coverage but are set at different levels, Foundation and Higher, to provide material at the right level and pace for both less able and more able pupils. Pupil books emphasize investigation skills, and integrated geographical skills such as map work and data analysis. The activities are linked to literacy and numeracy and have integrated ICT skills. Regular tasks provide feedback on progress and extention activities. There is a teacher resource pack to cover each full year at Key S tage 3. Each pack offers differentiated photocopiable worksheets and teacher's notes for the activity sheets. Matrices show how the scheme covers the new National Curriculum and links with the Scheme of Work, and there are teaching plants for each chapter. Guidance is included on differentiation, literacy and numeracy. Other photocopiable resources include outline maps, diagrams and writing frames.

"Geography Matters" is a Key Stage 3 course created for pupils of all abilities. It provides an exact match to the requirement of the revised National Curriculum, and to the units of the Key Stage 3 Scheme of Work. The pupil textbooks for each year are parallel in their content coverage but are set at different levels, Foundation and Higher, to provide material at the right level and pace for both less able and more able pupils. Pupil books emphasize investigation skills, and integrated geographical skills such as map work and data analysis. The activities are linked to literacy and numeracy and have integrated ICT skills. Regular tasks provide feedback on progress and extention activities. There is a teacher resource pack to cover each full year at Key S tage 3. Each pack offers differentiated photocopiable worksheets and teacher's notes for the activity sheets. Matrices show how the scheme covers the new National Curriculum and links with the Scheme of Work, and there are teaching plants for each chapter. Guidance is included on differentiation, literacy and numeracy. Other photocopiable resources include outline maps, diagrams and writing frames.

"Geography Matters" is a Key Stage 3 course created for pupils of all abilities. It provides an exact match to the requirement of the revised National Curriculum, and to the units of the Key Stage 3 Scheme of Work. The pupil textbooks for year nine are parallel in their content coverage but are set at different levels, Foundation and Higher, to provide material at the right level and pace for both less able and more able pupils. Pupil books emphasize investigation skills, and integrated geographical skills such as map work and data analysis. The activities are linked to literacy and numeracy and have integrated ICT skills. Regular tasks provide feedback on progress and extention activities. There is a teacher resource pack to cover each full year at Key Stage 3. Each pack offers differentiated photocopiable worksheets and teacher's notes for the activity sheets. Matrices show how the scheme covers the new National Curriculum and links with the Scheme of Work, and there are teaching plants for each chapter. Guidance is included on differentiation, literacy and numeracy. Other photocopiable resources include outline maps, diagrams and writing frames.