Britain in perspective: The European context of industrial training and innovation, 1880–1914

Fox, R.M.; Guagnini, Anna

doi:10.1080/07341518508581637

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The reasons for this are complex and have been discussed more fully by Ashton (1968), Hobsbawm (1969), Fox and Guagnini (1985), Crafts (1994), Floud and McCloskey (1994), Collins (1998), andFerguson (2001). However, the basic argument consists of two points.…”

Section: Crisis Of Governmentmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…In contrast to European industrialising nations, the English government had relatively little financial or organisational input into the country's industrial revolution. The reasons for this are complex and have been discussed more fully by Ashton (1968), Hobsbawm (1969), Fox and Guagnini (1985), Crafts (1994), Floud and McCloskey (1994), Collins (1998), and Ferguson (2001). However, the basic argument consists of two points.…”

Section: Development Of Bureaucracymentioning

confidence: 99%

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The social and technological origins of the information society

Weller

Bawden

2005

Journal of Documentation

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the theory of a control revolution in nineteenth century England, and its social and technological implications for the information society. It takes up where most historical interpretations of the industrial revolution end, and before most analyses of the digital era begin. The work focuses on three distinct types of technological advance – in transportation, in communication, and in the processing of information – without adopting a technologically deterministic argument.Design/methodology/approachHistorical analysis, based on both primary and secondary sources.FindingsThe article first considers the introduction of the railways, and makes a case in that there were two crises of control involving railway technology in the nineteenth century: a crisis of communication, and a crisis of organisation. It goes on to assess the growth of bureaucracy and organisation in commerce. The expansion of government surveillance power towards the end of the nineteenth century is also discussed.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is broad in its scope and therefore some necessary omissions and limitations have been made. Many of the terms used throughout have entire literatures on their meanings, but it is not the intention of this paper to engage further with these debates, and it is acknowledged that within this limited discussion there is room for some ambiguity surrounding terms. Such concepts have been defined as far as possible within the article. The impact of warfare and military organisation are key themes, and while extremely relevant, deserve fuller discussion elsewhere. Also, while there would have undoubtedly been effects upon the British Empire from English industrialisation and the resulting crises of control, it has not been possible to discuss the implications of differing socio‐economic and political conditions within the Empire in this paper. The increasing sophistication of other professions such as finance and accounting in this period have not been considered, although again, this is an area which deserves individual study[1].Originality/valueThe research takes a step towards demonstrating that the origins of the information society can be traced back to the structural and organisational implications of the control revolution of the nineteenth century. The methods of control created the basic communication infrastructures still used in 2005, and set the precedent for government intervention and social surveillance. It concludes by discussing the potential crises of control within the information society.

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Section: Crisis Of Governmentmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Development Of Bureaucracymentioning

confidence: 99%

The social and technological origins of the information society

Weller

Bawden

2005

Journal of Documentation

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Young men in old institutions

Johansson¹,

Florin²

1993

Scandinavian Journal of History

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England's Civic Universities and the Triumph of the Oxbridge Ideal

Barnes¹

1996

History of Education Quarterly

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Within England's system of higher education, the role of Oxford and Cambridge as defining institutions is scarcely questioned. Whether viewed from a contemporary or a historical perspective, the dreaming spires of the nation's two oldest universities dominate the landscape. More than any comparable pair of institutions in the United States, they set the standards by which all other English universities are measured. According to many accounts of the development of higher education in England, one result of Oxbridge superiority has been a propensity toward "academic drift," a process whereby newer and/or second-rank institutions copy the curriculum and academic style of elite institutions. 1 England's civic universities appear to have been particularly guilty of this tendency. Established during the Victorian and Edwardian eras by the nation's larger provincial towns in order to meet local needs for higher education, they initially represented a distinct alternative to the ancient universities, not only in terms of their location and the socioeconomic composition of their student bodies but also in terms of mission. Nonetheless, according to many commentators, the civics eventually abandoned their aim of creating a new model for higher education in England which stressed scientific research, practical professional training, regional service, and more open access. Citing the rising proportion of arts graduates, especially during the two decades fol lowing World War I, along with increasing pressure to provide halls of Sarah V. Barnes is adjunct professor of history at Southern Methodist University. She wish es to thank HEQ's anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this article.

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Britain in perspective: The European context of industrial training and innovation, 1880–1914

Cited by 3 publications

References 2 publications

The social and technological origins of the information society

The social and technological origins of the information society

Young men in old institutions

England's Civic Universities and the Triumph of the Oxbridge Ideal

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