Research in Economic & Social History
Economic and Social History has been taught at the University of Glasgow since the beginning of the twentieth century, with R H Tawney thought to be the first appointment in the field. The Department was created in 1957 and celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 2007.
We are proud to host the largest cluster of economic and social historians in Scotland. We are internationally recognised for research excellence in modern economic and social history, with exceptional strength in business and financial history, the history of medicine, and social and gender history.
In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, 90% of our outputs were of international standing. We were commended particularly for the outstanding support for our large community of postgraduate students, and the strength of our research environment. Amongst the big groups (>40) of historians across the UK, we are first in rank outside London, Oxford and Cambridge in terms of the top grade, and we are amongst the best in Scotland.
We are located in Lilybank House, a building of historic and architectural interest, refurbished to the highest standards.
We occupy a distinctive position in the University of Glasgow, at the interface between history and the social sciences. Being a part of the College of Social Sciences supports our multi-disciplinary social scientific approach to the study of the past, and our close ties with the College of Arts makes this one of the largest concentrations of historians in the United Kingdom.
Postgraduate Research
Research Centres
- Centre for Business History in Scotland
- Centre for Gender History
- Centre for the History of Medicine
- Adam Smith Research Foundation
Research Projects
- A History of Working-Class Marriage, 1855-1976
- The Development of International Financial Regulation and Supervision
Journals
Facilities and Support
Lilybank House has excellent research facilities for postgraduate research students and visiting researchers.
Our research is supported in the University through the Centre for the History of Medicine, the Centre for Business History in Scotland, and the Centre for Gender History.
Our staff belong to and are active in numerous national and international research communities and learned societies, including:
- Economic History Society
- Social History Society
- Society for the Social History of Medicine
- British Society for the History of Science
- Association of Business Historians
- Economic and Social History Society of Scotland