“By creating we think, by living we learn” Patrick Geddes
Professor of Religious and Cultural History, University of Dundee, Scotland.
This webpage describes my academic research project on the history of modern humanism in the English-speaking North Atlantic world since the end of the Second World War.
The project is exploring the rise of modern humanist sentiment and movements in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ireland, USA and Canada, set in the context of rapid religious change. The aim is to explore through oral history interviewing the ways in which humanist / skeptic / freethinking ideas and outlooks have developed since the middle of the twentieth century, and how this has impacted on the lives of individuals - in terms of careers, family formation, moral issues, and so on.
I have particular interest in how men's and women's experiences of humanism may have differed, and how the impact on their lives may also have diverged. For example, did the cultural revolution of the 1960s and early 1970s have a distinctive impact on humanist / skeptic / freethinking sentiments through movements for women's liberation and gay liberation, the civil rights movement, the rise of modern popular culture, and the sexual revolution? How important was family background and educational experience to individuals' humanism? Were reactions to religious cultures and upbringing significant? What books and thinkers have been influential in intellectual origins of individuals' growth into humanist? In addition, I am interested in the development of organisations and meeting groups, and the role these have played and continue to play. Finally, what impact has humanism had in the public sphere? These and other topics are the kinds of things to be broached in interview.
The interview is an informal process designed as a conversation, and definitely not as an interrogation. The interviewee should be relaxed and comfortable, sitting at a table for instance, and able to develop strands of ideas and discussion according to their own experiences of humanism / secularism / skepticism / freethinking. The interviewer will always be responsive, and will adapt the questions and direction of discussion to fit the individual's experiences. In the end, most interviewees find the process a pleasurable one, and often later have ideas stimulated that they send to the interviewer by email or letter. Such 'after-interview' responses are most welcome.
The interview would be ideally one-to-one, though an interview with two people (such as a couple, parent and child, or good friends for instance) is also possible. Group interviews can pose technical and ethical problems, and are generally avoided as a means for exploring the full range of issues.
The interview will be recorded on a small digital sound recorder and later transcribed in whole or in part. The interview would characteristically last 60 to 90 minutes, The interview is best conducted in a quiet indoor location, such as the room of a house or similar. (Interviews out of doors and in cafes or similar make recording difficult.) The interviewee may refuse to answer any question, and can ask for the interview to be paused or abandoned at any time (with no reason required).
There is a range of around 20 principal questions or themes which can be raised in the interview. They can be viewed here - The Question Schedule. However, these questions are not rigid, and some may not be relevant. In turn, other issues may arise. The process is designed to be flexible and responsive to the circumstances of each interviewee. If there are any questions that you may not wish to explore, please tell the interviewer.
Prior to the interview starting, the interviewee is given an Informed Consent & Participation Sheet which they are asked to sign. After the interview has concluded, the interview is asked to sign a Copyright Release Form.
The oral history interviews will be conducted under the conditions of the Ethical Approval for Oral History granted by the University of Dundee. In addition, Callum Brown adheres to the principles outlined for practitioners by the Oral History Society of Great Britain.
I am always pleased if those who I cannot reach to be interviewed email or write me with written thoughts on the issues. For instance, you can use The Question Schedule as a trigger for your thoughts (even using it as a questionnaire if you prefer). I would be delighted with this. You should accompany such emails or letters with signed (including electronic signatures) of the Informed Consent and Copyright Forms. If in any doubt, contact me by email and we can discuss your requirements.
Archiving: According to both legal and good-practice requirements, the recordings are made available for future scholars to access under strict guidelines. The interviews will be archived in at least one public archive equipped to store oral history material. The intention is to offer them to the following: The National Sound Archive of the British Library, London; the Qualidata Archive of the Economic and Social Data Service at the University of Essex, England; and the Archive Service of the University of Dundee. The items to be stored include the digital sound files and the transcribed computer files.
Research outputs: It is intended that the project investigators will produce a joint-authored monograph on the Origins of Modern Humanism in the Atlantic World since c.1950; this would be completed in 2012 or 2013. Other articles and items will also be published relating to specific themes. Publications will be in paper, electronic and internet formats. Public lectures and conference papers, teaching seminars and teaching materials, will also arise from the project.
If you wish more information, or would like to be interviewed, please do not hesitate to contact Callum Brown on c.g.brown@dundee.ac.uk or write to me at:-
Callum Brown
History, School of Humanities,
University of Dundee,
Dundee DD1 4HN
Scotland, UK
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