The Visual and Material Culture of the Co-operative Movement 1844-2014

The study will reverse WO's marginalisation in studies of women's political periodicals (DiCenzo, Delap, Ryan 2011, Green 2012), co-operative visual and material culture (Kelley 1998) and co-operative women (Gaffin & Thoms 1983, Scott 1998) by a dominant historical discourse of femininity and modernity (Ballaster et al 1991, Ritchie 2010, Seaton 2010) and the Women's Co-operative Guild (Gaffin & Thoms 1983, Scott 1998). It will leverage insights into the co-operative movement's legacy as part of daily lives (Savage & Miles 1994 and DiCenzo 2014), creating an educational framework for new audiences to access the National Co-operative Archive (NCA) and the Rochdale Pioneers Museum (RPM), giving fresh relevance to archives (Nesmith 2002 and to demonstrate the educational and cultural role of the CCA. Encouraging collaborative dialogue between NCA and participants I will engage learners in analysis of the material and visual culture (Ashton & Kean 2008) to develop understanding of the co-operative movement's legacy (Black & Robertson 2009) in contemporary social and political thinking, challenging traditional cultural/political analysis (Hunt 2009). It will consider shifting class and gender identities (Purvis 1995) its collaborative purpose and methodology. It will consider how co-participation in re-interpretation of NCA can deliver fresh understanding.
The case study, proposal and educational resource development will be established with NCA and the supervisory team within the first three months. Followed by a comprehensive review of literature and archival sources to use in analysis and learning programmes. Using WO to open up alternative analyses of the co-operative movement (Ritchie 2010), and provide insights into co-operative women's everyday experiences (Beaumont 2013), I will scrutinise tensions and challenges within the socio-economic and political context of the inter-war period (Vickery 2001). After 15 months the study will yield theoretically underpinned understanding from archival engagement. By 24 months I will circulate initial discoveries through conferences, followed by a final exhibition.
As an educator, I understand the challenges and value of bridging participatory collaboration with schools, educators and the CCA. My study will introduce students to abstract ideas of the co-operative movement including: co-operation; individualism; citizenship; notions of political ideology and gender construction. It will facilitate personal participant engagement through techniques including mobile/temporary archives roadshow; performance making; debates; object handling; teacher open days; online learning programmes; downloadable resources and activities. The co-produced educational materials will contribute to increased utilisation of CCA. The project will bring understanding of women co-operators within the context of the movement (Blaszak 2000) and its historical and contemporary legacy as a peoples history to new audiences. and address issues such as 'industrial and social questions', pacifism and internationalism.

Ashton, P. & Kean, H., (Eds.) Public History and Heritage Today, (2008).
Ballaster, R., Beetham, M., Frazer, E., Hebron, S., Women's Worlds: Ideology, Femininity and the Woman's Magazine, (1991).
Beaumont, C., Housewives and Citizens Domesticity and the Women's Movement in England, 1928-64 (2013).
Black, R. & Robertson, N., Consumerism and the Co-operative movement in modern British History, (2009).
Blaszak, B. J., The Gendered Geography of the English Co-operative Movement at the Turn of the Nineteenth Century, Women's History Review, Vol. 9 No. 3, (2000):.559 - 583.
DiCenzo, M., 'Our Freedom and its Results': measuring progress in the aftermath of suffrage, Women's History Review, 23:3:.421 - 440.
DiCenzo, M., Delap l., Ryan L., Feminist Media History: Suffrage, Periodicals and the Public Sphere, (2011).