Publications by Helen L Young
Whilst much historical research has focused on Scotland’s Highland Clearances in the eighteenth a... more Whilst much historical research has focused on Scotland’s Highland Clearances in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, far less attention has been paid to the dynamics of rural Scottish life in more recent times. In particular, there has been little exploration of the ebb and flow of lochside life during the twentieth century despite the fact that ‘loch and glen’ have become iconic images of Scotland, much-exploited by the tourism industry throughout this period. Studies of selected communities or regions have been done and the broad themes of Scottish modern history are well explored in books intended to give an overview of the twentieth century. However, no previous historical research has focused specifically on change and continuity in a lochside setting over the last century, and little consideration has been given to whether there was anything distinctive about it.
Conceived in response to this gap in knowledge, this study focuses on one specific lochside location and uses a micro-historical approach to get up close and personal to the processes that shaped social experience over the course of the twentieth century. Centred around the two small hamlets of Ardeonaig and Ardtalnaig on South Lochtayside in Highland Perthshire, the research takes a broad look at the economic, social and technological changes that defined the period as well as observing those elements of continuity which underpinned everyday life. Given the all-encompassing nature of this topic, and the implausibility of covering every aspect of human experience, the study places particular emphasis on understanding the dynamics of social life in this lochside setting and utilises social theory to facilitate analysis.
Following the Education (Scotland) Act of 1872, public schools became an established feature of S... more Following the Education (Scotland) Act of 1872, public schools became an established feature of Scotland's rural landscape bringing compulsory education to the doorstep of even the most remote and dispersed communities. As the twentieth century progressed, however, many of these rural schools were closed as education authorities across the country sought to rationalise the schooling system and ensure educational 'improvement'. The pros and cons of such closures have been much debated by educationalists, policymakers and lobby groups over the years, and polemic discussion continues to this day. Yet, despite fairly extensive educational research on the one hand, and a plethora of literature on the history of Scottish education more broadly on the other, little detailed historical research has been carried out with regard to the social impact of rural schooling in Scotland and the role of the small school in community life.
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Publications by Helen L Young
Conceived in response to this gap in knowledge, this study focuses on one specific lochside location and uses a micro-historical approach to get up close and personal to the processes that shaped social experience over the course of the twentieth century. Centred around the two small hamlets of Ardeonaig and Ardtalnaig on South Lochtayside in Highland Perthshire, the research takes a broad look at the economic, social and technological changes that defined the period as well as observing those elements of continuity which underpinned everyday life. Given the all-encompassing nature of this topic, and the implausibility of covering every aspect of human experience, the study places particular emphasis on understanding the dynamics of social life in this lochside setting and utilises social theory to facilitate analysis.
Conceived in response to this gap in knowledge, this study focuses on one specific lochside location and uses a micro-historical approach to get up close and personal to the processes that shaped social experience over the course of the twentieth century. Centred around the two small hamlets of Ardeonaig and Ardtalnaig on South Lochtayside in Highland Perthshire, the research takes a broad look at the economic, social and technological changes that defined the period as well as observing those elements of continuity which underpinned everyday life. Given the all-encompassing nature of this topic, and the implausibility of covering every aspect of human experience, the study places particular emphasis on understanding the dynamics of social life in this lochside setting and utilises social theory to facilitate analysis.