Professor Mary Davis
Position
Professor of Labour History
formerly Deputy-Director Working Lives Research Institute
formerly Head of Centre for Trade Union Studies
formerly Course Director, MA Labour & Trade Union Studies
Qualifications
BA(Hons.) FRSA
Mary Davis-CV.pdf
Research interests and expertise
My research is centred on the historical development of the British Labour Movement at an institutional and ideological level. Within this my chief area of concern is the problematic exclusion/inclusion of black and women workers in the labour movement and the extent to which the ideologies sustaining oppression have permeated the socialist/labourist tradition.
Thus I attempt not just to rescue those groups hitherto 'hidden from history' as separate subjects, but to integrate our growing knowledge of the dispossessed and powerless into an overall analysis of the non-linear development of the labour movement historically and currently. Most histories of the movement are based on the presumption that the working class was white and male. My research attempts to rectify this gender and colour blind approach.
My current research is on the development of the TUC’s colonial policy and its attitude to colonial independence and black immigration will throw new light on an under-researched subject from an historical perspective. This is related to current work on trade union responses to racism and xenophobia today.
I am frequently invited to broadcast on radio, television, and give specialist interviews for newspapers and magazines. In addition my research is disseminated through shorter, non-academic articles and through invited public lectures, conferences and seminars. My work on women’s history and in particular on Sylvia Pankhurst has resulted in frequent invitations to speak at public meetings and on radio. The campaign (of which I was one of the founders) to erect a memorial statue of Sylvia Pankhurst on College Green, Westminster, has attracted extensive sponsorship and aroused widespread interest. I am actively involved in the Labour movement. I am an executive committee member of my own union and an elected member of the TUC Women’s Committee. I was a founder and initiator of the newly established Charter for Women campaign.
Background/Career/teaching
My main teaching is in the field of Labour History.
As an educator, I was involved from the start of my career, to secure high quality educational provision for trade unionists. This has entailed the development of innovative and germane course content and teaching methods. In addition the Centre for Trade Union Studies aims to provide a ladder of opportunity for trade unionists to proceed from pre-degree courses to postgraduate study at masters and doctoral level. We now have an MA Labour and Trade Union Studies and have signed educational ‘partnerships’ with the Communication Workers’ Union & the Transport & General Workers’ Union to begin a new degree in Labour & Trade Union Studies.
I supervise PhD students within the sphere of my research interests.
I have also been involved in devising, writing and teaching courses for individual unions, especially for women members. Thus at a national level, I developed women’s courses in addition to courses for many unions on Equal Pay for work of Equal Value, Equal Opportunities, Job Evaluation (and much else) at regional, national and workplace level. I continue to develop and teach courses for individual unions, in particular for the Fire Brigades Union for which I have developed and led courses on equality, ‘the politics of change’ and have written and taught new courses on labour and women’s history for various unions
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Contact details
Mary Davis officially retired from London Met Uni in August 2009, so her email address at londonmet.ac.uk was deleted. But you can still contact her by post:
Mary Davis
c/o Working Lives Research Institute
London Metropolitan University
31 Jewry Street
London EC3N 2EY
Email: mary.gillian.davis1@googlemail.com
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Publications
Books and chapters in books
- Davis, M. ed. (2010), Class and Gender in British Labour History: Renewing the Debate (or Starting it?) (The Merlin Press Ltd)
- Davis, M. (2010). Labour, Race and Empire: The background and the years of influence, 1945 - 51. In: Billy Frank, David Stewart and Craig Horner (eds.) Labour & Imperialism.
- Davis, M. (2010). Introduction and Chapter 1:The Making Of The English Working Class Revisited: Labour History & Marxist Theory. In: Davis, M. (ed) Class & Gender in British Labour History.
- Davis, M (2009) Comrade or Brother?: The History of the British Labour Movement 1789-1951 (Pluto Press) 2nd & revised edition
- Davis, M (2008) Women and Class
- Davis, M (2005) Book Chapter: ‘Oppression’ in Marx and Other four-letter words: eds. G.Blakely & V.Bryson (Pluto Press)
- Davis, M (2001) Book Chapter: The Labour Party, the TUC & the Empire: Background, Policy and Practice in J.Jemnitz (ed), The Forward March of the Left and the Problems of its Progress 1945-8, Institute of History, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, (Magyar Lajos Alapitvany), Budapest
- Davis, M (2000) Fashioning a New World: A History of the Woodcraft Folk (Holyoake Press)
- Davis, M (1999) Sylvia Pankhurst: A Life in Radical Politics (Pluto Press)
- Davis, M ed. (1998) with Marj Mayo Marxism and Struggle: Towards the Millennium (Praxis Press) ISBN: 1-899155-03-1
- Davis, M (1998) Book Chapter Introduction: Whither the British Left in Marxism and Struggle: Towards the Millennium (op. cit.)
- Davis, M (1998) Book Chapter: Marxism and Oppression in Marxism and Struggle: Towards the Millennium (op.cit.)
- Davis, M (1997) Book Chapter: Women in the British Labour Movement: Women in Society1943-46 in Democratic and Social Progress 1942-45 ed. J.Jemnitz et al, Budapest ISBN 963 04 8338 6Articles/papers
- Davis, & DHALIWAL S (2007) The Impact of Religion on Trade Union Relations with Black Workers (Nuffield Foundation)
- Davis, M (2007) Working Against racism: how European Unions can combat racism at work Transfer 3/2007
- Davis, M (2007) Review of P.Blackledge ‘Reflections on the Marxist Theory of History Contemporary Politics, Dec2007, Vol. 13 Issue 4,
- Davis, M (2006)The Great Divide New Statesman supplement on the General Strike (11th Sept 2006)
- Davis, M & FOSTER J (Dec.2005) Commentary on Peripheral Vision: Communist Historiography in Britain (American Communist History)
- Davis, M review of A. Murray ‘The Awkward Squad’ in Contemporary Politics, Volume 10, Number 1, March 2004
- Davis, M (2000) Labour Policy on Race & Empire; Origins & Development, Contemporary Politics, Autumn, vol.6 no.4
- Davis, M (1995) Towards a Theory of Marxism & Oppression, Contemporary Politics no.2 Summer 1995, ISSN 1356-9775
- Davis, M (1993) Equal Pay for Women & Marxist Political Economy, Questions of Ideology no.2, Nov.1993,ISSN 0969-6512)
Other publications
- Davis, M, MCKENZIE R, SULLIVAN W (2006) Working Against Racism (TUC/WLRI)
- Davis, M (2005) Imperialism & Religious Fundamentalism Communist Review no. 45
- Davis, M (2005) A Historic Third Term? Communist Review no.44
- Davis, M (2004) What’s wrong with diversity politics? Communist Review no 42
- Davis, M (2002) The Gender Pay Gap Sisters (Journal of the National Assembly of Women)
- Davis, M (2001) The Gender Pay Gap Communist Review no.35
- Davis, M (2001) Sylvia Pankhurst: the case for a statue Tribune (9/3)
- Davis, M (2001) TGWU’s educational provision for women members Together (TGWU women’s journal)
Invited & other academic conference papers 2010
RMT Charles Watkins Memorial Lecture: ‘Why the Labour Movement must study and learn from its own history
2009
- Invited lecture on ‘George Lansbury & Women’s Suffrage’ – 150th anniversary lecture
- Lead tutor UNITE Migrant workers trade union festival of learning and organising
2008
- Women’s history: 3 Oxfordshire Strikes: SERTUC
- Sylvia Pankhurst Memorial Lecture – Wortley Hall
- Guest speaker Chainmakers’ Festival: Black Country Living Museum
- Guest speaker Women In the Labour Movement:120th anniversary of Matchwomen’s Strike: GLATUC
- How the Vote was won: The East London Federation of Suffragettes; Essex Labour History Conference
- Guest speaker The Battle of Cable Street: Fascism & anti-fascism SERTUC Jewish History event
- Black Self Organisation (with R.Mackenzie & W.Sullivan): Lon/CLS conference
- Researching Women’s TU History; TUC women’s network
- Research & Activism: IPSE away day
- Conference paper: Labour, race and empire: The years of influence, 1945-51 at British Labour & Imperialism Conference, UCLAN (June)
- Guest speaker 1 in 5 : a one-day national conference on women’s participation in the political process 5 June 2008, Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London
- Guest speaker: ‘How the Vote was Won’ Essex Labour History Conference (October)
- Paper on ‘The Erosion of the Welfare State & the feminisation of poverty’: METU workshop,N.Cyprus (May 1/2)
- Guest speaker on History of Shop Stewards’ Movement. SERTUC Union Reps conference
- Guest speaker and tutor FBU Women’s school
- Guest speaker Sylvia Pankhurst: Class, Race and Gender University of Hertford
2007
- Invited paper ‘Contested Models of Labour Internationalism’ Beyond the Western Canon? How to Talk About Global Relations in the (Post-)Colonial Context, Wadham College, Oxford 4/5th July 2007
- Guest Speaker on ‘Women’s Trade Union History’ UNISON Women’s conference
- Guest Speaker on ‘Women’s Trade Union History’ NUJ Women’s conference
- Guest Speaker on History of TU Education CWU Learning reps Conference
- Invited speaker Burston School Strike Rally (SERTUC)
2006
- Invited Paper Women Trade Unionists and the Suffrage Campaign: Gender Politics Vs Class Politics?' Women’s History Conference; Collective Action: Women's Work and TradeUnionism, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, West-Midlands
- Attacks on the Social Welfare State invited paper, SOCIAL RIGHTS IN EUROPE - A provocation for neo-liberalism Conference (European Association of lawyers for Democracy& World Human Rights), Berlin
- Guest speaker CWU Women’s conference, Birmingham
- presentation of Working Against racism, British TU Guide, TUC/WTRI conference
- Guest speaker, FBU Women’s school, Wortley Hall 7-9 February
- Guest speaker, AUT annual women’s meeting 23rd March
- lecture on ‘Karl Marx in Britain’ to delegation from Shanghai Administrative Institute 20th April
- organiser of ‘Class & Gender in British Labour history’ conference, Women’s Library & paper on the making of the English Working Class revisited 4/5th July
- Invited paper The Other Half of the English Working Class ‘How class Works conference’ State University of New York
2005
- Women Work & Trade Unions in 19th & 20th Centuries Forging Links: Women and Trade Unionism, The Women Chainmakers Festival, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, West-Midlands – Keynote speaker
- Presentation of European TU Guide; working against racism RITU conference, Paris
- invited lecture ‘Labour, Race & Empire’ Ca Foscari university, Venice
- Charter for Women Femmes Indersyndicales conference, Paris
- Charting the History of the Woodcraft Folk, Youth & Community Work Conference, Durham University (Feb) –keynote speaker
- The Labour Movement & the British Empire National Institute for Working Life, Sweden(Jan)
- Labour History & the Other Half of the Working Class National Institute for Working Life, Sweden (Jan)
2004
- The changing nature of Nationalism and the effect of a Unipolar World Order on regional conflict: Israel and Palestine: Politics and History, Coventry Peace Lecture
- The case against the merging of the equality commissions GLA Capital Women Conference
- Sylvia Pankhurst’s socialist feminism, London Socialist Historians Group
2003
- 1st Sylvia Pankhurst Memorial Lecture, Wortley Hall (guest speaker)
- The Camera at Work: Polly Toynbee in conversation with Mary Davis, Tate Modern
- Professorial Inaugural Lecture The Making of the Working Class Revisited: History Theory & Practice
- The British Labour Movement and British Imperialism, Working-Class studies: intersections with race, gender, and sexuality, the Sixth Biennial Conference of the Center for Working-Class Studies at Youngstown State University (May)
- Sylvia Pankhurst & Socialist Politics, Sources of Radicalism conference, Manchester, 10/5/03
Professional Activities
- Chair TUC women’s conference 2010-07-29
- UCU nominee for TUC women’s Gold Badge
- 2008-2010 academic adviser Union Modernisation Fund Equality Reps training, development and support for PCS
- Migrant workers’ education programme; UNITE/T&G
- 2002-3 advisor to TUC Library Labour History Digitisation Project
- Elected member TUC Women’s Committee
- National Executive Council, University & College Union & Chair of National Women’s Committee
Television, Film & Radio (interviews and broadcasts)
- 2008 Treffpunkt Europa (Radio) on current situation of British Trade Union movement
- 2006 BBC radio 4 broadcast Women’s Hour on equality legislation 1st March
- 2006 BBC radio 4 broadcast Word of Mouth on trade union language 26th April
- 2010 ‘Made in Dagenham’ Interview on Equal Pay & Ford strike
- 2010 World right film on Sylvia Pankhurst
- 2004 BBC Radio 4 interview on General Strike (release of PRO papers)
- 2003 BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour: The Significance of the Suffrage Movement – debate with Melanie Phillips
- 2001 Radio 4 Weekend Woman’s Hour: Interview on the Sylvia Pankhurst statue campaign (December)
- 2001 BBC Radio 4 Today- interview on Gender Pay Gap (2/5/01)
- 2001 BBC Radio 4 Great Lives - Sylvia Pankhurst - with Barbara Castle (21/9/01)
- 2000 History Channel: The Suffrage Movement in Britain (April)
- 2000 Independent radio: discussion with Melvyn Bragg & Nigella Lawson on Feminism (July)
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