Author Description

In 2023, Birkbeck, University Of London Celebrates 200 Years Of Educating Working People In Central London. It Was Founded In 1923 As The London Mechanics' Institution And, From Its Inception, Was A Pioneering And Radical Institution. This History Is Animated By The Conviction That Birkbeck Is Its People. Their Thoughts And Ambitions, Hopes And Dreams, Labour And Laughter Are What This Book Describes, Celebrates, And Occasionally Laments. It Explores The History Of Education As Well As The History Of Place, Politics, Radicalism, Class, Race, Gender, Disciplinarity, Theatre, Food, Leisure, War, And Everyday Encounters. Most Of All, This Book Is About Ideas. What Does It Mean To Be Educated? How Have These Meanings Changed Over Time? What Makes Birkbeck Students Unique? What Does It Mean To Be Fully Human, Exploiting Our Faculties In Order To Become Better People?-- 1. Introduction -- Pt. I From Mechanics To Graduates -- 2. The Crown And Anchor Tavern -- 3. Education For Whom? -- 4. Useful Knowledge -- 5. The Birkbeck Schools -- 6. Ravenscroft's Birkbeck Bank -- 7. Governing The College -- 8. What Is A University? -- Pt. Ii Pleasure And Preferences -- 9. Art And Architecture -- 10. Dancing The Polka -- 11. The New Woman -- 12. Minoritized Communities -- Pt. Iii Student Life -- 13. `tea And Kippers' -- 14. Hares Versus Rabbits; Or, Social Lives -- 15. `man Versus Rabbits' -- 16. The Students Joy-night' -- Pt. Iv War And Politics -- 17. Worlds At War, 1914-1918 -- 18. Worlds At War, 1939-1945 -- 19. Reds In The Classroom -- 20. Radical Intellectuals -- Pt. V Classrooms -- 21. Science In The World -- 22. Disciplines -- 23. Numerical Automation; Or, Computing -- 24. Paranormal Sciences -- 25. Teaching -- Pt. Vi Battles For Birkbeck -- 26. `birkbeck's Unique Mission?' -- 27. Containing The Crisis -- Pt. Vii Conclusion -- 28. Into The Twenty-first Century. Joanna Bourke. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.