Correspondence file: Clyde Mitchell

  • Reference
    • GB 133 GLU/7
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1 Feb 1960-7 Dec 1969
  • Physical Description
    • 95 items

Scope and Content

  • GLU/7/1, 1 Feb 1960, Mitchell discusses his research in Copper Belt of Northern Rhodesia, and planned study of the marriage and book on Bantu in British Central Africa.
  • GLU/7/7, copy letter, 20 May 1960, Gluckman rejects a suggestion of Mitchell that Manchester School not popular in USA, claims "Eggars, Homans, Bendix, Fuller" are "full of praise", American jurists also take a positive view; reputation also "very high" in France. Gluckman makes critical remarks of the "Bohannins" [sic] (presumably Laura (1922-2002) and Paul Bohannan, (1920-2007), anthropologists].
  • Correspondence includes ongoing discussion about the publication of Gluckman's "Limits of Naivete" symposium, 1960, and a planned general volume on Manchester School's case-study method (e.g.. GLU/7/9).
  • GLU/7/19, 21-26, 14 Mar 1961-27 Jul 1961, an exchange of letters concerning a chair of social anthropology at Manchester which Mitchell was appointed to in 1960, but in the event unable to take up for personal reasons.
  • GLU/7/36-38, 26 May 29 Jun 1962, discussion of Norman Long's difficulties with the Malawi government (1962), and Gluckman's offer to intercede with leading Malawian politicians.
  • GLU/7/38, copy letter, 26 Jun 1962, Gluckman proposes Mitchell come to Manchester and outlines his research plans for the department.
  • GLU/7/39, copy letter 2 Nov 1962, Gluckman outlines Mitchell's responsibilities for sociology within the department if he took up chair.
  • GLU/7/47-49; 26 Feb -14 Apr 1964, Mitchell explains reasons for turning down Manchester chair, due to "disillusionment with Departmental structure", but confirms he will leave Africa.
  • GLU7/53, copy letter, 16 Jul 1964, departmental arrangements on appointment of Mitchell and Peter Worsley to chairs at Manchester.
  • GLU/7/67,copy letter 15 Mar 1965, Gluckman explainsteaching arrangements in the department; Mitchell's views on the same.
  • GLU/7/69, 28 Mar 1965, Mitchell's plans to develop British urban studies as research area.
  • GLU/7/91,copy letter, 25 Mar 1968, Gluckman gives at detailed overview of state of department of social anthropology at Manchester, including teaching, curriculum, finances etc. He also discusses planned projects on kinship and divorce in Zambia, investigating relationships between "industrial-structural" and "cultural" factors based on Zambian mining communities.
  • GLU/7/95 is a genealogy of the Bemba royal family, compiled by Mitchell (n.d.) [poor condition].

Administrative / Biographical History

J. Clyde Mitchell was a former director of the Rhodes-Livingstone Institute, and also the Vice-Principal of University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. From 1965 until 1973, he was professor of urban sociology at the University of Manchester, before becoming a fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford.

Access Information

Access restrictions apply - several items are closed to public inspection.

Related Material

Mitchell's papers are kept at the Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House, Oxford (ref. MSS Afr s 1998).