University of Birmingham Student (Alumni) Papers: Papers of Stuart Laing

Papers of and relating to the work of the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies during the period when Stuart Laing was a postgraduate student there in the early 1970s. These papers primarily consist of copies of seminar papers by members of the Centre on selected texts, including papers by Andrew Tolson, Mark Freiman and Rosalind Brunt on Weber's work on capitalism; papers by Andrew Tolson and Richard Dyer on Sartre's 'Problem of Method'; papers by Alan Shuttleworth on linguistics and symbolic interaction; paper by Michael Green on literary structures; comments on Tony Parker's work and methodology by Ashley Pringle and others; paper by Maggie Ashby on Elizabeth Bott's 'Family and Social Network'; paper by Margaret Marshment on the work of Garfinkel; papers by Trevor Millum and others on Rickman's 'Understanding and the Human Studies; papers by Stuart Hall on Richard Hoggart's 'Uses of Literacy' and 'Ethic' and 'Spirit' in Weber; papers by Trevor Fisher, Chas Critcher and others on Raymond Williams' 'The Long Revolution', particularly on the use of history in cultural studies and definitions of culture; paper by Richard Dyer on Saussure; paper by Stuart Laing on Goldmann's 'Sociology of the Novel'; paper by David Berry on the work of Herbert Marcuse; and paper by Bryn Jones on Hoggart's 'Uses of Literacy'. There are also comments on contributions to the CCCS Journal and drafts for the CCCS Reader

Other papers consist of typed reports by Stuart Hall and others including Alan Shuttleworth, Rachel Powell, Brian Trench, Ashley Pringle, Richard Dyer, Marina de Camargo, Chris Bergson, Iain Chambers', Bob Willis, Trevor Fisher and Sue Puddefoot on the development and political orientation of the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies compiled during the academic session 1970-1971. These include papers by Stuart Hall on the Centre's resources and individual and collective work towards the Cultural Studies 'Reader' and other publications, and a paper by Michael Green on the future direction of the Centre. There are also papers on aspects of research in Media 1971 and proposals for research on pub culture. There are papers on the achievements and future work of the Centre dating from 1971-1972 including reflections by Stuart Hall; paper by Michael Green on graduate admissions February 1972; comments by Pam Seymour and Trevor Fisher on involvement with the Centre March 1972; paper by Stuart Hall on the organisation of the Media group February 1972; papers of the Faculty of Working Party by Stuart Hall October-November 1972 consisting of Paper I 'The Centre: Formation, Current Structure, Organisation and Attitudes; Paper II The Intellectual Development of the Centre; Paper III Future Development of the Centre; typed copy of Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies house rules 1971; paper setting out the views of English department students questioned at a 'Teach In' 1971; outline for thesis on football by Chas Critcher; leaflet giving details about activities and support available at Forty Hall Road, Handsworth, a Community Action centre run by CCCS students and University of Birmingham graduates Maggie Ashby, Chas Critcher, Joan Nicholson, Margaret Parker, Chris Sewell, and Chris Tyrrell who were residents in the house, early 1970s.

There is a small amount of material dating from the mid 1970s which largely relates to the work of CCCS sub-groups including a Media group paper by Rosalind Brunt; a report on the Subcultures group 1973-1974 and proposals for 1974-1975; a proposed programme for an art and politics subgroup 1974; a paper on the future of Working Papers in Cultural Studies series 1974; and suggestions for subgroup focused around the 'problems of femininity' Janice Winship and Rachel Harrison. There are also a number of Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies agendas and subgroup programmes tor the academic session 1975-1976 and a smaller number for the 1976-1977 and 1977-1978 sessions

The collection also contains some papers relating to the development and syllabus of the MA in Cultural Studies 1972-1976, and papers relating to the work of the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies in 1987 including agendas and reports on the future of the Centre and a list of Centre publications dated 1991

Stuart Laing was born on 17 December 1948. He gained a BA (Hons) in English (First Class) from St Catharine's College, University of Cambridge in 1970, and was a postgraduate student at the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies at the University of Birmingham between 1970 and 1973. He was awarded a PhD in 1973, 'The idea of a post-war Britain: a case study in the cultural analysis of literature'. He was appointed lecturer in English in the School of Cultural and Community Studies at the University of Sussex in 1973 and was Dean of that School from 1986 to 1991. He was closely involved in the launch of Media Studies there in the late 1980s. He moved to the University of Brighton (then Brighton Polytechnic) in 1991 and was Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) there from 1991-2010 and Deputy Vice-Chancellor from 2010-2014. He retired in April 2014 and is now Professor Emeritus in Cultural Studies at the University of Brighton. He has published over thirty major books, chapters and articles in literary and cultural studies and continues to undertake regular undergraduate teaching and research supervision

Source: http://adm-hea.brighton.ac.uk/about-us/staff-team/stuart-laing-co-director/index.html Accessed June 2014 with additional information provided by the depositor

Open, access to all registered researchers

Presented by Stuart Laing, December 2013

Please see https://calmview.bham.ac.uk/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=XUSS98&pos=1 for more information

Catalogued by Kieran Connell, August 2014, as part of AHRC funded project 'The Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies: connected collaboration, connected communities and connected impact. Description prepared in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; and National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997

Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director, Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. The Cadbury Research Library: Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material.

Special Collections holds research papers of other former members of staff of the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies as well as a small departmental archive of the Centre. Please contact Special Collections for further information