The geographers in the cupboard: narrating the history of geography using undergraduate dissertations

Mette Bruinsma

doi:10.1111/area.12653

The geographers in the cupboard: narrating the history of geography using undergraduate dissertations

Mette Bruinsma

OGKG - Cultural History

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

This paper explores the possibilities of examining undergraduate dissertations as sources. By means of archival research on a collection of Geography undergraduate dissertations at the University of Glasgow, comprising over 2,600 dissertations from 1954 to 2014, this paper argues for the epistemological value of both these “small” knowledge productions and the experiences of becoming a geographer for studying the history of Geography. A sustained study of the collection reveals that the dissertations comprise three kinds of sources: intellectual sources, seeing the dissertations as original pieces of academic research; cultural sources, examining the role of this “rites of passage” in becoming a geographer; and lastly, as social sources, whereby the dissertations illuminate a diverse, personal network within and beyond the university. The vastness of the archival collection of undergraduate Geography dissertations and the opportunities offered for a longitudinal examining of shifts within them over the years, revealing notable overall trends and traditions, ultimately discloses their own importance as exciting and striking original knowledge productions.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	67-75
Number of pages	9
Journal	Area
Volume	53
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/area.12653
Publication status	Published - Mar 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
I would like to thank Chris Philo and Cheryl McGeachan for their guidance, support, and valuable input throughout this research project. Also thanks to Hayden Lorimer who provided support in the early stages of this research. The suggestions provided by two anonymous reviewers were greatly appreciated. This research was funded by a Doctoral Scholarship provided by The Leverhulme Trust.

Publisher Copyright:
The information, practices and views in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). © 2020 The Authors. Area published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers)

Keywords

Geography undergraduates
Glasgow
archives
disciplinarity
dissertations
history of Geography

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10.1111/area.12653Licence: CC BY

Area - 2020 - Bruinsma - The geographers in the cupboard Narrating the history of Geography using undergraduateFinal published version, 250 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "The geographers in the cupboard: narrating the history of geography using undergraduate dissertations",

abstract = "This paper explores the possibilities of examining undergraduate dissertations as sources. By means of archival research on a collection of Geography undergraduate dissertations at the University of Glasgow, comprising over 2,600 dissertations from 1954 to 2014, this paper argues for the epistemological value of both these “small” knowledge productions and the experiences of becoming a geographer for studying the history of Geography. A sustained study of the collection reveals that the dissertations comprise three kinds of sources: intellectual sources, seeing the dissertations as original pieces of academic research; cultural sources, examining the role of this “rites of passage” in becoming a geographer; and lastly, as social sources, whereby the dissertations illuminate a diverse, personal network within and beyond the university. The vastness of the archival collection of undergraduate Geography dissertations and the opportunities offered for a longitudinal examining of shifts within them over the years, revealing notable overall trends and traditions, ultimately discloses their own importance as exciting and striking original knowledge productions.",

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The geographers in the cupboard: narrating the history of geography using undergraduate dissertations

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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Cite this