Duncan Stone
My profile picture, for those of you wondering which one I am, that's me (on the left!) with Neil Harvey MBE who was, in 1948, one of Don Bradman's 'Invincibles'.
As you may have guessed, my PhD investigated the historical, sociological and cultural machinations of cricket. I am especially interested in the philosophical origins of amateurism, how amateurism was used as a means of class distinction, and the development of class-based regional identities.
My post-doctoral research has investigated (amongst other things) the links between class, the suburbanisation process, social relations and cultural change.
I have just completed my first book 'Different Class: the untold story of English cricket' (Repeater Books, 2022).
As you may have guessed, my PhD investigated the historical, sociological and cultural machinations of cricket. I am especially interested in the philosophical origins of amateurism, how amateurism was used as a means of class distinction, and the development of class-based regional identities.
My post-doctoral research has investigated (amongst other things) the links between class, the suburbanisation process, social relations and cultural change.
I have just completed my first book 'Different Class: the untold story of English cricket' (Repeater Books, 2022).
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Papers by Duncan Stone
They are, however, missing out on a extremely valuable contextual tool, for sport - in this case, recreational cricket in England - reveals far more about contemporary society, and how it 'works', than many realise.
Sadly, if not doing a postgraduate degree 'for its own sake', one must increasingly question the wisdom of taking on the onerous and stressful task of a PhD in this country.
It suggests that they (the FA, the Premier League and the Football League) have simply paid 'lip service' to the issue and players have had to rely on ex-colleagues, charities and their Trade Unions to take it seriously. It also reveals how modern employment practices in wider society increasingly replicate the precariousness experienced by footballers for generations.
This article examines one realm of this social constructs influence - sport - in terms of the social and philosophical origins of these titles, what they meant in practice and the repercussions their use had on class cultures, British (English) sporting values and success. It proposes that the gentleman amateur - despite the long-term damage inflicted by such men - remains a major philosophical, ideological and physical influence upon British sport today.
Today we tend to think of doping as the utmost assault on fair play. But sporting authorities of the past – who had no qualms about enforcing lifetime bans for other infractions – might have actually found our current angst over doping puzzling. At the same time, sports fans today would likely be confused by 19th-century efforts to exclude the poor from participating with the claim that it was the only way to ensure a level playing field.
It goes to show that as time passes, so do notions of what is fair.
I argue that the discipline of sport history is in mortal danger if it continually eschews opportunities to engage with the mainstream and, more pressingly, repeatedly commits infanticide. The economic realities of the Research Excellence Framework in the UK notwithstanding, perhaps some of the money directed towards the parenting of new generations of researchers ought to be invested in their older siblings instead?
This article argues that an examination of the adoption and proliferation of this anti-competitive, and distinctly ‘middle class’, cricket culture in Surrey, provides new insight into the pace and nature of the county’s suburbanisation, and the complexities of suburban life.
This is a pre-publication copy of an article published in Urban History, Vol. 44 (1), 2017.
In light of recent debates relating to sport history and its relationship to the wider historical discipline, this paper aims to untie these discrete historical sub-fields. It will propose that a long-term analysis of changes in the social structure, cultural meaning/purpose of cricket in Surrey may contribute towards a more nuanced assessment of 'suburban' life and, indeed, the 'suburbanisation' process itself.
The essay utilizes a survey of 400 supporters to establish the different regional meanings for cricket and to test the perceived identities or stereotypes of the two counties. A comparative analysis of the historical development and control of cricket in each county, literary representations and wider social contexts are then used to establish the various reasons for differences in the regional meaning of cricket.
The essay concludes that regional differences in the development and control of the game, its image and presentation have been critical to the development of these cricket identities and cricket's meaning or function for contemporary supporters – particularly in Yorkshire. It goes on to suggest that certain myths have been advocated by social scientists and that a more ‘orally historical’ approach may help in the explanation of identities previously thought to represent either ‘commonality’ or indeed ‘difference’.
Talks by Duncan Stone
They are, however, missing out on a extremely valuable contextual tool, for sport - in this case, recreational cricket in England - reveals far more about contemporary society, and how it 'works', than many realise.
Sadly, if not doing a postgraduate degree 'for its own sake', one must increasingly question the wisdom of taking on the onerous and stressful task of a PhD in this country.
It suggests that they (the FA, the Premier League and the Football League) have simply paid 'lip service' to the issue and players have had to rely on ex-colleagues, charities and their Trade Unions to take it seriously. It also reveals how modern employment practices in wider society increasingly replicate the precariousness experienced by footballers for generations.
This article examines one realm of this social constructs influence - sport - in terms of the social and philosophical origins of these titles, what they meant in practice and the repercussions their use had on class cultures, British (English) sporting values and success. It proposes that the gentleman amateur - despite the long-term damage inflicted by such men - remains a major philosophical, ideological and physical influence upon British sport today.
Today we tend to think of doping as the utmost assault on fair play. But sporting authorities of the past – who had no qualms about enforcing lifetime bans for other infractions – might have actually found our current angst over doping puzzling. At the same time, sports fans today would likely be confused by 19th-century efforts to exclude the poor from participating with the claim that it was the only way to ensure a level playing field.
It goes to show that as time passes, so do notions of what is fair.
I argue that the discipline of sport history is in mortal danger if it continually eschews opportunities to engage with the mainstream and, more pressingly, repeatedly commits infanticide. The economic realities of the Research Excellence Framework in the UK notwithstanding, perhaps some of the money directed towards the parenting of new generations of researchers ought to be invested in their older siblings instead?
This article argues that an examination of the adoption and proliferation of this anti-competitive, and distinctly ‘middle class’, cricket culture in Surrey, provides new insight into the pace and nature of the county’s suburbanisation, and the complexities of suburban life.
This is a pre-publication copy of an article published in Urban History, Vol. 44 (1), 2017.
In light of recent debates relating to sport history and its relationship to the wider historical discipline, this paper aims to untie these discrete historical sub-fields. It will propose that a long-term analysis of changes in the social structure, cultural meaning/purpose of cricket in Surrey may contribute towards a more nuanced assessment of 'suburban' life and, indeed, the 'suburbanisation' process itself.
The essay utilizes a survey of 400 supporters to establish the different regional meanings for cricket and to test the perceived identities or stereotypes of the two counties. A comparative analysis of the historical development and control of cricket in each county, literary representations and wider social contexts are then used to establish the various reasons for differences in the regional meaning of cricket.
The essay concludes that regional differences in the development and control of the game, its image and presentation have been critical to the development of these cricket identities and cricket's meaning or function for contemporary supporters – particularly in Yorkshire. It goes on to suggest that certain myths have been advocated by social scientists and that a more ‘orally historical’ approach may help in the explanation of identities previously thought to represent either ‘commonality’ or indeed ‘difference’.
This this paper is no more than an introduction to the origins and creation of the MWF, its operation, and the various aspects of ‘welfare’ it supported. The main focus is upon sport, but it also highlights the opportunities the MWF provides historians in relation to health, health & safety, education, the arts and how David cameron's notion of the 'Big Society' has been successfully carried out in the past.
But the fact those that have overseen this discrimination remain in charge, can the public rely on any meaningful change - especially when the EDI initiatives required are decried by government ministers?
If cricket is to survive as an inclusive and popular sport in future, it needs to discard the rose-tinted view of its own history.
However, it also involved the abolition of the League (Carabao) Cup and the Community Shield. A proposal that demonstrates how ignorant many involved in football are of the game's history and the role cup competition and, indeed, 'fair competition' played in establishing the sport as the 'national game'.
http://socialhistory.org.uk/shs_exchange/russia-2018/