Theories, Methods, and Concepts in Social and Cultural History: Report on the Social History Society Conference, York

Abstract

pivotal force that transformed Italian-American labor militancy from a transnational to a nationalistic focus. David Brundage examined the ten sion between Irish nationalism and Irish-American working-class activism. In comments, Dirk Hoerder cautioned that internationalist consciousness for workers seems to fragment immediately with the outbreak of war and that ideological transnationalism among radical leaders may be a wholly separate phenomenon. The conference also made important connections between labor histo rians, the portrayal of public history, and activism. The second plenary session was devoted to current organizational concerns and included a forceful talk by Brad Markell of the UAW on transnational labor solidarity. At an earlier panel, Beverly Butler, in a creative multimedia presentation, explored the possibilities and limitations of labor history as public history. The broad scope of research presented revealed many auspicious new directions for labor history, only a few of which can be reported here. Rather than moving toward synthesis, we appear to be in a period of creative ferment that suggests a range of intellectual and political chal lenges rather than pessimism for the future of the field.