Historical Legitimacy Research Articles

The Crown in National Disguises: The Uses of Monarchy’s Historical Past in Spanish Nation-Building, 1833–1868

AbstractThe competing ideologies of nation and monarchy had a troubled beginning in the 19th century, insomuch as they derived partly from two opposing sources of legitimacy. However, from the 1830s on, their supporters achieved the establishment of an interspecific and mutually advantageous relationship. The nation gradually managed to prevail over the monarchy, justifying its presence in national terms. However, the monarchy possessed something longed for by liberal nationalists: historical legitimacy. Thus, the crown served Romantic nationalism in its search for national foundations and to generate national emotions of a collective sense of belonging. This article analyses this process by focusing on the Spanish case and using a vast range of cultural sources. I reason that the monarchy’s history was intensively used in Isabel II’s reign (1833–1868), both by the monarch herself as well as nationalist elites, to legitimate and justify their presence in the liberal world. The article is divided into three sections. The first part locates the problem into a general process that touched all the crowned heads of Europe. The second section studies the appeal of exemplary medieval monarchs in the liberal hunt for national roots. The final one focuses on the particular case of Isabel the Catholic because of the remarkable prominence it acquired.

고려 전·중기에 歷史書는 왜, 어떻게 다시 서술되었나: 『三國史』의 구성과 그 후의 변화

During the early and middle period of Koryŏ, the Confucian historical perspectives were devided into the one with Chŏnhadawŏnron(天下多元論) and the other with Hwairon(華夷論). The two historical pespectives had a common progression from the previous era in terms of evidentialism and demythologization in historical writing. However, the two historical perspectives greatly distorted the outlines of historical transitions in different directions according to each of their regimes which were quite different. The distortion was mainly made in the formal structure of contents, and the selection of the object of description. Each description of fact itself was relatively less affected by such distortion, because each of them was descrived based on evidences.BR Samguksa (三國史) was compiled in Gwangjong(光宗)’s reign by the Confucians with Chŏnhadawŏnron. The structure and form of its contents was to raise the authority of the Koryŏ royal family and the founding powers by setting the historical legitimacy of Korguyŏ to Koryŏ. Its structure and form of the contents has been largely inherited by Jewangungi (帝王韻紀).BR The Confucians with Hwairon from former Silla region revealed repulsion against Samguksa which overly downgraded and reduced the history of Silla.BR Samguksagi (三國史記) was written in their perspective. Silla was described as the historically legimate dynasty(正統王朝) in it.

فرانز فانون والثورة الجزائرية (1954-1962)

على الرغم من الزخم المتواتر للدراسات والأدبيات التاريخية والفكرية حول الثورة التحريرية الجزائرية 1954- 1962 كحدث مؤسس لتاريخ الجزائر المعاصر، لاسيما الكتابات الفرنسية منها، والتي رسمت نمطا معينا من الأيديولوجية تخدم مقاصد المدرسة التاريخية الفرنسية الاستعمارية بالدرجة الأولى، ولعل الدراسة التي بين أيدينا جديرة بأن تكون حقلا وميدانا للتحليل والنقد، والمقارنة لتجاوز الصور الملحمية والاحتفالية التي نجد ملامحها في القراءات الرسمية للمواضيع التي تتقاطع فيها السياسة بالشرعية التاريخية، والأيديولوجيات بالمنطلقات الحضارية للثورة الجزائرية. وبين هذا وذاك يجد الباحث نفسه عند الخوض في المواضيع والقضايا ذات الصلة بالثورة التحريرية، ومنها موضوع إسهامات فرانتز فانون بهذا الحدث المؤسس للدولة الجزائرية المعاصرة التي تواترت فيها كتابات عديدة حاولت تقديم صورة متناسقة لهذه الشخصية المارتينكية الأصل، والجزائرية الوجود، والأفريقية التأثير والـتأثر. والمبتغى من هذه الدراسة هو تسليط الضوء بصورة تحليلية نقدية على الملامح الأساسية لإسهامات هذه القامة الفكرية عالميا في مسألة التطور الإيديولوجي للثورة الجزائرية ما بعد سنة 1958، وتجاوز منحى بعض الدراسات التاريخية والاجتماعية التي تصل إلى حدّ إنكار ما جادت به الثورة الجزائرية من مواثيق ونصوص مرجعية من قبيل " وثيقة أول نوفمبر 1954، ووثيقة مؤتمر الصومام 1956"، وكرست خلفية تاريخية مفادها أن فانون منظر للثورة الجزائرية.

FROM ANNIVERSARY TO ANNIVERSARY: THE HISTORIOGRAPHICAL AND BIBLIOGRAPHIC REVIEWS OF COMMEMORATIVE PUBLICATIONS ON THE HISTORY OF ODESA I. I. MECHNIKOV NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

The article presents the analysis of a compressed historiographic and bibliographic review of commemorative publications dedicated to the anniversaries of the history of Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University. The criteria for analysis are determined, on the basis of which the commemorative publications of the university history writing are considered. The conceptual ideas are highlighted, which are reflected in all publications dedicated to the anniversaries of the Odessa University in different historical periods of its existence. The critical understanding of the historical publications of university history shows the importance of the political and ideological context in their content, as well as the peculiarities of the construction of commemorative practices. The number of problematic and promising issues are outlined, the solution of which will contribute to the conclusion of commemorative publications to a higher level. Attention is drawn to the fact that commemorative publications devoted to the history of Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University, while concentrating certain shortcomings of the genre, still remain an important phenomenon in the development of historiography and the formation of corporate identity, historical memory, and the construction of commemorative practices. The inevitability and prospects of the importance of expanding research optics and research tools for writing «anniversary» stories of Odessa University in particular, and other universities in general, are noted. Attention is focused on the fact that the historical anniversaries of Odessa University, as well as other universities, were one of the important means of influencing the consciousness of society through the formation of a «policy of memory» necessary at a particular moment in a certain historical era, propaganda of the historical legitimacy of the current government, which at all times organized and carried out the stipulated format of the celebration, with a clear control of their ideological content. One of the forms of commemoration of the Odessa University was the tradition of preparing and publishing historical essays on its history, which turned out to be stable and continues to this day. Historical descriptions of the history of Odessa University, compiled for its anniversaries, act as fulcrum in the development of historiography and bibliography of both the university itself and higher education.

Churches, City and National Identity in Mid-19th Century Edinburgh

This paper reflects on the importance of Edinburgh’s Lawnmarket and Castlehill area in the context of the 1843 Disruption which saw the separation of the Free Church from the Established Church of Scotland mainly over the issue of the Church’s relationship with the State. Edinburgh’s Holy Corner, as it is colloquially known, refers to the Bruntsfield and Morningside junction with four churches; but this paper argues that by the mid-19th century the Lawnmarket area was an even ‘holier’ corner. Within a discrete area west of St Giles — Edinburgh’s Cathedral — and almost touching one another were built the Church of Scotland’s headquarters at Victoria Hall (or Old Tolbooth Church; today, ‘The Hub’), and for the Free Church, its headquarters at New College. These two buildings alone (other churches were constructed in closest proximity) show that for both organisations, Edinburgh in its old role as the national capital was deemed vital. This national importance was here emphasised (or resurrected) and intentionally exploited by each organisation for the purpose of demonstrating its own historical legitimacy and validity, each regarding itself as the national Church continuing. That it was not simply Edinburgh, but the Old Town, which was chosen, emphasised yet further the heritage, continuity and historic validity claimed by the two ‘ancient’ Churches; the Tron Church was a lesser ornament, as the fire of 1824 had diminished its prestige of antiquity. A major — if perhaps inadvertent — consequence was that the Old Town’s renewal was now securely in hand thanks to these competing churches; and all following the effective reincarnation in dressed ashlar of St Giles in the 1830s by William Burn. Both organisations being based in Edinburgh made the city not simply the two Churches’ national headquarters, but also, given the impact of missionary work and Empire, the international hub to which every congregation looked to for leadership and support. By focusing on a small area at the very heart of the Old Town of Edinburgh, this paper brings together a key moment of ecclesiastical history, whose significance goes well beyond Edinburgh itself, with important developments in urban design and architectural history.

Ibnu Athaillah dan Penafsiran Esoteric

This paper discusses about Ibn 'Athoillah As-Sakandari’s thought in performing esoteric interpretations to religious texts. The Hadith said that the Qur'an has dimension of esoteric meaning, extrinsic and esoteric, internal historically had implications for inevitability of esoteric Qur'an’s interpretation, especially by and for Sufi. But the existence of this interpretation is diverse, both in terms of epistemological and methodological. So this considered important for author to discuss the discourse of Ibn Atha'illah's thoughts and his efforts to explain the content of Qur’an by means of esoteric interpretation. This research uses qualitative research methods with library research methods. It mean, inspect and researching the sources of literature and using written materials in form classical books, books and other written sources related with the theme discussion. The subject studied in this paper is what is behind ibn Athoillah's thoughts and how ibn 'Athoillah interprets religious texts with esoteric interpretations. This paper is a literature research and the historical approach, so the author concluded that 1) ibn Athoillah’s esoteric interpretation has historical legitimacy during the Prophet Muhammad saw and theology from Qur'an and Sunnah; 2) Esoteric interpretation should be based on the literal meaning, textual verse and Esoteric interpretation the source is the individual wijdaniyyah of Sufi.

Iberismo, tradición y mestizaje: la defensa del Nordeste brasileño antiguo en el primer Gilberto Freyre (1920 a 1940)

The article discusses Gilberto Freyre’s intellectual production between the 1920s and 1940s. The goal is to understand not only the Freyrean interpretations on the Iberism of Miguel de Unamuno, Ángel Ganivet or Ortega y Gasset, but also investigate and record, on Freyre’s extensive production, a continued defense of the historical legitimacy of the Iberian culture, which he saw threatened by the disaggregative force of the modern, industrial, Protestant and capitalist West.

The impacts of comparative ads used by retailers to compare their store brands with national brands

PurposeThe research aim is to investigate the impacts of comparative ads used by retailers to compare the prices of their store brand (SB) products with those of equivalent national brand (NB) products. More specifically, this research examines if consumers perceive retailers as legitimate when they use comparative ads to compare the prices of their SB products to those of equivalent NB products, and how effective are these comparative ads in terms of actual purchases. This research also explores for which SB type (economy, standard or premium) and consumers are comparative ads most effective.Design/methodology/approachThis research investigates consumers' reactions to comparative ads used by retailers to compare the prices of their SB products with those of similar NB products through an experiment within a store laboratory. A between-subject design has been used. The participants of the first/second/third group (n1 = 93/n2 = 92/n3 = 91) were exposed to ads comparing the prices of retailer's economy/standard/premium SB food products with their equivalent NB food products, in the same product category. The participants of each group carried out a shopping trip in the store laboratory.FindingsConsumers consider retailers legitimate when they use comparative ads. This favourable evaluation improves their attitude towards these ads. However, the impact of retailers' legitimacy of (1) means, (2) objectives and (3) historical legitimacy on consumers' attitude towards comparative ads depends on the SB type (economy, standard and premium). By contrast, comparative ads are effective in terms of consumers' attitude towards these ads and towards SBs, along with purchase intention and actual purchases of these brands, whatever the SB type. Lastly, this research highlights that comparative ads for SBs are mainly directed at consumers with high levels of price consciousness and resistance to NBs.Research limitations/implicationsThis research only tested the impact of direct comparative advertising and an extrinsic attribute (price). The research experiment was conducted on a convenience sample, which limits its external validity.Practical implicationsThis research encourages retailers to use comparative advertising for their SBs (economy, standard and premium) for several reasons. First, this study suggests that comparative advertising is an effective tool for retailers to shape or improve consumers' attitude towards SBs, via their attitude towards comparative ads. Second, this research proposes that comparative advertising contrasting the prices of SB products with those of NB products could increase retailers' in-store sales of their SBs. Lastly, this research underlines that comparative advertising is particularly effective for consumers with high levels of price consciousness and resistance to NBs.Originality/valueThis research supplements previous research in the field of SBs and comparative advertising. Previous research on comparative advertising has examined NBs exclusively (Dianoux et al., 2013; Beard, 2018). Comparisons between SBs and NBs are lacking. This research thus validates the use of this specific form of communication for SBs, given the paucity of studies of the effects of the use of mass media communication on SBs (Nenycz-Thiel and Romaniuk, 2014; Gendel-Guterman and Levy, 2017).

Productivity, public capital, and socialism with Chinese characteristics – A critique of the doctrine of incompatibility between capital and public ownership

PurposeThis paper is a response to the doctrine that capital is incompatible with public ownership. The fundamental characteristics of modern productivity determine the co-existence of the market economy and capital relations.Design/methodology/approachSocialism can neither bypass the market economy nor “go beyond capital”; capital appears in two historical forms, including the private capital and the public capital. Public capital is the inevitable outcome of the inherent contradictions of public ownership in a socialist market economy.FindingsIt represents an economic relationship that compels individual labourers to provide surplus labour for the society. The combination of the strong accumulation function of public capital and the improvement of people's welfare is the main cause of China's development miracle.Originality/valueThe innovation impetus of the public capital and its “immunity” to the capitalist crisis highlight the tremendous power of socialism with Chinese characteristics in breaking free of the shackles of capitalism and continuously developing productive forces. Public capital demonstrates and will continue to demonstrate the historical legitimacy of socialism.

The Missing Indian Affairs Clause

Conflicting lines of precedent and philosophy are the defining characteristics of Federal Indian Affairs law. Scholarship and case law run the gamut from finding a pre-constitutional federal plenary power over Native Americans to narrow readings of the Indian Commerce Clause limiting Congressional power to trade only. All claim historical legitimacy, but none has been able to explain why the Indian Affairs Clause from the Articles of Confederation failed to appear in the Constitution, or, conversely, why the new federal government never limited themselves to regulating Indian trade. The combination of the unexplained textual shrinkage and disharmony between text and practice seems to suggest that the Framers made a mistake in drafting the Constitution. In fact, the Framers did make a mistake, or at least five of them did. This article examines the drafting history of the Constitution and suggests a startling explanation for the omission of an Indian Affairs Clause: at its heart is an innocent but consequential scrivener’s error. The five-member Committee of Detail, tasked by the Constitutional Convention to produce a working draft of a Constitution, seems to have accidentally omitted an Indian Affairs Clause. Inclusion of a Congressional power over Indian Trade and Affairs was compelled by its long pre-history and a unanimous vote by the Convention, and John Rutledge as Committee chair directed James Wilson to include it in a marginal note. The evidence indicates that Wilson meant to comply with the command: not only was he personally motivated to comply, but he placed a checkmark next to the Clause. However, he simply failed to include the power in his final draft. Thereafter, only Madison caught the mistake, the Committee of Detail deigned to address their lapse—over the Convention’s directive—by importing “Indians” into the Commerce Clause, thereby incorporating only part of pre-constitutional power over tribes, and none thereafter fixed the half-fix. The omission has thereafter caused a bicentennial of confusion to the detriment of the tribes. This history raises serious questions for constitutional theory, federal Native American policy, state-tribal relations, and Commerce Clause jurisprudence. This article addresses the question of whether the partially-fixed scrivener’s error should be fixed, and suggests some possible responses. These responses include judicial correction via statutory construction’s mistake doctrine, constitutional amendment, or re-implementation of the Washington Administration’s accord to treat with tribes as foreign nations, but with a textual twist: the United States would have to treat with a tribe before Congress could enact legislation to address subjects external to the Indian Commerce Clause. Though it does not provide a clean textual fix, the last option provides a practical one and affords the greatest normative benefits—it is consistent with the Constitution’s text, history, structure and precedent. Moreover, treating with tribes again would restore tribal sovereignty and dignity.

A Disagreeable Text

Abstract Bryan Edwards’s The History of the British West Indies is a text well known to historians of the Caribbean and the early modern Atlantic World. First published in 1793, the work is widely considered to be a classic of British Caribbean literature. This article introduces an unpublished first draft of Edwards’s preface to that work. Housed in the archives of the West India Committee in Westminster, England, this preface has never been published or fully analyzed by scholars in print. It offers valuable insight into the production of West Indian history at the end of the eighteenth century. In particular, it shows how colonial planters confronted the challenges of their day by attempting to wrest the practice of writing West Indian history from their critics in Great Britain. Unlike these metropolitan writers, Edwards had lived in the West Indian colonies for many years. He positioned his personal experience as being a primary source of his historical legitimacy.

Specialised music classes in comprehensive education: a case study of the Swedish shift from social-democratic uniformity to neoliberal diversity

ABSTRACT The following article examines the emerging historical legitimacy of specialised comprehensive schools in Sweden. During the 1980s, neoliberal ideas were gaining ground in Swedish educational policy. As a result, the social democratic government began to relax the rigour of the unified, state-regulated educational system. Specialised music classes played a significant role in this context, as such programmes were increasingly considered models for specialisation and deregulation. The establishment of specialised music classes in Sweden was symptomatic of the national adoption of neoliberal principles in education policy. The case study design uses qualitative document analyses of archive materials including public investigations, minutes of political meetings, and newspaper debates. The discursive legitimation of specialised comprehensive education is seen as dependent on three interrelated frame factors: ideology, economics, and law. Within this framework empirical knowledge of the transformative educational policy of the 1980s is analysed.

Being a nation through the crown. Banal monarchism and nation-building in Spain, 1833–68

ABSTRACT Studies on nationalism have rarely given importance to the role played by the monarchy. In the Spanish case, studies have principally underlined its negative impact at the beginning of the twentieth century. This article aims to approach the origins of this political and cultural junction between the crown and the phenomenon of nationalism in Spain. A process that took place during the reign of Queen Isabel II (1833–68) and that followed very similar times and formulas to its neighbouring countries. It is first discuss the challenge that the monarchy faced in resignifying and relocating itself politically and symbolically in the nineteenth century. On this path, the crown found in the nation a perfect partner. However, liberalism also used the historical legitimacy of the monarchy to construct a nationalist discourse where monarchical identity was a structuring and undeniable piece of the national essence. Then, the author studies two typologies of strategies undertaken by them to convey their idea of nation, to mobilize people and to engender national loyalty: royal travel and images of the monarchy – both literal and figurative – used by the state. A comparative perspective with different European cases is always follow, particularly with Queen Victoria.

Moments and memories: football and state narratives in Algeria

ABSTRACTA Nation’s memory is selective and sheds light only on a selection of narratives of memory and process of memorizing that serves a nation’s interests. At the core of the Algerian state formation, the question of memory and historical legitimacy occupied a distinctive position. The Algerian state built its memory on a series of ‘coherent’ narratives that fall within three distinctive themes: (1) the struggle of Algerian people mobilized around the nationalist party and liberation; (2) a process that mobilizes Algerian people around socialist, anti-imperialist ideologies and (3) more recently, the narrative focused on the notion of national reconciliation following almost ten years of quasi-civil war. In all these themes, football has been used to invoke and exercise the memory of the state. It has also provided football fans, mainly the youth, with a platform to counter and subvert the official memory. Through an analysis of six historical matches/moments, this essay intends to highlight the significance of these particular dates/events in the collective memory and popular culture of the country.

Deliberative Topoi and the Pull of the Future: Bridging Disparate Visions of Dresden Elbe Valley

When representatives from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Heritage program approved Germany’s Dresden Elbe Valley for inclusion on its list of World Heritage sites in 2004, they did not anticipate that the area—selected as a model of sustainable development—would be delisted five years later. Plans for construction of Waldschlösschen Bridge (Waldschlößchenbrücke) on the site sparked a debate between the World Heritage Committee and Dresden’s city council over the best possible future for the site. This controversy is indicative of the challenges involved in maintaining international conservation efforts. I analyze how urban planners, Dresden’s city council, World Heritage representatives, and citizens navigated competing visions of Dresden’s past and future during the bridge controversy. Each party’s reliance on memories of Dresden’s past at the expense of other possibilities for invention reveals the limits of the topos of historical legitimacy as a determining factor for the future of a space.

Study on the Reduction and Abolition of Proportional Representation System

최근 우리나라는 연동형 비례대표제 도입을 중심으로 하는 선거제도 개혁에 대하여 정치권의 갈등과 학계의 상호 의견차이가 심하게 나타나고 있다. 평등선 거원칙에 좀 더 부합하다는 비례대표제가 확대된다면, 단순다수 소선거구제보다 정치적 소수자의 등원이 쉬워지고, 지역주의 해소에 긍정적 영향을 끼치는 등의 장점이 있을 것으로 예상은 된다. 그러나 공천 헌금으로 대표되는 비례대표 선출 과정의 불투명성 및 공무담임권 침해가능성 등 비례대표제는 단점 역시 상당하 다. 물론 독일과 뉴질랜드와 같이 연동형 비례대표제가 성공적으로 안착한 사례도 있으나, 위 두 나라는 의원내각제이기에 대통령 5년 단임 직선제를 기본으로 하는 우리나라 통치구조에 연동형 비례대표제는 제대로 조응하지 않을 수 있다. 즉, 현행 5년 단임제의 역사적 정통성을 고려한다면 우리나라의 선거제도 개혁은 대통령 직선제라는 큰 틀 안에서 논의가 이뤄져야 한다. 이는 합의제로의 전환보 다는 다수제 민주주의 원칙의 존속이 타당함을 의미하며, 구체적으로는 현행 비례대표제의 점진적 축소 및 개헌을 통한 완전 폐지와 미국식 순수대통령제로의 체제 변형을 뜻한다.Conflicts between political circles and differences of opinion among academic world are so severe these days with election reform which mainly deals with mixed-member proportional representation system. If proportional representation system which seems to be accord with the principle of equal election expands, it is likely that political minorities can come to the assembly much easier and positive impacts will be on dissolving resionalism. However, proportional representation system has quite a few flaws such as the opacity of nomination process infamous for nomination donate and a potential infringe on the right to equal access to public service. Of course there are some cases in which mixed-member proportional representation system was successfully settled such as Germany and New Zealand, but those two countries are parliamentary republics. Mixed-member proportional representation system may fail to accord with Korea’s single five-year presidential term and direct presidential election system. Hence, election system reform in korea must be discussed within the scheme of direct presidential election system considering the historical legitimacy of the existing system. This indicates that the maintenance of the current principle of majoritarian democracy is far reasonable than the switch to consensus democracy, which means a gradual reduction and a complete abolition of current proportional representation system and switch to pure-presidentialism like America.

The Mauritanian Civil State in Crisis

The Mauritanian national state emerged as a questionable entity in both its historical and social legitimacy. This article considers the cliental relationship that remains within today’s Mauritanian national state and which dominates the political arena. The national state implements the same colonial policy and thereby has become the biggest client, offering favors for obedience and allegiance to it. Today, this is the greatest challenge Mauritania faces to break free from traditional political practice and move towards democratization and a peaceful transfer of power, the separation of powers, the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary.

The Sino-American confrontation in the South China Sea: insights from an international order perspective

Conventional accounts of the South China Sea territorial disputes identify China’s assertive behaviour as the primary cause of the rising tension since the early 2010s. This paper goes beyond this traditional interpretation of the disputes by arguing that the territorial disputes are an expression of the broader contestation between two order-building projects by China and the United States (US). China’s assertive behaviour originates in its desire to promote a ‘historical’ and ‘post-colonial’ maritime order that is premised on its Sino-centric historical narrative of the Sea and on its emphasis on the historical legitimacy of the regional order of 1943–1945. The US-led ‘liberal’ maritime order is underpinned by a post-war legal framework built on the San Francisco Peace Treaty and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the notion and practice of freedom of navigation. Since October 2015 the US has enhanced its freedom of navigation operations to challenge China’s ‘excessive’ maritime or territorial claims. We conclude that as a result of the uneasy coexistence of these two order-building projects, which fundamentally disagree over the foundations of maritime order in the South China Sea, the disputes have reached an open-ended impasse.

Analysis and Suggestions of Gangwon area history Research result

Until now, the study of Gangwon area history was generally focused on studying the specificity of the area. The field of research has been concentrated in specific fields due to the concentration of research human resources and the development of lukewarm research subjects. In recent years, it is difficult to expect a quantitative and qualitative increase in regional research results, as the successive generations of scholars are not cultivated smoothly. The study of Gangwon area history research should basically start from the viewpoint of publicizing and recognizing the historical legitimacy of the area. Local history research is not exclusive to those who live in the area or who serve in local universities. In the 1990s, the results of Gangwon area history research have been widely published with the expansion of professional researchers. In addition, local universities, cultural institutes, and cultural organizations jointly held regular academic seminars and continued to publish research results. Therefore, Gangwon area history researchers need to analyze various causal factors in the area and expand the construction more widely, get out of the way of studying local history with limited research units. In order to overcome this phenomenon, Gangwon area history research should be pursued in the following direction. First, researchers and related organizations need to make efforts to ensure that the conferences are held continuously. Second, local educational institutions should have a firm perception that regional research is important. And it must be practiced faithfully. Third, local universities and municipalities should cooperate with each other in building a system to share local research results. The shared research results should be used as a resource for local history education.

Civic Action and Volunteering: The Changing Space for Popular Engagement in England

The idea that volunteering and civic action may both play a role within the work of voluntary organizations has a long historical legitimacy in England. However, recent policy trends appear to undermine notions that the critical expression of official views is acceptable. In particular, where voluntary organizations are engaged in service-level contracts with statutory agencies, engagement in the political sphere is seen as risky. This paper takes an historical and analytic perspective to examine the evolution of volunteering and civic action in England. It examines how different discourses have affected spaces for popular engagement of voluntary organizations over time and the degree to which these are changing. The paper considers ways in which the complex and dynamic variations of this engagement can be understood in the contemporary voluntary sector.