Working Lives in the Factories and Mills: Textile heritage of the factory workers
Exploring Britain’s Industrial Heritage
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
3 hours
Working Lives in the Factories and Mills: Textile heritage of the factory workers
The course is important in that it will discuss the relationship between textile factory labour in the past and present, and specifically consider the uses of British industrial heritage in the present day. It will also teach students skills in historical, literary and genealogical research and provide opportunities for further engagement via events at the museums and contributions to ongoing research project
What topics will you cover?
- Explore the range of activities involved in working in factories and mills in the long nineteenth century, and how these changed during the period covered by the course.
- Assess representations of millworkers from this period, as well as writings by the workers themselves, and discuss how they relate to wider questions of class, gender, and professional identity.
- Investigate how museums represent factory workers.
- Locate material relevant to this field through online archives.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and learn at your own pace. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Discuss the range of activities involved in working in textile factories in the long nineteenth century, and how these changed during the period covered by the course.
- Assess representations of working lives in textile factories and surviving texts and artefacts from the period, and discuss how they relate to wider questions of class, gender, and professional identity.
- Compare written and oral material on workers’ lives within the appropriate historical and material contexts.
- Engage online and other archives in order to locate material relevant to the history of textile factories and workers’ lives.
Who is the course for?
The target audience consists of members of the public with an interest in industrial history or heritage, or specific connections to mill-work (e.g. through family links). The secondary audience will be professionals working in or aiming to work in the heritage sector. The course will also appeal to students at school or university who have interests in the long Victorian period. Learners do not require prior experience or qualifications. Our museum partners have strong connections to local schools and communities, and through our partnerships with them we will have unique opportunities to advertise to wider local audiences.
Who will you learn with?
I am a Chair in English Studies at the University of Strathclyde and currently lead the research project 'Piston, Pen & Press: Literary Cultures in the Industrial Workplace.'
I teach English Literature at the University of Manchester and have an abiding interest in the culture and politics of the British Working Class Movement in the Long Nineteenth Century.
Who developed the course?
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde is a leading international technological university located in Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city, committed to useful learning.
| Recommended | |||
Ways to learn | Upgrade this course | Unlimited | Basic access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose the best way to learn for you! | $59 | $15.83/month Billed at $189.99 for a year | Free |
| Unlock your expertise | Endless possibilities! | Try before you upgrade | |
| Access to this course | tick | tick | Limited to 6 weeks |
| Access to ALL eligible short courses with additional benefits, for a year | cross | tick | cross |
| Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
| Certificate when you're eligible | Printed and digital | Digital only | cross |
Ways to learn
Buy Unlimited to access this course and hundreds of other short courses for a year or Upgrade just this course for extra benefits. Or, join with basic access.
Unlimited
$15.83/month
Billed at $189.99 for a year
Endless possibilities!
- Access to this course
- Access to ALL eligible short courses with additional benefits, for a year
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Upgrade this course
$59
Unlock your expertise
- All of the above* for this course only, plus a printed certificate when you’re eligible
*Excludes access to all eligible short courses with additional benefits for a year
Basic access
Free
Try before you buy
- Limited access to course content for 6 weeks
Find out more about certificates, Upgrades or Unlimited. Sale price available until 6 December 2021 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply. | |||
Find out more about certificates, Upgrades or Unlimited.
Sale price available until 6 December 2021 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps, but you can complete them as quickly or slowly as you like
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn
Learner reviews
Learner reviews cannot be loaded due to your cookie settings. Please and refresh the page to view this content.
Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...
You can use the hashtag #textilemillsheritage to talk about this course on social media.
More courses you might like
Learners who joined this course have also enjoyed these courses.
Browse more in History