Labor Historians and Traditions of Engaged Scholarship
Labor Historians and Traditions of Engaged Scholarship
Progressives, Insurgents, and the Making of a New Labor History
This chapter traces the history of the early paths of engaged scholarship blazed by progressive labor economists who, at some professional risk, gave birth to labor history as a serious field of inquiry and by the subsequent pioneering work of two labor historians and activists: E. P. Thompson and David Montgomery. Thompson and Montgomery not only reshaped the academic field but influenced subsequent generations of engaged scholars. Of particular importance were Thompson's and Montgomery's experiences outside of academia, notably in labor and left political circles. The chapter points out that the generation of labor historians following Thompson and Montgomery shared their attention to class, their affinity for grassroots activism, and their advocacy for participatory democracy. At the same time, the succeeding generations of scholars, responding to changed political and intellectual contexts, have pursued new forms of engagement.
Keywords: engaged scholarship, progressive labor economists, labor history, E. P. Thompson, David Montgomery, engaged scholars, labor historians, class, grassroots activism, participatory democracy
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