Selling Watercress, Salisbury
by John Dempsey (credit: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery)

The Social History Society brings together people with an interest in social and cultural history.

Membership is open to anyone with an interest in the research, teaching and dissemination of social and cultural history. Our friendly community includes postgraduate and early career researchers, senior scholars and those working in the heritage sector.

Our activities include:

  • Representing the history profession: to national funding councils and to government bodies
  • Holding an annual conference: showcasing the newest and cutting-edge research in social and cultural history
  • Publishing: our peer-reviewed journal, Cultural and Social History, with Taylor and Francis, and our New Directions in Social and Cultural History book series with Bloomsbury
  • Offering grants and prizes: to support and celebrate the best in social and cultural history scholarship

We also maintain active links with other historical societies and bodies.

Although based in the UK, we are concerned with social history internationally and welcome contributions and members from around the world.

For further details, see our Membership Pages

Society Structure

We are led by a Committee and are governed by our Constitution.

The Committee comprises an Executive Committee of five officers, six ordinary members, two postgraduate representatives and an editor of Cultural and Social History. Anyone who has been a member of the Society for a year is eligible to stand for election to the Committee.

The Economic History Society also appoints a representative to our Committee (we, in turn, appoint a representative to their Council).

Our Committee appoints one honorary president and up to four honorary vice presidents.

We employ a part time administrator to manage memberships, our conference and our other activities.

Download the Constitution of the Social History Society