Representations of working-class lives at criminal justice heritage sites

Johnson, Dan; Wallis, Rose

Abstract

This chapter is based on Wallis and Johnson’s practical, collaborative work with a number of British criminal justice heritage sites, where the majority of the personal stories interpreted for public audiences might be considered as ‘working-class’ lives. Highlighting the persistent connection between class, or structural and social inequality, and the experience and operation of criminal justice - and the role museums and heritage sites can play in shaping public perceptions - the authors argue that how we tell these stories, matters.
Using examples of working-class lives on display from their collective experience, Wallis and Johnson demonstrate the value of social-historical approaches to nuance and contextualise the narratives presented to the public at criminal justice heritage sites, and the importance of an intersectional and multi-vocal approach to support audiences to critically engage with the operation of criminal justice in the past and present.

• Online Publication Date: Nov 4, 2024
• Publication Date: Nov 4, 2024
• Deposit Date: Apr 17, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 5, 2026
• Publisher: Routledge
• Book Title: Doing Working Class History: Research, Heritage and Engagement
• Chapter Number: 18
• ISBN: 9780367361341
• Keywords: social history; criminal justice; heritage; interpretation; collaborative practice
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11903552
• Publisher URL: https://www.routledge.com/Doing-Working-Class-History-Research-Heritage-and-Engagement/Betts-Harrison-Price/p/book/9781032882963?srsltid=AfmBOoqlRBLxRr_eOOTqCFNvNT3_r7GicTWIRYiTVK3f6mmOH-xXazhl
• Contract Date: May 16, 2024