The genesis of a scientific community: the British Universities Industrial Relations Association and the field of industrial relations in Britain, c.1950–1983

Voskeritsian, Horen

Abstract

© 2014, © 2014 Taylor & Francis. Scholarship dealing with labour-related topics has been prevalent in Britain from the early twentieth century, but a scientific field dedicated exclusively to the study of industrial relations did not emerge until the second half of the century. Although the socio-economic context of the post-war years provided a fertile ground for the field's emergence, the reason for its eventual development was a socialization process that took place in the early 1950s with the establishment of an informal group of industrial relations scholars. The group would grow to become the British Universities Industrial Relations Association and its activities would help the emerging community develop a ‘disciplinary identity’ and form the institutions that would subsequently define the field of Industrial Relations.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Aug 8, 2014
• Journal: Labor History
• Print ISSN: 0023-656X
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-9702
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 55
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 501-518
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0023656X.2014.948706
• Keywords: industrial relations, labour history, IUSGIR, BUIRA, field development
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/826959
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0023656X.2014.948706