Adulthood has a history. In this post, Maria Cannon and Laura Tisdall introduce their new edited collection, 'Adulthood in Britain and the United States from 1350 to Generation Z', which explores how concepts of adulthood have changed over time in Britain and the United States. Expectations for adults have altered over time, just as other age-categories such as childhood, adolescence and old age have been shaped by their cultural and social context. Collectively, the volume's authors consider four key ideas: adulthood as both burden and benefit; adulthood as a relational category; collective versus individual definitions of adulthood; and adulthood as a static definition. 'Adulthood in Britain and the United States from 1350 to Generation Z' (November 2024) is the 20th volume in the Society's New Historical Perspectives series published by the University of London Press.

Last month, academic historians and heritage professions gathered at Scotney Castle, Kent, for ‘A Workshop in Ruins’. Funded by the Royal Historical Society and hosted by The National Trust, this two-day event brought together museum and heritage site curators, ecologists, art, architectural, and documentary historians to consider the changing uses and perceptions of ruins in and with their surroundings. In this post, Claire Kennan reports on the workshop, its findings and the project's development of online resources for heritage professions working with architectural ruins.

In October 2024 the Royal Historical Society published ‘The Value of History in Higher Education and Society’. This briefing offers views on the state, and value, of history in the UK university sector. A vibrant discipline has traditionally indicated a flourishing profession. However, in recent years the Society has witnessed a divergence between the popularity of history—as a subject of study and public interest—and the security of historians within UK higher education. 'The Value of History’, introduced here by the Society's President, Emma Griffin, highlights the extent of cuts and closures facing departments, as well as history's many strengths, in terms of student enrolments, satisfaction, and graduate outcomes. It also considers what we risk losing if cuts continue.