Vacancy: Co-Editor for Social History of Medicine
Social History of Medicine (SHM) seeks a new co-editor to join Dr Elma Brenner (co-editor), Professor Flurin Condrau (co-editor), Dr Janet Greenlees (co-editor), and Dr Ian Miller (book reviews editor). Social History of Medicine is a leading international journal and covers all aspects of the social, cultural and economic history of medicine. It is published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for the Social History of Medicine (SSHM), a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The journal appears four times annually. The new editor will succeed Dr Harry Wu (current co-editor), who will stand down in 2025. There is a modest honorarium for this work.
We are open to applicants with expertise in any geographical region and time period that will complement the existing co-editors. The successful applicant will have a proven track record of publication, which will enable them to advise authors, as well as a wide knowledge of the field so that they can solicit submissions and identify reviewers. Familiarity with issues in Artificial Intelligence and publishing and open access policy changes relating to funders such as UKRI are required. We are motivated in part by a desire for greater editorial diversity and strongly encourage candidates from under-represented backgrounds to apply.
Duties
It is expected that all co-editors share the workload in equal terms as far as possible, including:
- Preparing manuscripts for publication, all of which will be carried out using SHM’s electronic submission management system.
- Dealing with incoming manuscripts.
- Soliciting submissions.
- Strategically developing the journal’s direction.
- Promoting the journal to enhance its visibility.
Meetings
In addition to regular virtual editorial meetings, there are usually four meetings (two SSHM Executive Committee meetings, one Editorial Board meeting, and one SSHM AGM) per year where the journal editors are present. Editors are ex-officio members of the Society for the Social History of Medicine Executive Committee. The EC expects at least one journal editor to attend each of these meetings. The annual meeting of the Editorial Board usually occurs in the summer, while the regular meetings of the EC are held in the autumn and spring terms. The AGM is typically when our biennial conference is held (June or July) or September/October to coordinate with the online SSHM Lecture.
Travel Allowance
The EC notes the generous cooperation offered by the Co-Editor when it comes to travel costs. The EC will reimburse reasonable travel costs (second class train tickets, if possible using advance fares) for essential meetings.
To Apply
Please send your CV (no more than 6 pages), and a covering letter (no more than 2 pages). The application should provide a brief statement of why the candidate is attracted to the post, an outline of what they would contribute to SHM, and a synopsis of their relevant experience. Applications should be emailed to sshmexecsec@gmail.com
Deadline: 27 June 2025
Informal enquiries about the nature of the post can be made by e-mail to Professor Flurin Condrau at flurin.condrau@uzh.ch or Dr Janet Greenlees at Janet.Greenlees@gcu.ac.uk
Further details about the journal and the Society for the Social History of Medicine can be found at http://www.sshm.org/
The Practice of Medicine in Early Modern Europe
The Edward Worth Library is a rare books collection, bequeathed to Dr Steevens’ Hospital, Dublin, by Dr Edward Worth (1676–1733), who was one of the Hospital’s earliest Trustees. Their new web exhibition is on the practice of medicine in early modern Europe.
To visit the exhibition https://thepracticeofmedicine.edwardworthlibrary.ie/
Statement by the Society for the Social History of Medicine in Support of Goldsmiths Staff, Minoritised History, and History in the UK
The Society for the Social History of Medicine is alarmed by the announcement of redundancies in History and English and Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London. We are similarly concerned by the series of History losses at Kingston, London South Bank, and Sunderland Universities, among others, with additional threats being reported at Leicester, Aston, Chester, Hull and elsewhere.
We use the word ‘losses’ carefully here, for, in current circumstances, we believe that the loss of historical space is not only a risk to the field, but to society, with skills, insight, and training being lost that would help equip people of all ages and backgrounds with much-needed tools to assess claims of truth. But whilst we write of ‘losses’, let us be clear: we also know that these people, subject areas, and skills are being actively erased.
We stand with our colleagues—academics and administrators—and our students to say that the erasure of experience in areas considered by some as ‘minority’ is simply another form of oppression. Now is the precise time, when the pandemic has laid bare landscapes of inequality, that we need to foreground the histories of b/Black and LGBTQIA+ people, through the lenses of health and medicine, rather than jeopardise pathbreaking courses centred on them, as Goldsmiths’ proposals do.
Our Society’s Values Statement underscores how the social history of medicine is multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary by nature. We note that Goldsmiths colleagues working in the histories of race, gender, and sexuality, as well as at their intersection with the history of medicine, are threatened by ‘redundancy’. Yet they are not redundant; they, their work, and the fields to which they contribute are essential. Just as essential are the administrators, who are vital for sustaining the effectiveness and efficiency of departments. Their loss will mean lecturers and tutors will have less time for both teaching and research, which in turn will only diminish students’ experiences.
We agree with and, by including their statements below, seek to amplify the words of other organisations, learned societies, and archives that have lent their weight to supporting staff and students at Goldsmiths. Together, united.
Association for Art History: https://forarthistory.org.uk/conference/2022-annual-conference/
Black Cultural Archives: #SaveGoldsmiths BCA pens letter to the Council & Senior Management Team at Goldsmiths. — Black Cultural Archives.
British Association for Irish Studies: BAIS Open Letter in Support of Colleagues at Goldsmiths | British Association for Irish Studies (wordpress.com)
British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies: BASEES Open Letter on the Proposed Redundancies at Goldsmiths, University of London — Basees
History Workshop Journal: HWJ and HWO editors object to redundancies at Goldsmiths – History Workshop
North American Conference on British Studies: NACBS on Twitter: “The NACBS Executive has released the following statement: https://t.co/2WL9phOAKK” / Twitter.
Royal Historical Society: Goldsmiths, Aston, Kingston, LSBU …. Confronting History’s cuts and closures in 2021 | Historical Transactions (royalhistsoc.org)
Social History Society: Statement on Goldsmiths – The Social History Society
University and College Union: https://www.ucu.org.uk/boycottGoldsmiths
We Are Goldsmiths: https://we-are.gold/2021/10/14/open-letter-to-frances-corner/