In the spirit of self-mockery? Labour heritage and identity in the Potteries

Abstract

This paper focuses upon the Potteries region in Staffordshire, UK and offers an examination of the ways in which people living there are actively and critically engaging with processes of identity and meaning-making. The overarching aim of the paper is to extend the analysis of labour history originally developed by Smith (2006) in Uses of Heritage by examining the processes of identity and meaning-making at a range of museums/visitor centres. Like Smith’s work, the paper rests upon the analysis of one-to-one social surveys with visitors to the Gladstone Potteries Museum. The questions asked were designed to capture a range of responses regarding motivations for visiting, understandings of heritage, identity and memory work, audience interpretations and the validation and/or rejection of intended messages.

Keywords:

• social history museums
• identity
• memory-work
• experiences
• affect
• industrial heritage

Notes

1. All participants were invited to nominate whether or not they were happy to be recorded prior to participating. A handful objected and these surveys were captured in written form.

2. For further information on visitor profiles in museums, see the Renaissance Hub Museum Exit Survey 2009–10: http://research.mla.gov.uk/evidence/documents/HES_AnnualReport2009-10_FINAL.pdf.