'Scrap-heap' stories: Remembering deindustrialization and its impacts in Scotland post-1970

Prof. Arthur McIvor

This oral-history based presentation explores the impact of deindustrialization in Scotland post-1970 through the lens of stories told by industrial workers and their families. The presentation draws largely upon interviews conducted in Glasgow and West Central Scotland and focuses upon the gendered and embodied narratives of those directly witnessing and experiencing these ruptures from an industrial world of blue collar work.

McIvor’s particular interest is in the health impacts of this transition, so the paper explores the consequences for mental health of loss of industrial work, including the effects on gendered work identities of women and men, and the impact on families. McIvor argues that the oral (and other) evidence for Scotland largely supports the ‘ruination’ thesis that dominates the deindustrialization literature. However, there are a significant minority of voices that suggest a more complex and nuanced picture, including what might be termed ‘liberation’ or ‘escape’ narratives telling of adaptation, opportunities and positive aspects of this troubled transition from the industrial to the post-industrial.

Prof. Arthur McIvor is a labour and oral historian, Professor of Social History at the University of Strathclyde, and Director of the Scottish Oral History Centre (SOHC) which he co-founded in 1995. His research interests lie in the history of work, occupational health and deindustrialization. His most recent books are Working Lives (2013) and Men in Reserve (with Juliette Pattinson and Linsey Robb, 2017). 

This talk took place on Thursday 17 June 2021. You can view a recording of the talk below: