Volunteering for World War I: A Case Study of Influences and Values on Young Men as Evident from a School Magazine

Whitney, Charles E. (2018) Volunteering for World War I: A Case Study of Influences and Values on Young Men as Evident from a School Magazine. Masters thesis, University of Gloucestershire.

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Abstract

Volunteering for World War I from the English public schools from August 1914 to the introduction of conscription in 1916 was considerable. Dean Close (Memorial) School, Cheltenham was one such school. It had its own distinct perspective on values and beliefs, being explicitly Evangelical Christian. This thesis explores the extent to which that approach to education influenced attitudes, values and behaviour of former pupils when asked to volunteer for World War I. There is also an examination of the part played in that school community by its magazine, The Decanian. This thesis reviews the school's history and ethos. It also looks at both masculinities and the development of Christian manliness and growth of Athleticism that were part of the general public school experience of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Dean Close School curriculum in its broadest sense is discussed and the part The Decanian played both in disseminating news and reflecting that curriculum examined. The recruitment of former pupils, or Old Decanians (ODs), is detailed and The Decanian's role in providing a conduit of information between school and front line discussed. The magazine's bias and reporting approach is examined, as is its presentation of Old Decanians' conduct in the War. Through appropriate tables, the contribution and sacrifice of Old Decanians as against those of former pupils of other public schools in different contexts are compared. A conclusion offers an explanation for the results obtained and an assessment of assistance given by The Decanian to the Dean Close School community, both former and present, during World War I. The contribution of this thesis is it shows the specific support and sacrifice to the World War I public school effort made by an Evangelical Christian school. It also shows the information and insights possible in World War I studies using a school magazine of the period as a primary source.

Item Type: Thesis (Masters)
Thesis Advisors:
Thesis AdvisorEmailURL
Ilic, Melaniemilic@glos.ac.ukhttps://www.glos.ac.uk/staff/profile/melanie-ilic/
Randall, Vickyvrandall@glos.ac.ukhttps://www.glos.ac.uk/staff/profile/vicky-randall/
Uncontrolled Keywords: Dean Close School; World War I volunteers; Public Schools; Armed forces recruitment
Subjects: D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D501 World War I
D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
Divisions: Schools and Research Institutes > School of Creatives
Depositing User: Susan Turner
Date Deposited: 22 Jul 2019 13:04
Last Modified: 31 Aug 2023 08:54
URI: https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/7047

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