I am a historian of modern Britain, specialising in the twentieth-century histories of relationships, gender, sexuality, and youth culture.

Research

I'm a social historian and my research focuses primarily on the history of inter-personal relationships. I have published articles on the history of marriage, friendship, and heterosexuality and my current research explores the social history of gender and sexuality in post-war Britain from a number of different perspectives.

Teenage Intimacies: Sex, self and social life in England, 1950-1980
I am in the process of developing my first book which interrogates teenage girls' heterosexuality in England between 1950 and 1980. This research uses oral history and Mass Observation testimonies to explore how questions of sex shaped girls' experiences of growing up during the era of so-called 'Sexual Revolution'.

Parenting in a Pandemic: Using Community Arts to Reduce Social Isolation and Explore the Experiences and Policy Needs of Marginalised Families

I am a Co-Investigator with Prof. Josie McLellan on the AHRC-funded 'Parenting in a Pandemic' project. This project is a partnership between the University of Bristol and Wellspring Settlement in collaboration with a number of community and voluntary sector organisations. We are working with Jude Hutchen on a community arts project to highlight the experiences of marginalised families in Bristol during and in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Schools as Social Spaces in Post-War Britain
My next research project aims to re-write the history of schools in post-war Britain by focusing not on their role as formal education providers but instead examining them as a key site for young people's social lives.

I am particularly interested in using historical research to shed light on contemporary social challenges. To date I have published 2 policy briefings with Policy Bristol and have written 3 pieces for The Conversation using my research to analyse cultural phenomena.

I teach at all levels of our History programme.

I am on research leave in TB1 2023/24. In TB2 I will be contributing to the following units:

• Gender in the Modern World (1st year, TB2 Option)
• Sexualities (3rd year, TB2 Option)

I welcome proposals for MPhil and PhD projects from students working on the modern history of gender, sexuality, youth, popular culture and/or broader British social history.

I encourage potential research students to make contact with me in advance of making a formal application in order to discuss their ideas and to see whether I am likely to be available to supervise in the following year. Early contact is recommended especially if an applicant wishes to apply for funding.

Office: 71 Cotham Hill, Room G.06
Phone: 0117 33 10532
Email: hannah.charnock@bristol.ac.uk
Twitter: @HannahLC88