22nd November 2021 · By the Conference Team · 7 min read

Tagged: Interdisciplinary Research, Victorian Studies

One of the defining characteristics of Victorian studies as a field has been its commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry. From its earliest days, the study of the nineteenth century has drawn together scholars of literature, history, art, science, religion, and philosophy, recognising that the richness and complexity of the Victorian period cannot be adequately captured from any single disciplinary perspective.

This tradition of cross-disciplinary exchange was very much in evidence at the BAVS 2016 conference at Cardiff, where the theme of "Consuming (the) Victorians" brought together researchers working across a remarkable range of fields. Five years on, the interdisciplinary impulse in Victorian studies shows no sign of diminishing. If anything, it has intensified, as new methodologies and perspectives continue to expand the boundaries of what the field can achieve.

Material Culture and Object-Based Research

One area in which interdisciplinary work has proved particularly productive is the study of material culture. Researchers working at the intersection of history, archaeology, art history, and literary studies have developed sophisticated approaches to understanding how objects shaped and were shaped by Victorian culture. This work recognises that material things are not merely illustrations of social processes, but active participants in the making of meaning.

The study of Victorian material culture has benefited enormously from developments in museum practice, conservation science, and digital imaging. These technologies have made it possible to examine objects in new ways, revealing information about their manufacture, use, and circulation that was previously inaccessible. The result has been a richer, more nuanced understanding of the material world of the nineteenth century.

Science, Medicine, and the Humanities

The relationship between scientific and humanistic inquiry has been another productive site of interdisciplinary exchange. Scholars have increasingly recognised that the Victorian period saw the development of many of the disciplinary boundaries that continue to structure academic life today, and that studying the period requires engaging with both scientific and literary cultures on their own terms.

Research on topics such as evolutionary theory, public health, and the development of psychology has drawn on insights from both the sciences and the humanities, producing work that illuminates the intellectual culture of the period in ways that neither discipline could achieve alone. The Science Museum in London, among other institutions, has played an important role in making Victorian scientific culture accessible to both scholars and the general public.

Performance and Visual Culture

The study of Victorian performance and visual culture has also benefited from interdisciplinary approaches. Scholars working at the intersection of theatre studies, art history, musicology, and cultural history have explored how Victorians experienced and understood the rapidly expanding world of visual and performative entertainment. From the panorama and the diorama to the music hall and the early cinema, the nineteenth century saw a proliferation of new forms of visual spectacle that transformed public culture.

Christina Bashford's keynote lecture at BAVS 2016, on the late-Victorian "violin craze," exemplified this kind of interdisciplinary work. By combining insights from musicology, social history, and consumer culture studies, Bashford was able to show how a seemingly niche topic could illuminate broader patterns of cultural consumption and aspiration.

The Future of Victorian Studies

As Victorian studies enters its third decade as a formally constituted field, the commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry remains central to its identity. The challenges facing scholars today, including the need to engage with global perspectives, digital methodologies, and questions of race, empire, and environmental history, will demand continued collaboration across traditional disciplinary boundaries.

The success of conferences such as BAVS 2016 demonstrates that the Victorian studies community is well equipped to meet these challenges. The event brought together delegates from across the world, with registration packages designed to make the conference accessible to scholars at all career stages. The field's longstanding tradition of interdisciplinary exchange provides a strong foundation for the kinds of creative, boundary-crossing research that will be needed to deepen collective understanding of the nineteenth century and its enduring legacies.