Sophy Higgins (KCL) - 2023-24 Students
sophy.higgins@kcl.ac.uk

Gender, Culture and Class Structure: The influence of women on the RAF’s development in the early 20th century

This project will explore how gender affected the culture and class structure of the RAF, particularly in its foundation as a distinct ‘air-minded’ institution. Symptomatic of the wider trend of marginalised female narratives within historiography of the early twentieth century, the contributions of elite women have been viewed merely through their familial or domestic relevance to male political and military leaders. The project aims instead to utilise various archival collections, particularly those held at the RAF Museum, to analyse the agency of these women in actively influencing the decisions and success of those leaders, which subsequently helped to shape the institutional and social culture of the RAF.

Collaborative Partner: RAF Museum

Primary Supervisor: Dr David Jordan

Secondary Supervisor: Professor David Edgerton

Collaborative Partner Supervisor: Dr Harry Raffal