“Equipping a Child for Life’s Battles”? Sources and Methods in the History of Boarding Schools

Gerster, Daniel; Jensz, Felicity

Abstract

Boarding schools are well-known institutions that have been extensively studied by historians. Yet, there are still many hidden histories associated with this type of schooling. This section presents a range of methods that might fruitfully be applied to under-utilised sources to gain new insights into the history of boarding schools for children outside “mainstream” histories. The introductory article provides an overview of the different ways in which boarding schools have been theorised as institutions. This is followed by three articles that explore how music and photographs as well as ego-documents can be used to further develop social and cultural historical approaches to obtain a broader understanding of the complexities of boarding school life. Overall, this dossier provides insight into how different sources and methodological innovations can help us uncover alternative or hidden histories of historical actors in boarding schools.