Dr Michèle Cohen

Professor of Humanities

Dr Michèle Cohen

Michèle Cohen, Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences, grew up in France and Canada. She was educated at Mc Gill University in Montreal where she obtained a degree in psychology. She developed an interest in Psycholinguistics while working for the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington DC. Having moved to London and taught part-time, she completed a PhD at London University, becoming a historian in the process. Her research interests now centre on gender, language and education in eighteenth-century England, and she is considered an authority on eighteenth-century masculinity. Her publications include Fashioning Masculinity: National Identity and Language in the Eighteenth Century (1996), English Masculinities (co-edited with Tim Hitchcock) (1999), articles on the Grand Tour and the gentleman, on learning French in eighteenth-century England, and on a variety of eighteenth-century educational debates. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and has recently been elected to the committee of the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies.

Courses Taught

COM 321 Language and Society
HST 102 World Cultural History
HST 277 The European Enlightenment
HST 354 Of Myths and Monsters
HST 406 History and Culture
SSC 304 Research and Writing Methods

Fellowships and Awards

Research Fellowship, Yale Centre for British Art, Yale University, July 2008
Roger W. Eddy Visiting Fellowship, Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University, July-August 2007
Research Fellowship, Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH), University of Cambridge, 2005.
Derek Brewer Fellowship, Emmanuel College, Cambridge, 2005.
Visiting Fellowship, School of Culture, Language and Communication, Institute of Education, University of London, 2003- 2005
Visiting Fellowship, History and Philosophy Group, Institute of Education, University of London, 1999-2000; 2001-2003.
Jean Monnet Fellowship, European University Institute, Florence, 1994-5.
Canada Council Research Grant, 1971-2. (not taken up)

Publications

Forthcoming:

‘Sociability, familiar conversations and domestic education in eighteenth-century England and France’ in Thierry Guillevic and Kathryn Ready eds. L’art de l’échange: modèles, formes et pratiques de la sociabilité entre la France et la Grande-Bretagne au XVIIIe siècle (Laval University Press, Quebec, Canada.
‘'Historical Perspectives on Girls and Boys' Achievement: continuities in the history of gender and education since the eighteenth century', in Francoise Barret-Ducroq (ed), Effets de l’action féministe sur l’enseignement en France et en Grande-Bretagne (Paris: l’Harmattan).
‘Informal Learning at Home: educational practices in eighteenth-century domestic spaces’, History of Education.

Published Books

Fashioning Masculinity: National Identity and Language in the Eighteenth Century (Routledge, 1996).
English Masculinities 1660 – 1800 co-edited with Tim Hitchcock, (Longman, 1999).

Published Articles and book chapters

‘ Familiar Explanations': Social conversations, familiar conversations and domestic education in late eighteenth-century England’ in Mary Hilton and Jill Shefrin eds Educating the Child in the British Enlightenment: Beliefs, Cultures, Practices (Ashgate, 2008)
‘ “A Proper Exercise for the Mind”: Conversation and Education in the Long Eighteenth Century’ in The Concept and Practice of Conversation in the Long Eighteenth Century, eds Katie Halsey and Jane Slinn (CambridgeScholars Press, 2008).
‘Mothers of sons, mothers of daughters: The ambiguous figure of the mother in eighteenth-century educational discourse’ in History, Politics and Policy-Making in Education: a Festchrift for Richard Aldrich, eds David Crook and Gary McCulloch (Institute of Education Press, 2007.
‘ “ A Little Learning”? The curriculum and the construction of gender difference in the long eighteenth century, British Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies, 29, 3, (2006): 321-335.
‘ “Manners” Make the Man: Politeness, Masculinity and Chivalry, 1750-1830’, Journal of British Studies, 44, 2 (April 2005): 312-329.
'Language and Meaning in a Documentary Source: girls' curriculum from the late eighteenth century to the Schools Inquiry Commission, 1868', History of Education, 34, 1 (January 2005), 77-93.
"To think, to compare, to combine, to methodise": Notes towards rethinking girls' education in the eighteenth century' in Sarah Knott and Barbara Taylor (eds), Women, Gender and Enlightenment Palgrave, 2005).
'Knowledge and the gendered curriculum: the problematization of girls' achievement since the late eighteenth century', History and Policy (Dec 2004) http://www.historyandpolicy.org/archive/pol-paper-print-24.html
'Gender and "method" in Eighteenth-Century English Education', History of Education, 33, 5 (Sept. 2004), 585-595.
'Gender and the Public Private Debate on Education in the Long Eighteenth Century', in Richard Aldrich (ed.), Public or Private Education? Lessons from History (Woburn Press, 2004).
'Masculinities: To 1800', entry in Reader's Guide to British History, ed. David Loades, 2 vols (Fitzroy and Dearborn Publishers, 2003).
‘French Conversation or “Glittering Gibberish”? Learning French in Eighteenth-Century England’, in Natasha Glaisyer and Sara Pennell (eds), Expertise Constructed: Didactic Literature in the British Atlantic World, 1500 -1800 (Ashgate, 2003).
The Grand Tour: Language, National Identity and Masculinity’, Changing English: Studies in Reading and Culture, 8, 2 (2001), 129-141.
'Without Polish, the Rough Diamond does not Shine: Changing ideals of education and the construction of the gentleman in eighteenth-century England', in W. Goebbel, S. Schabio and M. Windish (eds)Engendering Images of Man in the Long Eighteenth Century (Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier, Germany, 2001).
'Manliness, Effeminacy and the French: Gender and the Construction of National Character in Eighteenth Century England’, in T. Hitchcock and M. Cohen (eds), English Masculinities 1660 -1800 (Longman 1999).
‘ "A Habit of Healthy Idleness": Boys' underachievement in historical perspective’, in D. Epstein et al. (eds), Failing Boys? Issues in Gender and Achievement (Open University Press, 1998).
‘Girls' achievement and the Fiction of Boys' Potential’, in Sezgin Kemal et al, (eds), Targeting Underachievement: Boys or Girls? (Institute of Education, University of London, 1998).
'Is There a Space for the Achieving Girl', in P. Murphy and C. Gipps (eds), Equity in the Classroom: Towards Effective Pedagogy for Girls and Boys (Falmer Press, 1998).
'French's "Adulterous Charms": The Sexualisation and Gendering of French in England’, Modern Language Group, (Institute of Education, University of London, 1995).
Archeologizing genealogy: Michel Foucault and the Economy of Austerity, (with P. Bevis and G. Kendall), in Mike Gane and Terry Johnson (eds.), Foucault's New Domains (Routledge, 1993).
The Grand Tour: Constructing the English Gentleman in Eighteenth Century France, History of Education, 21, 3 (1992), 241-257.
‘Gender and the learning of French in eighteenth-century England’, Aspects of Education no 47,Education and Europe: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives (1992).
Half the Sky: Women’s Liberation in China, translation of C. Broyelle, La moitié du ciel, (Harvester Press,1977).
'An experimental study of interference between receptive and productive processes involving speech', co-authored with F. Goldman-Eisler, Journal of Psycholinguistic Research, 3 (1973). 'Symmetry of clauses and the psychological significance of left-branching', co-authored with F. Goldman-Eisler, Language and Speech, 14 (April-May 1971).
'Is N. NP and PN difficulty a valid criterion of transformational operations?’, co-authored with F. Goldman-Eisler, Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour, 9 (1970).

Keynotes, Conference and Seminar Papers

‘Informal Learning at Home’, Victorian Studies Conference, NAVSA/BAVS joint meeting: 'Past versus Present', Churchill College, Cambridge, 13 to 15 July 2009
‘Familiar conversations and domestic education in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries’, Women's History seminar, Institute of Historical Research, London, 6 February 2009
‘ “Accomplishments” in Eighteenth-Century Education and Visual Culture ‘ British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies Annual Conference, Oxford, 6-8 January 2009.
‘Invisible Women, Invisible Fictions: Women writing educational texts in the late eighteenth early nineteenth centuries’, presented at the Canadian Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies conference ‘The Eighteenth Century Influence of the Past, Presence of the Future’, Montréal, Canada, 15 - 18 October 2008.
‘Familiar conversations and domestic education in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries’, British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies Annual Conference, Oxford, 3-5 January 2008.
‘Gender and the curriculum in eighteenth century England and France’, presented at the MA seminar on the History of Education, Faculté des Sciences Humaines et Sociales, Université René Descartes, Paris 5, 26 April 2007.
"Sociability, familiar conversations and domestic education in eighteenth-century, England and France", Séminaire du pôle éducation : Circulation internationale des modèles éducatifs : Perspectives sociohistoriques, Centre de Recherches sur le Lien Social (CERLIS), Sorbonne Paris 5, 27 April 2007.
' “A Science more sublime than Physics”: The curriculum and the construction of gender difference in the long eighteenth century’, presented at the Seminar series funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Gender and Education Association, Seminar 5: Girls and the school curriculum, 21st March 2007.
‘The Fragmented Mother: mothers of sons, mothers of daughters in eighteenth-century educational discourse’, paper presented at the 36th Annual Conference of the British Society for Eighteenth Century Studies, Oxford, 3rd-5th January 2007.
'A Science more sublime than Physics': The curriculum and the construction of gender difference in the long eighteenth century, paper presented at the Gender and History Forum, Oxford University, 14 November 2006.
‘Sociability, familiar conversations and domestic education in eighteenth-century England and France’, Keynote address delivered at the Conference ‘The Art of Exchange : Models, Forms and Practices of Sociability between Great Britain and France in the Eighteenth Century’, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada, 22-24 September 2006.
Panel discussion on ‘gender and education’ with Pat Thane, presented at the History of Childhood Seminar, University of Greenwich, 25 April 2006.
‘Gender, conversation and education in the eighteenth century’, presented at the Seminar on Children’s Literature, School of English literature, Language and Linguistics, Newcastle upon Tyne, 17 March 2006.
‘A Little Learning’? Familiar conversation and education in the eighteenth century’, presented at the Graduate Seminar on ‘Girls and Learning’, Cambridge Faculty of Education, 9 March 2006.
‘A Little Learning’: conversation and domestic education in the eighteenth century, presented at the School of Historical and Cultural Studies, Bath Spa University, 22 February 2006.
‘The curriculum and the construction of gender difference in England in the long eighteenth century’, presented at the 35th Annual Conference of the British Society for Eighteenth Century Studies, Oxford, 4th-6th January 2006.
‘ “Neither unrigorous nor merely auxiliar”: Girls’ Education in Eighteenth-Century England’, Keynote address delivered at the Conference ‘Education and Culture in the Long Eighteenth Century (1688-1832)’, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, 8-10 September 2005.
‘The Role of “Conversation” in Girls' Education in the Eighteenth-Century: An Impossible Project?’ Conference Gendering Education in the Archives, Bedford Centre for the History of Women, Royal Holloway College, University of London, 25 June 2005.
'The curriculum and the construction of gender difference in England and France 1780-1870',Berkshire Conference on Women's History, Scripps College, Claremont, California, 5 June 2005.
Panel Discussant on ‘Language, society and culture in the eighteenth century’, Symposium on ‘Multi-disciplinarity in the Long Eighteenth Century’, King’s College, Cambridge, 16 April 2005. ‘The role of sociable conversation in the education of girls in the eighteenth century’, Seminar at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH), University of Cambridge, 14 February 2005.
‘The Grand Tour: language and national identity in the eighteenth century’, Language and History Interdisciplinary Seminar, Oriel College, Oxford, 8 February 2005.
‘A “disorderly kind of education”? Rethinking gender and education in the eighteenth century', Restoration and Reform Seminar, Emmanuel College, Cambridge, 31 January 2005.
‘A “disorderly kind of education”? Rethinking gender and education in the eighteenth century', Olwen Hufton Seminar Series on Gender and Women's History, Bedford centre for the History of Women, Royal Holloway College, University of London, December 2004.
'Disciplining the tongue and the national character', Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) ‘Conversation’ Launch Conference, University of Cambridge, 9 October 2004.
Round table discussant, Conference 'Women and Education in Britain, 1800-1920: Extending the Boundaries’, University College and Merton College, Oxford, 9 September 2004.
'Historical perspectives on girls and boys' achievement: continuities in the history of gender and education since the eighteenth century', Centre de Recherche sur les Iles Britanniques et L'Europe, Groupe D' Etude 'La place des femmes dans la démocratie', Université Paris 7 Denis Diderot, Paris, 17 June 2004.
‘From Cosmopolitanism to Chivalry: Masculinity and National Character in Eighteenth-Century England’, Keynote address delivered at the Interdisciplinary Conference 'Masculinity, Patriarchy and Power', University of Southampton, 12 April 2004.
'Gender and “method” in eighteenth-century English education', History of Education Society Annual Conference, ‘Education and the Social Order: Re-Visioning the work of Brian Simon’, Homerton College, Cambridge, 12-14 December 2003.
'Knowledge and the gendered curriculum: the problematization of girls' achievement since the late eighteenth century', Royal Historical Society and Institute of Contemporary British History Conference ‘What Can Historians Contribute to Public Debate’? Institute of Historical Research, London, 22 November 2003.
Discussant, Conference on Masculinities ‘From Caveman to New Man’, Royal Holloway College, University of London, 13 June 2003.
‘ "A Congerie of Subjects": Gender and the curriculum from the late eighteenth century to the Schools Inquiry Commission of 1868’, Gender and Education Conference ‘Revisiting Feminist Perspectives on Gender and Education’, Sheffield, 14-16 April 2003.
‘ "1/20th ": The place of girls in the Report of the Schools Inquiry Commission of 1968’, History of Education Seminar, Institute of Historical Research, London, 7 November 2002.
‘ “Docile women and enterprising men”: gender, education and knowledge in late eighteenth-century England’, Women's History Network Conference 'Earning and Learning', Royal Holloway College, University of London, 14-15 September 2002.
'Masculinity and the End of Politeness’, Huntington and Royal Historical Society Conference ‘English Politeness: Conduct, Social Rank and Moral Virtue, C.1400-C1900', The Huntington, San Marino, California, 14-15 September 2001. (cancelled due to September 11)
‘The public/private debate and girls’ education in the eighteenth century’, British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies Annual Conference, St Johns’ College, Oxford, 3-5 January 2001.
'Mothers of sons, mothers of daughters: the ambiguous figure of the mother in eighteenth-century educational discourse’, Annual Conference of the Bedford Centre for the History of Women ‘Parenthood in Early Modern England and Europe’, Institute of Historical Research, London, 29 January 2000.
‘ “That famous Question”: The debate on public or private education in eighteenth-century England’, Annual Conference of the History of Education Society ‘Breaking Boundaries’, Winchester, 3-4 December 1999.
‘Changing ideals of education and the construction of the gentleman in eighteenth-century England', Gender and Education Conference ‘Voices in Gender and Education’, Warwick University, March 1999.
‘Learning French in Eighteenth-Century England’, Conference ‘Expertise Constructed: Didactic Literature in the British Atlantic World, 1500 –1800’, Newnham College, Cambridge, 9-10 July 1998.
‘The Grand Tour, patriotism and masculinity’, Conference ‘Travel and Nation’, British Academy, London, 13-15 July 1997.
'The Education of Englishmen in France and Italy', Conference Going Places: Travel, Education and Identity in Eighteenth-Century Europe, Tate Gallery, London, 6 December 1996.
'Chauvinistic Silence: Patriotic Conversation: Nation, Gender and the Tongue in Eighteenth-Century France and England’, Department of History and Civilisation Workshop, European University Institute, Florence, 16 March 1995.
'The Social Space: A Modest Proposal for Rethinking the Boundaries of the Private’ Annual Conference of the Association for Eighteenth Century Studies, Charleston, South Carolina, 10-13 March 1994.
‘The Grand Tour: Constructing the English Gentleman in Eighteenth-Century France’, History of Education Seminar, Institute of Historical Research, October 1991.
Conversation and the Gentleman in Seventeenth-Century France, Women’s History Seminar, November 1986.

Book reviews

Elizabeth Eger and Lucy Peltz, Brilliant Women: 18th-Century Bluestockings, Eighteenth-Century Theory and Interpretation (forthcoming)
Pam Hirsch and Mark McBeth, Teacher training at Cambridge: The Initiatives of Oscar Browning and Elizabeth Hughes, History of Education (forthcoming).
Jane Mc Dermid, The Schooling of Working-Class Girls in Victorian Scotland: gender, education and identity, Gender and Education (2008)
Mary Hilton, ‘Women and the Shaping of the Nations’ Young: Education and Public Doctrine in Britain, 1750-1850’ Cambridge Journal of Education (2008).
Vic Gatrell, City of Laughter: Sex and Satire in Eighteenth-Century London Social History (Feb 2008).
Randolph Trumbach, Sex and The Gender Revolution: Heterosexuality and the Third Gender in Enlightenment London, Social History.
Jane Martin and Joyce Goodman, Women and Education 1800-1980. Gender and Education.
Markku Peltonen, The Duel in Early Modern England: Civility, Politeness and Honour. Social History
Ingrid H. Tague, Women of Quality: Accepting and Contesting Ideals of Femininity in England, 1690-1760. American Historical Review.

Professional Activities

External Assessor, ESRC First Grants Scheme project (May 2009)
External Assessor, Revalidation Event of the History Degree at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, May 2009.
External Assessor for new Graduate Diploma in History and EAP, Essex University, May 2009.
Convenor: ‘Education in the Long Eighteenth Century’, Institute of Historical Research, London.
External Examiner, History MA, University of Essex, 2008 -
Co-organizer of Research@Richmond biannual Conference on Faculty Research.
Member of Editorial Board Gender and Education Journal.
Member of Executive Committee, British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies.
Peer Reviewer (book manuscripts and articles) Gender and Education; History of Education; Eighteenth-Century Life, The McGill Journal of Education, Social History, The Eighteenth Century Theory and Interpretation; Ashgate, Cambridge University Press, Stanford University Press.

Administrative Experience at Richmond American International University in London

Assessment Committee; Academic Council; Promotions Appeal Committee; Occasional Chair, Promotions Committee; Faculty Research and Development Committee; General Education Committee; Faculty Welfare Committee; Admissions Committee; Promotion Committee; Committee on International Education.