Special Lecture by Prof. Manuela MARTINI from Université Lumière Lyon 2
On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, as part of Professor Tomoko Hashino's lecture "Comparative Economic History" at Graduate School of Economics, a special lecture was given by Professor Manuela MARTINI of Université Lumière Lyon 2. She is a researcher at the Rhône-Alpes Institute of History and president of the Society for the History of French Economy. She is also one of the senior members of Instituet Universitare de France which is well known prestigious position in French academia.
She specializes in research on gender, labor, and migration in the history of the textile industry, and is internationally recognized for her wide-ranging research and extensive publications. She has contributed to numerous international research programs and serves on the editorial boards of the prestigious journals Gender & History and Genesis. She has also published 23 books on European economic history, family history, gender history, and international labor migration.
Dr. Manuela's special lecture focused on the historical experience of the French textile industry in the 19th century. She explained in detail the production structure of the textile production centers of the time, the quality and characteristics of the products produced there, and the subcontracting system that played an important role in their development. She also presented the results of her analysis from various perspectives based on her wide-ranging research, including the roles of gender and households in the textile production districts. During the lecture, the students had an opportunity to see the historical documents and actual data used in his research.
After the lecture, students engaged in a lively discussion about the characteristics of the French textile industry and the process of its development. In particular, there was a discussion about the similarities and differences between different cultures and institutions, especially through comparison with the Japanese historical experience.
One of the participating students commented, "I was surprised at how beautiful the textiles of 19th century Lyon were when I saw them for the first time in photographs," and another said, "I was impressed with the function of the industrial districts where high quality textiles could be produced. For the students, it was a very valuable experience to be able to directly receive the results of international research.
Click here for Prof. MARTINI's profile (website of the International Federation for Research in Women's History).
