Let’s Talk Academia with Dr Helen McCarthy

Working Motherhood in Historical Perspective

St John’s College academics have come together to keep the alumni community connected over this uncertain period of our lives.

Grab a drink and join them for a series of relaxed online conversations about their areas of expertise and research!

This series of online events aims to provide Johnians with a positive and supportive platform for social interaction and intellectual exchange. The programme will be updated regularly, so please keep an eye on the events programme, your email and Johnian Hub for speaker announcements.

Helen McCarthy

Helen joined the College in October 2018 following nine years at Queen Mary University of London. She teaches the social, cultural and political history of Britain since the late-nineteenth century. She is the author of three books: The British People and the League of Nations (2011) explored the dynamics and popular reach of liberal internationalism between 1918 and 1945. Women of the World: The Rise of the Female Diplomat (2014) is a pioneering study of the role of women in British diplomatic culture over the past century and a half. Her most recent book is Double Lives: A History of Working Motherhood in Modern Britain, which was published by Bloomsbury Books in April 2020.

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How to take the most out of virtual events

Find a quiet, private space

It’s important to find a quiet space to listen to the talk in order not to be disruptive to others while your microphone is on.

Always mute your microphone if you’re not speaking

This ensures you enter the talk quietly and that any background noises that could be distracting to the speaker and other participants are now inaudible. To “mute” yourself, click the “Mute” button (microphone). A red slash will appear over the microphone icon indicating that your audio is now off.

Raise your hand

During the Q&A session, click on the icon labelled “Participants” at the bottom centre of your PC or Mac screen. At the bottom of the window on the right side of the screen, click the button labelled “Raise Hand.” Your digital hand is now raised, and the moderator will tell you when it’s your turn to ask your question.