Dr Arthur Downing
BA, MPhil, DPhil
Quondam Fellow since 2017
My research is predominately concerned with the history of mutualism. My current research focuses on the history and economics of cooperative sickness and health insurance in the late 19th and early 20th centuries – known as ‘friendly societies’ and ‘fraternal associations’ at the time. Looking at a number of regions I am interested in the effectiveness of these institutions, their role in facilitating migration, and how they were affected by the emergence of the welfare state.
- Senior Associate at the Boston Consulting Group (from 2015)
- DPhil in Economic and Social History (from 2012 to 2015)
- M.Phil in Economic and Social History (to 2012)
- Examination Fellow, All Souls College (from 2010 to 2017)
- BA in Modern History, St Peter's College, Oxford (to 2010)
- Economic and labour history
- Global history
- The history and economics of cooperative organizations
- Migration in the nineteenth century
- Settler societies in the nineteenth century
- Social network analysis
- The history of welfare institutions.
- 'To Claim or Not to Claim? Friendly Societies in New Zealand, 1879-1884', University of Oxford, Discussion Papers in Economic and Social History, No.138, July 2015.
- 'The Sheffield Outrages: Violence, Class and Trade Unionism, 1850-1870', Social History, vol. 38, issue 2 (May, 2013), pages 162-182.
- The Friendly Planet: 'Oddfellows', Networks and the 'British World, c. 1840-1914', Journal of Global History, 7, issue 3 (November 2012), pages 389-414.
- 'Social Capital in Decline: Friendly Societies in Australia, 1850-1914', University of Oxford, Discussion Papers in Economic and Social History, No. 105, October 2012.
- Joint editor of University of Oxford Discussion Papers in Economic and Social History (from 2012)
- Researcher, Social Market Foundation (from 2013 to 2014)