Alwyn Rees
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Alwyn David Rees (27 March 1911 – 6 December 1974) was a Welsh geographer, social anthropologist and
Welsh nationalist Welsh nationalism () emphasises and celebrates the distinctiveness of Culture of Wales, Welsh culture and Wales as a nation or country. Welsh nationalism may also include calls for further autonomy or self-determination, which includes Welsh de ...
, who wrote as Alwyn D. Rees. After studying geography and anthropology at the
University College of Wales, Aberystwyth Aberystwyth University () is a Public university, public Research university, research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The university has over 8,000 stude ...
, he was a tutor in the College's External Department from 1936 to 1946. He was a lecturer in the Department of Geography and Anthropology until 1949, when he was appointed Director of the External Studies Department. Rees pioneered the
rural sociology Rural sociology is a field of sociology traditionally associated with the study of social structure and conflict in rural areas. It is an active academic field in much of the world, originating in the United States in the 1910s with close ties ...
of Britain with ''Life in a Welsh countryside'' (1950), a community study of the Welsh village of Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa. From 1966 until his death he edited the Welsh magazine ''
Barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G ...
''.


Early life

Alwyn D. Rees was born in Llanarel, Coalbrook,
Gorseinon Gorseinon is a town within the City and County of Swansea, Wales, near the Loughor estuary. It was a small village until the late 19th century, when it grew around the coal mining and tinplate industries. It is around north west of Swansea Ci ...
on 27 March 1911. His father was a winder in the Mynydd (Mountain) colliery in Gorseinon. Alwyn was the oldest of four children, including
Brinley Rees Brinley Roderick Rees (27 December 1919 – 21 October 2004) was a Welsh academic. He wrote extensively on classics, particularly the study of the Greek language. His early work was devoted to Greek papyri; a later publication was devoted to th ...
. After attending primary school in Penyrheol and Gowerton County School, he continued to the
University College of Wales, Aberystwyth Aberystwyth University () is a Public university, public Research university, research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The university has over 8,000 stude ...
, gaining a first-class degree in geography and anthropology in 1933. In 1934 he gained a diploma in education and a teachers' certificate. Granted a Sir John Williams studentship to study Welsh literature, he gained an MA in 1937 with research on pagan survivals in early
Celtic Christianity Celtic Christianity is a form of Christianity that was common, or held to be common, across the Celtic languages, Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages. The term Celtic Church is deprecated by many historians as it implies a unifi ...
.


''Life in a Welsh Countryside'' and community studies

From 1936 to 1946 Rees worked for the College's extramural department as a tutor in
Montgomeryshire Montgomeryshire ( ) was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was named after its county town, Montgomery, Powys, Montgomery, which in turn was named after ...
. In 1938 the College's Principal, Ifor Evans, suggested to Rees that he carry out a study of a rural Welsh-speaking community. Others encouraging Rees in the project included Daryll Forde, Professor E. G. Bowen and Professor H. J. Fleure. Rees conducted fieldwork in Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa, a Welsh-speaking rural parish, in 1939 and 1940, and continued to visit the parish regularly throughout the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. In 1946 Emrys Bowen appointed Rees to the department of geography and anthropology. Rees's own study of Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa was published in 1950 as ''Life in a Welsh Countryside''. One anthropological emphasis was on the joking relations between the young men's group and the rest of the community, which Rees argued served to reinforce community norms. Rees and Bowen encouraged a series of studies of Welsh rural communities at the university. From 1954 to 1960 they worked to co-edit ''Welsh Rural Communities'', a published collection of community studies. Rees's student Bill Williams published ''The Sociology of an English Village: Gosforth'' in 1964.


Later activities

From 1949 to 1958 Rees edited the journal of the Guild of Graduates of the University of Wales, ''Yr Einion''/''The Welsh Anvil''. ''Celtic Heritage'' (1961), written with his brother Brinley, tried to place Celtic heritage in a wider Indo-European framework, presenting parallels between
Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era. In the History of Ireland (795–1169), early medieval era, myths were ...
and
Indian literature Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India has 22 officially recognised languages. Sahitya Akadem ...
. Rees became a
Welsh nationalist Welsh nationalism () emphasises and celebrates the distinctiveness of Culture of Wales, Welsh culture and Wales as a nation or country. Welsh nationalism may also include calls for further autonomy or self-determination, which includes Welsh de ...
in the late 1950s. He defended the federal structure of the
University of Wales The University of Wales () is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first universit ...
in 1960, successfully resisting the break-up of the university. In February 1966 Rees became editor of the Welsh-language literary magazine ''
Barn A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G ...
'', using his editorship to articulate the Welsh nationalist cause. He was a keen supporter of the Welsh Language Association campaigns. Rees continued to wield influence on University committees. From 1968 to 1971 he was Warden of the college's Guild of Graduates. In summer 1973, he warned the University Council that he intended to bring in a minority report against University expansionism. Unwell since 1973, Rees died of a heart attack on 6 December 1974.


Reputation

The
National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales (, ) in Aberystwyth is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million books and periodicals, and the l ...
holds a collection of Rees's papers. In 2019 M Wynn Thomas delivered a lecture in memory of his Rees's efforts to save the University of Wales in the early 1960s, and his role in securing Pantycelyn Hall as a Welsh-speaking
hall of residence A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...
.


Works

* ''Affeilion''. 1943. * ''Life in a Welsh countryside, a social study of Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa''. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1950. * (ed. with Elwyn Davies) ''Welsh rural communities''. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1960. * (with Brinley Rees) ''Celtic heritage: ancient tradition in Ireland and Wales''. London: Thames & Hudson, 1961. * ''The magistrate's dilemma vis-à-vis the Welsh language offender''. Llandybie: C. Davies, 1968. * ''Ym Marn Alwyn D. Rees'' n the opinion of Alwyn D. Rees ed. Bobi Jones. Abertawe: Christopher Davies, 1976.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rees, Alwyn 1911 births 1974 deaths Welsh geographers Welsh anthropologists Welsh language activists