The GRAINES Summer School certainly opened my eyes on the new paradigm of networks and transnational history. Although aware that such subdisciplines of history exist and the methodology of networks is link to my research I knowledge about was quite limited. It was fascinating to learn about all the ways transnational history and networks can help find new approaches in history.

My own research involves the Punk movement in Britain in the seventies and eighties. I try to establish if there is any interaction between punks and the Conservative party and how they influenced each other. In 1975 the Punk movement took off in London and also Margaret Thatcher became the Leader of the Conservative party. I argue that both were reactions to the depression and problems of the seventies. The Punk an anarchist answer, Thatcherism conservative one. But the similarities do not end here. Both ideologies used the rhetoric of individuality, freedom of choice and selfmademanship. Therefore I argue, that there is a number of former punks, who after the got past their rebellion phase and settled down, voted Tory, as the Thacherist rhetoric was closer to their old thinking than Labour`s.

The study of networks can shed some light on this relationship. I hope that studying the links between members will reveal to what extent this theory is correct. It could show if there existed groups of libertarian punks vs anarchist punks. How big these groups were and how they interacted between each other. It could also reveal what percentage of punks liked just the music or the looks and did care or did not understand the adopted political ideologies.

London was the place where British punk started and was the hub of the punk network. Studying the interconnectivity between cities and scenes could also uncover differences in the punk movement. Were there tensions between punks of metropolitan London and of industrial Manchester? Between those from cities and countryside?

The GRAINES Summer School helped me to find a new approach to my research. It was a thoroughly positive experience. I learned many new things. I am proud I could attend.