The Cambridge Companion to Modern British Culture

A lively and informative set of perspectives on the key themes that shape modern Britain.

Michael Higgins (Edited by), Clarissa Smith (Edited by), John Storey (Edited by)

9780521864978, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 August 2010

340 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 2 cm, 0.67 kg

British culture today is the product of a shifting combination of tradition and experimentation, national identity and regional and ethnic diversity. These distinctive tensions are expressed in a range of cultural arenas, such as art, sport, journalism, fashion, education, and race. This Companion addresses these and other major aspects of British culture, and offers a sophisticated understanding of what it means to study and think about the diverse cultural landscapes of contemporary Britain. Each contributor looks at the language through which culture is formed and expressed, the political and institutional trends that shape culture, and at the role of culture in daily life. This interesting and informative account of modern British culture embraces controversy and debate, and never loses sight of the fact that Britain and Britishness must always be understood in relation to the increasingly international context of globalisation.

Chronology
Introduction: modern British culture Michael Higgins, Clarissa Smith and John Storey
1. Becoming British John Storey
2. Language developments in British English David Crystal
3. Schooling and culture Ken Jones
4. The changing character of political communication John Street
5. Contemporary Britain and its regions John Tomaney
6. Contemporary British cinema Sarah Street
7. Contemporary British fiction Patricia Waugh
8. Contemporary British poetry Alex Goody
9. Theatre in modern British culture Michael Mangan
10. Contemporary British television Jane Arthurs
11. British art in the twenty-first century Valerie Reardon
12. British fashion Caroline Evans
13. Sport in contemporary Britain Ellis Cashmore
14. British sexual cultures Clarissa Smith
15. British popular music, popular culture and exclusivity Sheila Whiteley
16. British newspapers today Michael Higgins
17. The struggle for ethno-religious equality in Britain: the place of the Muslim community Tariq Madood
Guide to further reading
Index.

Subject Areas: Cultural studies [JFC], Society & culture: general [JF], Literary studies: from c 1900 - [DSBH], Literary studies: general [DSB], Literary theory [DSA], Literature & literary studies [D]