Celebrations

The Cult of Anniversaries in Europe and the United States Today

Dados Bibliográficos

ID11097086
AutoresBarry Schwartz (0000-0001-6947-9871, autor correspondente), William M Johnston (0000-0002-4977-6569)
Ano1992
Volume21
Fascículo2
Páginas265
Data de publicação1992-03-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoContemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0094-3061 • E-ISSN: 1939-8638
EditoraSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2307/2075499
OpenAlexW2089659735
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas15

In the twentieth century, celebrations of historical anniversaries abounded. There was the bicentennial of the French Revolution, the 150th anniversary of photography, Bach's 300th anniversary, and the 200th anniversary of the American Constitution, to name just a few. Every year hundreds of anniversaries still attract media attention and government investment in ever greater degrees. Deploying an astonishing array of insights, Celebrations explores the causes and consequences of this major phenomenon of our time. As Johnston shows, anniversaries fulfill a number of needs. They provide the kind of experience of regularity across a lifetime that the weekly cycle supplies in daily life. The use of anniversaries for political ends emerged during the French Revolution and expanded to promote nationalism during the nineteenth century, although there are differences in how they are used. Europeans tend to celebrate cultural heroes, while Americans tend to celebrate events. Entire nations exploit anniversaries of founding events in order to promote national identity. Commercially, there are whole industries built around commemoration, and they provide intellectuals an opportunity to take center stage. Using methods of cultural history, sociology, and religious studies, Johnston shows how the cult of anniversaries reflects postmodern concerns. It fills a void left by the disappearance of ideologies and avant-gardes. In an era when there is little consensus about styles or methods, anniversaries allow intellectuals, businesses, and governments to acknowledge and celebrate every nuance of opinion. By suggesting ways to use anniversaries more creatively, this book offers a broad range of insights

Ancient history · Cult · Economic history · Political science · History · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies