English Culture And The Decline Of The Industrial Spirit 1850 1980

Drawing upon a wide array of sources, Martin Wiener explores the English ambivalence to modern industrial society.

Aus dem Inhalt: Addresses Given at the Opening/Closing Ceremonies of the XVIIIth International Congress of History of Science: Christoph J. Scriba: The Beginnings of the International Congresses of the History of Science � Fritz Krafft: Science and Political Order / Wissenschaft und Staat � Klaus Pinkau: Science and Politics � Wolfgang Wild: The Role of the Government in the Field of Education and Society Plenary Lectures with Special Reference to the General Theme of the XVIIIth International Congresses of the History of Science �Science and Political Order / Wissenschaft und Staat�: Lewis Pyenson: Why Science May Serve Political Ends: Cultural Imperialism and the Mission to Civilize � Gerald Schr�der: Science Policy and Pharmacy in the NS Period � Caroll Pursell: Technology and Political Order in the 20th Century � Armin Hermann: Science under Foreign Rule. Policy of the Allies in Germany 1945-49 Symposia: Reports of their Organizers: Introductory Remarks by the Chairman of the Program Committee (Fritz Krafft) � Publications and Reports � A Survey of the Congress Budget (Christoph J. Scriba) Scientific Program: Final Status.

Why and how did the British people come to see themselves as living in a society centred around a middle class? The answer provided by Professor Wahrman challenges most prevalent historical narratives: the key to understanding changes in conceptualisations of society, the author argues, lies not in underlying transformations of social structure - in this case industrialisation, which supposedly created and empowered the middle class - but rather in changing political configurations. Firmly grounded in a close reading of an extensive array of sources, and supported by comparative perspectives on France and America, the book offers a nuanced model for the interplay between social reality, politics, and the languages of class.

The long-running debate on Britain's apparent economic decline in the last 120 years (not exactly noticeable in the living standards of ordinary people, which have risen enormously in that time) has generated a large economic and statistical literature and a great deal of heat in rival social and cultural explanations. The 'decline' has been confidently attributed to the permeation of the business elite by the anti-industrial and anti-commercial attitudes communicated by public schools and the old universities through their propagation of aristocratic and gentry values; and the readiness of the buiness elite to be thus permeated has been ascribed to the persistent tendency of new men of wealth to transform themselves into landed gentlemen. There have been equally confident claims to have overturned this traditional view that wealthy merchants and industrialists sought to acquire landed estates and country houses, and to have established that 'gentlemanly values' were in fact economically advantageous to Britain because she never was a primarily industrial economy. In this book, Professor Thompson subjects these interpretations to the test of the actual evidence, and firmly re-establishes the conventional wisdom on the characteristic desire of new money to acquire land and a place in the country, an aspiration which continues to be manifest today. At the same time, he shows that aristocratic and gentry cultures have not by any means been consistently anti-industrial or anti-business, and that many of the businessmen-turned-landowners have in fact not turned their backs on industry, but have founded business dynasties. Gentrification has indeed occurred ona large scale over the last two hundred years, but has had no discernible effects one way or the other on Britain' economic performance.

The countryside is changing faster than ever. Fifty years of conservation achievements in the UK are now being confronted by a new complexion of economic forces that are driving change in the countryside. At the same time new ideas in conservation are altering the role that conservation is being asked to play in negotiating the transition from past to future. This revised edition of Bill Adams classic work Future Nature tackles the new challenges in the countryside and wildlife conservation head-on through a new Introduction and Postscript with updated arguments about naturalness and our social engagement with nature, and complemented by a new Foreword by Adrian Phillips. Concepts such as biodiversity and sustainability, and changes in our understanding, appreciation and concern for nature, offer unprecedented opportunities. Bill Adams explores the scientific, cultural and economic significance of conservation. He argues that conservation must move beyond the boundaries of parks and reserves to embrace the whole countryside. The importance of conservation for the future is enormous. It holds the potential to create new spaces for nature, both in the landscape and in our lives and imaginations. This factual, beautifully written and thought-provoking book offers a fundamental reassessment of conservation, its importance, and how to achieve it. Published with BANC

In 2012, Britain and the Commonwealth celebrate the 60th anniversary of Elizabeth II's accession to the throne. The royal family have overcome a number of obstacles in its recent history, yet today it appears to be riding on a wave of popular affection. But has Elizabeth II's reign been a good thing for the UK? Or have the style, rituals and underlying culture of the modern monarchy held Britain back from its potential in the 21st century world? In this groundbreaking and thought-provoking new book, Stephen Haseler argues that the class structure which the monarchy has continued to encourage has retained outdated, yet seemingly entrenched, attitudes which have negatively affected Britain's economy, capacity to innovate and international stature. He provides an alternative political and social history of modern Britain which will be a provocative yet entertaining and informative read in the Queen's anniversary year.

Essays on the operations of businessmen and business values, and how they have influenced governments.

This fully revised and updated edition of Norman McCord's authoritative introduction to nineteenth century British history has been extended to cover the period up to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. The nineteenth and early twentieth century saw the transformation of Britain from a predominantly rural to a largely urban society with an economy based upon manufacturing, finance, and trade, and from a society governed mainly by a landed aristocracy to what was increasingly a mass democracy. The authors chart the development of a modern state equipped with a large and expanding bureaucracy, the expansion of overseas territories into one of the world's greatest empires, and changes in religion, social attitudes, and culture. The book divides the era into four chronological periods, with chapters on the political background, administrative development, and social, economic, and cultural changes in each period. Exploring major themes such as the massive increase in population, the question of class, the scope of state activity, and the development of consumerism, leisure, and entertainment, and including a select bibliography and biographical appendix, this updated new edition provides the ultimate introduction to British history between the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the outbreak of the First World War.