Co-opting culture : state intervention in, and party patronage of, literary and popular culture, 1929-1941
The economic slump of the 1930s heralded a new era of crisis in the United States. It also led to innovative strategies of cultural patronage, the latter being defined herein as the relationship between a provider of protection and material support, and a cultural practitioner, whose production was oriented toward the needs of the patron. Such patterns form the basis of this study. Although initially examining the federal government's attempt to fund artists and writers, a specific cultural strategy that was part of the Roosevelt administration's more general counter-crisis activity, the study introduces a comparative dimension by discussing the responses of the organised literary left to the Depression. This emphasis also unearths a significant secondary problematic, that of the selective amnesia concerning the 1930s which has constructed a number of 'orthodox' readings of the period. Given the 'common sense' character of such mythology, the study has drawn upon an intentionally broad range of sources in order to present an alternative narrative. This has allowed for the identification of a number of common themes across federally-funded culture and that of the left: namely, egalitarianism, a realist approach
Barnfield, Graham William
Cultural patronage
Co-opting culture : state intervention in, and party patronage of, literary and popular culture, 1929-1941. The economic slump of the 1930s heralded a new era of crisis in the United States. It also led to innovative strategies of cultural patronage, the latter being defined herein as the relationship between a provider of protection and material support, and a cultural practitioner, whose production was oriented toward the needs of the patron. Such patterns form the basis of this study. Although initially examining the federal government's attempt to fund artists and writers, a specific cultural strategy that was part of the Roosevelt administration's more general counter-crisis activity, the study introduces a comparative dimension by discussing the responses of the organised literary left to the Depression. This emphasis also unearths a significant secondary problematic, that of the selective amnesia concerning the 1930s which has constructed a number of 'orthodox' readings of the period. Given the 'common sense' character of such mythology, the study has drawn upon an intentionally broad range of sources in order to present an alternative narrative. This has allowed for the identification of a number of common themes across federally-funded culture and that of the left: namely, egalitarianism, a realist approach
culture state_intervention party patronage literary popular_culture economic herald new era crisis united_states also lead innovative strategy cultural patronage latter define herein relationship provider protection material support cultural practitioner whose production orient toward need patron pattern form_basis study although initially_examine federal government attempt fund artists writer specific cultural strategy part roosevelt administration general counter crisis activity study introduces comparative dimension discuss response organise literary left depression emphasis also unearths significant secondary problematic selective concern constructed number orthodox reading period given common_sense character mythology study drawn_upon intentionally broad_range source order present_alternative narrative allow identification number common_theme across culture leave namely egalitarianism realist