Subterranean bourgeois blues : the second English folk revival, c. 1945-1970
This thesis explores the folk revival phenomenon in England, through an original examination of its place in the social and political history of the country after the Second World War. Although its roots stretched back to the early twentieth century, the post-war English folk revival significantly occurred in the context of the nationâs de-industrialisation, and exposed tensions between, on the one hand, a nostalgic lament for a fast-disappearing working class life, and a âforward-lookingâ socialist vision of working-class culture. The original contribution to knowledge of this project lies in its analytic approach to the English folk revival as an important part of the post-war political culture. It looks at the revival from the outside in, and contextualizes the movement in the social and political story of post-war England, while also placing it within a dynamic transnational framework, a complex cross-Atlantic cultural exchange with its more well-known American contemporary. In so doing, this thesis contributes to the existing historiographies of folk revivalism in England, as well as the social and political historiographical discourses of the postwar period: the continued salience of class in English
Mitchell, J. Y.
Subterranean bourgeois blues : the second English folk revival, c. 1945-1970. This thesis explores the folk revival phenomenon in England, through an original examination of its place in the social and political history of the country after the Second World War. Although its roots stretched back to the early twentieth century, the post-war English folk revival significantly occurred in the context of the nationâs de-industrialisation, and exposed tensions between, on the one hand, a nostalgic lament for a fast-disappearing working class life, and a âforward-lookingâ socialist vision of working-class culture. The original contribution to knowledge of this project lies in its analytic approach to the English folk revival as an important part of the post-war political culture. It looks at the revival from the outside in, and contextualizes the movement in the social and political story of post-war England, while also placing it within a dynamic transnational framework, a complex cross-Atlantic cultural exchange with its more well-known American contemporary. In so doing, this thesis contributes to the existing historiographies of folk revivalism in England, as well as the social and political historiographical discourses of the postwar period: the continued salience of class in English
subterranean bourgeois blue second english folk revival explore folk revival phenomenon england original examination place social_political history country second_world_war although root stretch back post_war english folk revival significantly occur context nation industrialisation expose tension one_hand fast work_class life forward looking socialist vision working_class culture original_knowledge project lie analytic english folk revival important_part post_war political_culture look revival outside contextualizes movement social_political story post_war england also place_within dynamic transnational framework complex cross atlantic cultural_exchange well_known american contemporary contribute exist historiography folk england well social_political historiographical discourse postwar period continued salience class english