The 1920s in America was a decade of rebellion, reform and reaction as a traditional Victorian values came under attack from all sides. If different groups of intellectuals, blacks, feminists, and dissatisfied economic and political groups attacked on Victorianism.
Through a descriptive writing style is Stanley Coben on the reasons for the enormous cultural changes in the 1920s and explains historically. He begins with the concept of Victorian "character", whichis a term for Americans of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. A sign that, as Coben's own definition, was reliably controlled, thought punctual, orderly, diligent, conscientious, sober, respect for other people's property rights of Victorians, ready to postpone immediate gratification for long-term goals, usually at a godly kind of God, the truth of the Bible, strong home and family oriented, honest in relations with other Victorians, concerned about self-improvement in a way that may seem obsessive modern observers and patriotic.
In subsequent chapters, he shows how intelligence develops, how the values have changed over time, intellectuals, and how it led inevitably to conflict and he vividly describes the events that support the growth of this intellectual subculture. Make it easier to understand, he presents the events in a time frame of four especially those damages.
The> Book pays special attention to cultural issues, showing how art forms of the 20s such as jazz or the novels of Ernest Hemingway and Sinclair Lewis were part of the rebellion. It devotes an entire chapter to describe how the steady flow of black migrants north, causing demographic changes and proposed ways to improve them on their status and to enforce their activities. And then Jazz as one of the most destructive activities of the blacks was to remain there, as Leopold Stokowski, conductorThe Philadelphia Orchestra, claimed in 1924:
"Jazz has come to stay ... and it is pointless to fight them. Even his strength, his new vitality begins to manifest itself.
The Negro musicians of America play a major role in this process of change. ... They are not constrained by traditions or conventions, to flow with their new ideas, their constant attempts to create new blood in the veins of the music. In America, I think, lies perhaps the greatest hope in the wholemusical world. "
If one by feminist movements and the changes in the economic and political order of the country that set the scene for the rebellion, in the end there is a fascinating chapter on the Ku Klux Klan, which the Klan as a visible and powerful guardian of Victorianism shows during the 1920s.
What makes it a little more is nice is the new perspective that Coben brings to show how the contradictions exist sparked the rebellion in the 1920s, nor werethose who are brought together workers, farmers, socialists, ethnic groups, intellectuals, black leaders and many feminists.
Coben study is especially valuable for its perfect historical analysis. In fact, it has got a refreshing change from the boring history texts. Representation of the relationship between culture and politics was through the description of the process of a phenomenon in the history of a country like America, he gives the reader a real example, it may be thatconsidered and compared with similar problems. Consider the process by which Coben leads the reader to some conclusions, and think about today's problems is artfully decorated and at the same time as it addresses the existing problems with violence is palpable. But it might be better if the idea was proposed at the end be further developed to provide more evidence for the readers and they make better decisions. Yet rebellion against Victorianism certainly receive carefulAttention of scientists and students in the intersections between culture and politics are interested in, and concern over the continued presence of similar problems. It may also be a good supplementary text for use in undergraduate courses in the 20 Century American history or American studies with emphasis on courses in the twentieth century cultural development. It is unfortunate if it does not cause or contribute to a discussion about the actual role of cultural policy changesand examining the same issues in contemporary society.
Stanley Coben, Rebellion against Victorianism: the impetus for a cultural change in 1920s America. New York and Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1991. 242 pp.
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