June 9th, 2010 – Mix It Up (Ch. 1 – 4)

1. Summary

Mix It Up is a modern book focusing on popular culture and its influence on society throughout history and in today’s world. Chapter one discusses how music (citing specific songs) has evolved throughout history from different genres to current top hits. It also discusses how to go about defining culture and different varieties of consumers. Chapter two discusses looking at the mass media and popular culture through the functionalist perspective. An example of this is by looking at the obsession with celebrity couples and cheating. Grazian argues that we are obsessed and like to talk about such issues because it frees us from discussing our own private relationship details while still discussing our stances on touchy subjects such as this without embarrassing or displaying any personal information. Chapter three analyzes the mass media and popular culture through the critical approach. The critical approach focuses on obsession of the cartoon characters, musical artists, etc as dominate and irresistible form of culture. Here, Grazian discusses how large firms such as Disney own many other industries (ESPN, Miramax Films, etc) own and produce the majority of mass media. Chapter four analyzes popular culture through the interaction approach. The interaction approach emphasizes the effect of the “grape vine” or the passing of “information” (can be correct or just gossip) from person to person.

2. What I learned/What I found interesting:

I really enjoyed this reading assignment because I really admire how the author is able to grasp in so many directions of media while explaining his various analysis methods. I really found it interesting how each of the methods he talks about seems to explain why America (and the world) is obsessed with pop culture. I really enjoyed reading chapter 2 which Grazian mentions how pro sports teams create a sense of unity in a large area. I have always felt this about where I was from (Philly!!!) and cannot agree with him more.

3. Discussion Point:
Do you have a favorite analysis method that Grazian talked about that explains the public’s obsession with media? Or maybe it is not fair to call it an obsession – rather I will say the relationship between society and pop culture

Mix It Up - Ch1-4

In the first chapter, Grazian describes the meaning of popular culture. Grazian says that popular culture is a network of social relationships and can be broken down into 4 categories: well liked, well known, mass culture, and belonging to the people. He then goes on to define culture as essentially the way people live; having 3 properties: symbolic, socially constructed, and embodied in a recognizable form. Popular culture must be a collective activity, created by many people and absorbed by many people. The methods through which culture functions are discussed in the second chapter. Bonds between people can be formed though events from religions to sports in a process called collective effervescence. Popular culture also provides individuals with a way to make connections to others and discuss topics that would normally be taboo. Grazian then shifts to a critical approach of popular culture in chapter 3. This covers the influence of big name companies on media, marketing, and culture. These companies have exhibited controversial hiring practices and typecasting. Chapter 4 covers the interaction approach to popular culture, or the spread through peer to peer means, such as word of mouth. Grazian explains how most people's closest social ties tend to be the most homogeneous and weaker acquaintances diverge. Scenes provide a medium for subcultures to spread ideas, either an actual or virtual location.

I find this book to be much more interesting than the previous, probably because it relates to events in my actual life rather than hundreds of years ago. I was surprised that the author spent such little time covering internet memes and cultural powerhouses like Youtube and Facebook, considering quickly these mediums are growing. Although looking at the table of contents, it appears it might be covered in greater detail in chapter 10.

My discussion question is, do you think television will become a secondary source of entertainment in the near future, replaced by computers and the internet, much like radio has been cast aside for television in the mid 1900s?

-Derek Leidemann

Mix it up Ch 1-4

In Mix it up the modern pop culture and its interactions with society are discussed in great detail. The book starts by showing how pop culture can be recycled, especially in the music and movie industry. Artists often take music, lyrics, or beats from previous artists and do their own rendition ( a cover) or mix it with other old songs to make it popular again. The next part talks about how pop culture can be used to bring people together, a perfect example being sports teams. Many people take pride in their cities sports teams and enjoy going to the games and this gives a common ground for people to develop their own culture based around a sports team. For example people from Pittsburgh are known for the way they talk and this is used by marketers and such to show support for the Steelers and other sports teams. Grazian also brings up a negative side to this, such as children who are pressured into modeling and develop eating disorders because society demands skinny models. I think that this functionalist approach does have a fairly large impact on pop culture because it encompasses societies expectations of certain roles such as women. Therefore it may cause people to act in ways that do not feel natural to them and further pushes along pop culture.

The third chapter shows how companies use marketing and other techniques to influence consumers and argues that this drives pop culture. It is interesting in this section to see how many companies are actually tied together or affiliated with one another. For example i never knew that the Walk Disney Company owned ESPN along with a plethora of other T.V. stations. Although marketing does play a major role in consumer decisions I still find it hard to beleive that this is the true driving factor behind pop culture. If a company that makes a product that does not work well it doesn't matter how well it is marketed once people realize how bad it is it will stop selling.

Finally the last chapter discusses the ways in which people interact and spread pop culture. I think this is the most prominent way in which pop culture is spread. People have friends who generally who have many opinions of music, movies, or art in common. This allows people to suggest things taht they like to others and this is how pop culture is spread. If a friend who you know has a great taste in music suggests a CD to you, I would bet you would be much more likely to check it out, moreso than if you just saw a trailer for the CD. This section was most interesting to me because it is the most obvious to observe in everyday life. Which way do you guys think is way most pop culture is spread? Would you be more likely to see a movie because you heard it was great? or because your city is featured in it? or just because the trailer looked amazing? Also how much do you think societies opinions of what a cheerleader, model etc. should look like, affect people's lives? and is society to blame or the individual?

Mix it Up Ch.1-4

In the first chapter of Mix it Up David Grazian offers a description of pop culture. He gives four different definitions of pop culture. It can be culture that is well liked and successful, or well known and iconic, or generally consumed, or considered to belong to the people. He explains that popular culture can transcend its moment in history to be rediscovered and reinvented in later generations. Popular culture is created through social context.

In the second chapter, Grazian discusses the functionalist approach to pop culture. He explains that a functionalist approach emphasizes how the symbols, rituals, and practices of pop cultures production and consumption can bring people together by creating social solidarity and group cohesion. Unfortunately, there are also negative effects, such as the sexual objectification of women and the glorification of celebrity exploits.

The third chapter takes a critical approach to pop culture. In this chapter, Grazian discusses the power of cultural industries. Advertising and marketing of major brands is everywhere, and has become an integrated part of society. The popularity of cultural aspects such as food, music, and media serve to increase the profits of mega corporations. These corporations often outsource to nations where cheap, unfair labor is available, or use intimidation tactics to control their employees. This creates a dark side of culture that is often hidden from the masses. Popular culture controls society, defining how people should live. Under the critical approach, the only purpose of culture is to generate profit.

In the fourth chapter, Grazian explains the interaction approach to popular culture. Under culture is spread and made popular through social networks. One of the greatest ways in which culture spreads is by word-of-mouth. Pop culture can be consumed collectively under subcultures and social organizations.

I enjoyed how contemporary the book was, having been released this year. It allowed me to connect with the issues and references that Grazian was using, and in this way I was better able to understand his points. I particularly enjoyed his discussion about cultural spread through social networks and word-of-mouth. This type of creation of pop culture can be seen everywhere. A film becomes popular when people begin to talk about it, or a new technology catches on, or people donate large sums of money because someone like Stephen Colbert told them to. We find out about music, fashion, and news from our peers, and in an increasingly connected world, the spread and development of culture is faster that it has ever been.

For discussion, I would like to talk more about the critical approach to culture. Grazian raises a multitude of important issues in the third chapter that outline the problems with pop culture. Our culture is used to fuel mega corporations, who's main goal to generate the largest possible profit, often at the expense of ethics. The question I would like to ask is why does our society tolerate such actions even though we see the moral problems associated, and what would society look like if such a system did not exist?

Roman - Mix it Up Ch. 1-4

In a change of pace from historical events to modern ones, the first four chapters of David Grazian's "Mix it Up" focus on recent events in an attempt to understand popular culture. He begins by acknowledging the complexity of defining the term pop culture, and then sets out and identifies three approaches to sociology and pop culture. These three approaches include the functionalist, critical, and interaction approaches. The functionalist approach argues that pop culture acts as a glue that holds society together. The critical view states that perhaps big business controls pop culture. Finally, the interaction approach argues that it is person to person interaction that drives the progression of pop culture.

The approach to explaining pop culture that I found the most convincing was the interaction approach. The example of baby names was stunning. Baby names are not marketed because no one stands to profit off of them. However, as evidenced by statistics there are clear trends in naming such as the rising popularity of the name "Emma." This shows that as a society we interact to determine what's in style and favorable.

Do you guys have a viewpoint from the three posed by Grazian that you liked the most? I think they're all valid and well argued but some points are more convincing than others. Any thoughts on the strengths/weaknesses of these theories?

-Roman

Mix it Up Ch1-4

The opening pages of Mix it Up grabbed my attention. The idea of popular culture in context to the world we know, should be an interesting read. The popularity of pop culture has as much to do with music, mass culture, and icons as it does with what and who is liked today. Culture is a term with a plethora of meanings and connotations. There is not one definite definition nor is there one popular culture in the world. People of varying studies all have their own definition, including anthropologists and sociologists. This leads to how culture can be understood. Should it be seen as a whole or separated into parts? Popular is culture is so popular because people use their personal experiences and identities to interpret it. Culture has many faces and each person views it in their own way. The second chapter illustrates the reason why people relate and cheer on mass entertainment to satisfy their longing to fit into the huge, nameless mass of society. Human emotions and life struggles are exemplified in plays, movies, and books. Portraying the humanity of a person, sometimes more stereotypical than usual to point out something.


The start of the third chapter set a more serious tone especially, when Grazian states, corporations "manufacture desire...perpetuate stereotype...and mold human minds". Corporations spread propaganda, its everywhere, we see thousands of brands every day as we go about our lives. These symbols of companies are ingrained in our minds, seeing the symbol for a company automatically brings to our mind, what that company represents or produces. The section enlightening us on the strength of relationships was really interesting. Especially the differences between dyads and triads. Also how human interaction plays a major role in the spread of popular culture. To what extent do influences by celebrities, politicians, and role models affect popular culture? Are movies and music more influential on the public?




- Kayla

Mix It Up (1-4)

David Grazian's Mix It Up examines the concept and nuances of popular culture. Grazian argues that "popular culture is produced, consumed, and experienced within a context of overlapping sets of social relationships. " In the first chapter, "The Straight Story," Grazian examines the social and collective nature of popular culture as well as the manner in which popular culture is constructed and utilized. Chapters two through four are set forth to elaborate upon the various reasons behind the mercurial nature of certain pop cultural trends and its social consequences. To help anchor this elaboration, Grazian presents three theoretical approaches toward the sociology of media and popular culture. In chapter two, "Friday Night Lights,"Grazian presents a functionalist approach to the sociology of media and popular culture. The functionalist approach essentially explains culture functions as social adhesives that provoke unity within societies. Grazian utilizes "primitive" cultural rituals and behaviors to correlate modern cultural rituals (like parades and sports games) induce emotional bonds within communities. Functionalism helps to explain the popularity of massive public events like sports games and concerts. Grazian suggests that pop culture offers consumers the chance to communicate with others and feel a connection. Chapter three, "Monsters, Inc." introduces the critical approach to the sociology of media and popular culture. The critical approach identifies economic and cultural power of the mass media as the source of certain dominant pop culture trends. While the functionalist approach suggests the masses create the trends, the critical approach suggests the media creates popular culture. Popular culture is seductive, forceful, and addictive. Chapter four addresses the interaction approach to pop culture. The interaction approach stresses the weight of peer influence upon the state of popular culture; it is the people around us in our everyday lives that determines consumer taste. Grazian provides examples of communities the illustrate the power of collective expenditure.

What I found interesting was the way Grazian used Rihanna's hit song 'SOS' to illustrate how music, and in general all forms of popular culture, has a cyclical motion and that bits and pieces of the past shape the current state of popular culture. I know that when I listen to a current song, I noticed that it took certain beats and lines from older songs, but I never thought about this in the way Grazian presented.

I do wish that Grazian dedicated an entire section, maybe an entire chapter to the phenomena of Starbucks. It is overpriced branded coffee that manages to have a multitude of chains around the country and certain parts of the world. How exactly does a coffee shop gain the brand status of McDonalds? He explains to a certain extent, but it would be fascinating if he elaborated even more.

-Lolia

The Age of Empire (chapter 9-13)

The upright piano makes it debut and its affordability brings culture to the masses. Art was trampled on by Hollywood, i.e. the movies being produced were very inartistic. Science begins to really take of many innovations in physics and medicines are made, science is based on hard facts. Science begins to shed philosophy. Advanced mathematics could be understood if you know the exact rules of the game. We see the beginnings of eugenics which eventually leads Nazi Germany to exterminate the Jews. Religion begins to fall out of favor with the masses. Although Freud’s theories are considered to be non scientific they are very appealing to the lay person, Freud becomes well known. The new sociology begins to take shape by trying to explain how societies worked. It seems as though there are many revolutions for various reasons taking place around, we see many references to Lenin and Marx. A very detailed picture then emerges as to how the most world was already preparing for war. Britain forms an unusual alliance with France which then drags it along with many other countries into war.

Some interesting points: How Freud was really one of the early sexologists and these people who followed his theories was really just looking for some way to be accepted for their unconventional views on sex. Freud was one of the first people to float this idea that you are not necessarily your responsible for your actions if something bad happened to you in the past. How Britain’s entrance to World War 1 was made possible by the “unthinkable alliance” between Britain and France.

If socialism is as the author thinks, so wonderful, why is it that wherever it is instituted it is usually done by force or has to be kept in place by forcible control (think, Hugo Chavez)?

Lou Coban

Age of Empires Ch9-13

Chapter 9 discusses how arts movements linked many Europeans through the transfer of ideas, emotions, and values. One of the most prominent being the ideology of social change. Art of the early 1900s was revolutionized by the onset of industrialized, mass produced entertainment. Chapter 10 covers the ways in which the sciences were revolutionized by great scientists , mathematicians, and physicists around the turn of the 20th century. The scientific breakthroughs occurring lead to a divergence in the ways many people saw the world. Chapter 11 ties in with chapter 10, detailing the ways in which mass educations spread through Europe. Mass education brought about rising literacy rates, an informed populous, and a decline in religion. Chapter 12 builds on the steps leading to the first World War. The collapse or revolution of many territories are covered including: Germany, Russia, Morocco, the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Empire, China, and Mexico. Chapter 13 focuses on reasons and factors culminating WWI. Capitalism, economics, politics, and nationalism played major roles in influencing the beginning and outcome of the war.

I find it interesting that capitalism became both a proponent and opponent of war to some degree. On one hand military spending spurs the economy through a high demand for manufactured war goods. But it also disrupts international trade and resource supplies. What other factors do you think war plays on a nation's economy? Do you think war is overall beneficial or detrimental to economic development?

-Derek Leidemann

Rachel-The Age of Empire ch 9-13

   The arts were becoming increasingly popular among the common people and
jazz as well as the cinema were becoming more popular by the early 1900s.
Also, the number of theaters in Germany tripled during the time period
1870 and 1896 from about two hundred to six hundred theaters. Now, the
wealthy upper class members of society were not the only ones that were
able to enjoy the rich culture of the arts. Important and influential
people were well known now. For instance, Planck, Einstein, and Freud.
This was a time not only for the arts toflourish, but also the sciences.
 Moreover, a very important development that started in 1875 to about
1914 was the rise in popular education and and more people reading on their
own to self-educate themselves.The number of primary school teachers boomed
in nations such as England and Finland. Some areas of the world experienced
an increase of twelve or thirteen times more primary school teachers.
Along with changes in the field of education came religious changes as well.
The separation between church and state in France occurred in 1905. Along with
religion, the struggles of organizing mass labor movements and common men entering
the political realm were other big issues.
 Around the 1800s, many working class parties were in opposition with the state
and were proponents of revolutionary action. The Mexican Revolution in 1910 was one
that was not as known about because events in Russia were more well known. At first,
the reasons for the Revolution were not clear and there were about 114 other acts of
violence occurring in Latin America at the time. However, it was important because it
occurred in a "peasant country' and it was one of the first revolutions that in which
the laboring population played a major role.
  I found the brief section about mathematics interesting because I know little about the
history of that subject. Bertrand Russell was very influential in this field and at this
time mathematics was a subject that was very misunderstood. Another interesting topic
discussed is eugenics. Eugenics is applying selective breeding techniques, like those used
in agriculture and the raising of livestock to people. This was an attempt to improve the
genetics of the human population and to decrease the reproduction of undesirable genetics.
The poor people of society at that time would have been seen as possessing undesirable
traits. This also started as a political movement. An interesting topic of discussion would
be to compare the topic of eugenics with the strategies and goals of the Nazi Regime.

End of Age of Empire

In the final chapters of The Age of Empire, Hobsbawm discusses art and science during this time period. This time period was extremely rich for science and art, especially physics. Plank had just formulated what would come to be known as quantum mechanics, and Einstein was publishing papers on relativity and quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics has led to many of the technological break throughs we have today, especially in the electronics industry. This point in time was very interesting from the perspective of a physicist because people thought that physics was a dying subject and that almost everything was known, but then an entirely new subject was discovered. I find this part extremely interesting and want to ask how big of an impact do you think these discoveries had on modern thought? and also how did these discoveries affect the way people view and accept religion? These chapters also discuss the transformation art took from being a high class luxury to something people in the middle class could afford and appreciate.

The next few chapters discuss the comings of World War I. This chapter helps to tie the nationalistic feelings and movement in the countries involve in the war and how this combined with patriotism caused many young man to take up arms and fight. This war had an extreme amount of casualties and is still one of the worst spectacles, along with World War II, of the human race. Do you think that there is any way these wars could have been prevented? or do you think that the world was doomed to eventually have a war on a global scale?

I think it is very interesting to look at science during this time period. It is also neat to see people's transition from religion to get answers to questions they don't understand to putting their faith in science for answers. Recently it seems as though more and more people are stepping away from religion and turning to science to solve problems. Do you think that there will ever be a time when human's do not need religion? or do you think its a necessary part of a society?

Chapters 9-13

In chapter 9, hobsbawm discusses the popularization of arts. Art became more accessible and affordable, and was now appreciated by a bigger population of people. Next, the author goes into a discussion of scientific developments during this period. Math was of particular significance at this time, although it was an object of much scepticism. People were sceptical of the new scientific findings and explanations, and many still followed their old beliefs. Hobsbawm then goes on to explain how education started becoming an essential part of life and helped to understand sciences and politics. People now saw the importance of science and education as the pathway to the better future. Later, in chapter 12, Hobsbawm talks about the events leading up to the World War I. Revolutions and social unrest were taking place in different parts of the world. The US just overcame a depression and was entering a new era of prosperity. The final chapter focuses on the end of the World War I, and the period of peace that followed it.
The period before the World War I is interesting because it was a time of prosperity, and no one anticipated that a war would break out. One would expect that the more educated the people become, the more they would realize the negative cost-benefit outcome of wars. Yet, two World Wars happened anyway.
In our modern time, political awareness is high and people are more educated than ever. Yet, we hear of violent conflicts every day on the news. Perhaps warfare and fighting is just a part of human nature, and it doesn't matter how educated people get?

June 7th, 2010: The Age of Empire (Ch. 9 – 13)

1. Summary:

Author Eric Hobsbawm discusses the spread and developments of arts and sciences in the last four chapters of his book. Chapter 9, titled The Arts Transformed, focuses on how the arts that had been exclusively available to the rich have been made to available to the masses. Cinema and jazz by 1914 had traveled all over the globe and was made available to the common people. Chapter 10, titled Certainties Undermined: the Sciences, focuses on the advances in sciences and mathematics. Mathematics was questioned down to the fundamental level – which was extremely problematic even though it did not affect too many. Scientific discoveries were greatly influenced by the new technologies industry produced in this time period. Chapter 11, Reason and Society, discusses the major intellectual development in the masses in the form of reading and education. Education and reading became popular in the working class as a way of being able to participate or understand what was going on in politics. It became understood that science and education could lead to power and progress. These progresses in self-educational methods lead many individuals to questions aspects of their religion. Chapter 12, Towards Revolution, talks about the many struggles taking place around the world in the years leading up to the First World War. Some of these struggles discussed include the internal struggles in China, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, a revolution in Mexico in 1910, and the effects of a potential revolution in Russia on the world system. Chapter 12, From Peace to War, discusses how before 1914, peace was normal and expected in Europe; however, soon after this European powers prepared for war and still so many believed that the general war could not be achieved (instead a peaceful solution would be found).

2. What you learned/what you found interesting:

I found two things pretty interesting. The first is how so many challenged the scientific ideas and principles that so many people had been raised on as their education – it just seems really nuts to me! To challenge everything you know – it seemed to start a school of thought that I am not sure if we have ever gotten away from since then. The second thing I found so interesting was how ignorant many people were that a general or world war would be started – even after Austria declared war on Serbia. It just seems too bizarre to me and I guess that may be easier to say now that we are looking back on history.

3. Discussion Questions:

Is it possible that there will be a time when we question everything that we were raised on or do we already do this naturally? Will citizens of North Korea ever challenge what they are raised on and create a revolution – since that is one country that seems to really limit their citizens from the rest of the world? Also, will it ever be possible that before another world war, people will be as ignorant of this happening as they were before the First World War – or have people truly learned from history?

Hobsbawm 9-13

In chapter 9 Hobsbawm takes a look at the direction that art took during this age of empire. He describes different aspects the art world took on and some of the causes for these new directions. In particular he discussed the avant garde art scene. He also discusses different forms of bourgeoisie entertainment that began to show up because of the influx of people into cities. These included such places as taverns and brothels. Chapter 10 describes the path that science took right after the first world war. He discusses shifts in mathematics, physics, and other subjects. He describes the new instability felt within the physics community because of what would become the shift from Newtonian thinking to the new Einsteinian theory of relativity. He also describes some of the darker sides of science by going into the history of eugenics and the principles behind it. The next chapter describes some of the advances in reason that were made throughout society as a whole. He cites the decline in religiousness in bourgeoisie society as an example of this new advance in reason that was beginning to show. In chapter 12 Hobsbawm says that for many areas the years from 1880-1914 were a time that was either building to or already in revolution. He describes what led to revolution in many ancient societies at this time. From Russia to China to the Ottoman empire, Hobsbawm goes over what led to the downfall of the once mighty empires. In the final chapter of the book he describes how the move into war affected a society that had been accustomed to some deal of peace. He goes into the lives of soldiers and civilians and the affect the war would have on them. Hobsbawm then lays out many of the different reasons for the cause of the first world war. He says that one of the things that led to war was the creating of alliances and factions within Europe at the time. Inevitably when one member of the faction would be brought into conflict, all members of the faction would be brought into the conflict.

I found it interesting that one of the things that made a lot of these new advances in science available were the innovations that were happening in the industrial economy. Hobsbawm says that with the availability of electiricity, good vacuum pumps, and more precise instruments advances were made in science that could never have been imagined. It is always interesting to me to see throughout history how different parts of society with push each other to advance. Advances in industrial economy bring about advances in science which will bring out advances in contless other things. I also was glad to see Hobsbawm describe how art was affected during this time. It is always interesting to see how the major events in history affect the art of the time and the events of this time certainly did affect the art. It makes me think about how the events of our own times have affected the art that is now being created.

Chris N

Patrick Garner- Age of Empire 9-13

In the last chapters of Hobsbawm book, he speaks of the arts and sciences of the early 20th century. He first discusses the transformation of art. Upper class art was now available to the bourgeoisie. Now people had more time to sepnd with in the art realm. People bcame intersested in new hobbies such as music and writing. A lot of these new art productions took on the avante-garde taste, which was art in a way that pushed the boundaries of societal norms. Hobsbawm then discusses how science was studied and questioned very deeply. Scientists really questioned the methods that they relied on up until now. Einstein was an example of someone who really tested the limits of science. Chapter 12 discusses how european powers began to heavily stack themselves miltia wise to try and claim a position as a global power. All of this lead to WWI. He also speaks of how the United States reached a time of great prosperity. The final chapter explores the aftermath of the world war. Basicly, he speaks of the time of peace that the world had after the world war. He also discusses possible reasons for the first world war in a time of such prosperity for the world.

One of the things that really interested me was the avante-garde art period. It was intersesting that this was the first time that people became brave enough to push societal norms. I guess it was because this was the first time that people really were able to have hobbies instead of doing the bare minimum to survive in centuries past. All society had this chance now, not just the upper class. It is also interesting to me of how the Avante-Garde taste evolved up until now. I feel like all movies and music and things of this sort really push the limits constantly. It almost doesnt seem normal to not push the limits now. Maybe we have too much time on our hands now.

One of the huge debates was how WWI could happen at such a time of prosperity and economic growth. I am still unsure of this but I think this would be a good discussion in class to see what everyone thinks about the topic.

Final Chapters of Hobsbawm's THE AGE OF EMPIRE

In the last four chapters of his book, Hobsbawm records quite a few interesting developments of the early twentieth century. First, he discusses the arts of the time as the result of an identity crisis among the bourgeois. The arts at this time are appealing to the "common people." It is not just a thing of the upper classes. Avant-garde is not generally accepted, but the period is marked by the productivity and fame of artist Pablo Picasso. Hobsbawm includes that there had not been such a successful artist since the Renaissance. Next, during this time there was an overwhelming interest in the sciences. People's view of the world began to change through a new understanding and discoveries of the sciences. Specifically, a new awareness of "linear progress" as opposed to transformation in these areas is understood. An example of this would be Darwin's theories of evolution as a linear process rather than the notion of spontaneous generation previously presumed to be the cause of decay (which may be considered a transformation). Hobsbawm talks a lot about the new ground covered in mathematics and the reevaluations of the approach to this particular science. To me, it seems in light of this aspect, the world came to a kind of second renaissance in the early twentieth century. Consequently, there is an anti-intellect sort of movement which includes people rejecting reason and science altogether in preference of beliefs previously held. Hobsbawm gives this list in the beginning of chapter 11, on page 262: "occultism, necromancy, magic, parapsychology... and various versions of eastern mysticism and religiosity."
Chapter 12 deals with revolutions and how after the difficulties of the depression, the US encounters a time of prosperity. Since capitalist imperialism was not as powerful of a motive in these days, the people begin acting more on the part of revolution than anything else. (This was not the case throughout the world, however, as people dealt with periods of prosperity and decline at rather different periods.) Lastly, in the closing chapter Hobsbawm explores the time of peace throughout the world after having had a world war.
What I found most intriguing in this reading was the notion of an anti-intellectual movement. It seems that, perhaps as college students, if we had been there during a time of so much discovery, we all would have jumped on the band wagon and been incredibly interested in what was going on. To think of people rejecting this ground breaking discoveries and turning, instead, to rather old-fashioned and outdated ways of thinking seems counter intuitive. However, I'm sure there are a great many things that set people apart. Education was not a necessity to be successful during this time.
My question then is, what is today's means of anti-intellectualism? Of course, we have religion to account for the supernatural explanations for occurrences that may be explained scientifically. What I also came up with (hold on to your seats and try not to be too offended) is indulgence in sports and also getting overly excited about political matters. These two areas make it very easy to disagree and are also rather easy to view as simply two opposing "teams" acting against each other, mimicking both war and notions of imperialism.
FIRE AWAY! I hope this also interests YOU, classmates! :)
A.Gorno

Age of Empire (9-13)

In chapter nine, "The Arts Transformed," Hobsbawm frames the identity crisis of the bourgeois society through the history of the arts from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. During this era the dwindling relevant creative arts countered with innovation and experiment, while the reign of classic "high culture" diminished by mass market art. Chapter ten, "Certainties Undermined: The Sciences," discusses the immensity and significance of the transformation (the revolution and innovations of hard and social sciences) in the way in which society apprehended the universe. However, "Reason and Society," illustrates that, coupled with immense scientific strides, there was a substantial amount of distrust and an anti-science/anti-intellectual fraction.
"Towards Revolution" focuses on the constant and churning states of possible, looming or definite revolution; all of which culminated into the first world war. "From Peace to War," goes further in illustrating the inevitability of war; though sheltered with normal expectations of peace, Europeans armed themselves while creating alliances.

What I found interesting was a question Hobsbawm posed in chapter nine. At one point, Hobsbawm discusses the notion that modern/contemporary art rapidly dominated modern society to the extent that it can be considered a cultural revolution. Further, modern/contemporary art did not belong in the helm of bourgeois world. But, it is "profoundly capitalistic." To possess such values drapes it in bourgeois sensibilities, which causes Hobsbawm to ask the question: was modern/contemporary art actually bourgeois? I initially thought no, but the way in which Hobsbawm sets up this question makes me uncertain.

I wish Hobsbawm went into more detail as to why Christian Churches became notably feminized. It seems to play into the idea that science:male:power while religion:female:powerless. It does not seem to gel with the burgeoning "New Woman."
-Lolia

Ch 9-13 Age of Empire

Chapter nine deals with the transformation of art. Art, previously collected only by the upper class and aristocracy is now available more for the bourgeoisie. The middle class have a growing amount of time available to divulge in culture and art. Art nouveau emerges partly as a result of British example. It mixes modern fashion with technology and society. Both men and women were attracted to this art and its applications. I found it very interesting when Hobsbawn stated that William Morris wallpaper was still available until the 1980s. What set Morris apart and made his art fashionable until the 1980s?

The pre world war one world was going through major transformations. First, the universe was broken down into intellectual terms. However, both scientific reasoning and human reasoning were still present. Human viewing of natural occurrences became more misguided and misunderstood as we were trying to separate intuition from science. Basically humans were learning not to take everything for granted, and to figure out problems themselves. Today, when people have questions they type it into google and .123 seconds later have thousands of results. To what extent has the Internet taken away human intuition? Is instantaneous information bettering or hurting humankind?

The mass of publicly educated people were also very fond of reading. These educated people enjoyed reasoning, rationality, progress and proof and were dissatisfied with superstition, privilege, and exploitation. A modern world was related to one committed to science and progress. Women and men beliefs in divinity differed as well. Men's attitude towards science withdrew them from traditional religion, while women had incomprehensible loyalty to their religions. Why do you believe women remained loyal to religion while men discarded it more readily?

The emergence of the bourgeoisie destroyed the old political systems and unbalanced society economically. Older regimes were becoming obsolete, for example, Russia and the Hapsburghs. It was only a matter of time before the West overtook them, "conquest or dependency". In order to survive, ideals of the West had to be learned and put to use. Russia's rapid industrialization hindered the country rather than helping it. It developed regions disproportionally. The tsar was seeing Russia in disarray. And the people were viewing the tsar unkindly. The country was filled with social and political unrest. The only state able to do use the ideas of the West successfully was Japan. How was Japan able to become "a wolf among the wolves"?

World War I's origin, a serious debate since the early twentieth century. It's start is more about world politics spiraling out of control of government and political leaders than who attacked whom. Countires alligned themselves together and against others. For example France, Britain, Russia, and USA were against Germany, Austria, and Bulgaria. After this War, warfare was no longer glorified. What were the lasting effects of WWI on the world?

-Kayla O

Roman - Age of Empire 9-13

The final chapters of Hobsbawm's book start with a discussion of art and science. The era of 1875 to 1914 was truly revolutionary in both disciplines. More people became involved in producing art such as music, writing, and even the beginnings of motion pictures, all of which took on a new, avant-garde taste. Science was turned upside down as scientists began to question the mathematical and physical paradigms that they had always based their research on. Scientists like Max Planck and Einstein completely revolutionized science creating both excitement, despair, and suspicion. With the scientific movements people began to value reason more. A significant proportion of people left or deeply questioned their religion in a sort of individual thought revolution. As the early 1900's progressed, tensions began to mount on the European stage. Countries began to arm heavily to secure themselves as global powers, and suspicion of one another mounted up as well. For the past century the reasons for the first world war have been researched to exhaustion. Historians still question how an era of prosperity and economic growth came to such a violent, paranoid end.

What interests me most is science during this time period. Classical schools of thought which had been taught for generations were all of sudden shrouded in doubt. As more money went to scientific research more was discovered and postulated. Interestingly, scientists began to pursue theory over fact. The way they saw it, the facts they had held so dear were not guaranteed as facts, so wild theory was somewhat acceptable. Real progress was born out of this quest for theory. Chemistry advanced as did physics. It must have really been a time of uncertainty, to the point of despair even, when Einstein's convincing theories turned classical physics upside down. I wonder what professors of the time were thinking. Were they excited, anxious, or full of despair and uncertainty?

I think more discussion is warranted on why the youth was so willing to go to war in 1914. I think Hobsbawm has a point when he mentions that the period of the bourgeoisie was and indecisive, almost boring one in need of "a decision." I think it was this period somewhat similar to the disillusionment of the Lost Generation in the 1920's combined with the newness of capitalism/democracy that led to the war. Sadly, when people run out of problems, they seem to make them up for themselves to deal with.

-Roman

Chapters 5-8

Chapter 5 talks about how the process of industrialization created massive changes in the social structure. The working class expanded exponentially as qualification was no longer as big of a factor as before, meaning that the skill level requirements were not as high. These new additions to the working class led to it gaining political power, which was inevitable. Mistreatment of workers was commonplace as they were now easier to replace. This led to creation of workers' unions and socialist political parties, which were ment to protect the working class and end oppression.
Chapter 6, as the title suggests, has to do with nationalism and sense of ethnic identity. Hobsbawm discusses the good and the bad sides of nationalism. On one hand, nationalism is a powerfull tool, which can unite people under one flag. On the other hand, nationalism can be used by rulers to start meaningless wars.Chapter 7 focuses on the Bourgeoisie, or the middle class. These are the people who lived fairly comfortably and allowed themselves to enjoy expensive leisure, education, sports, nice houses, etc. I think it's fair to say that the problems of the working class did not concern much of the Bourgeoisie.In Chapter 8, Hobsbawm talks about the changing role of women in society from late 19th to early 20th centuries. Middle and upper class women especially, were now able to enjoy more freedom in their life. This was a big step forward in the issue of women's rights.

What was interesting to find is how Hobsbawm describes sports as one of the "Bourgeoisie" kinds of things to do. While I am sure that they were not the only ones playing sports, it is quite believable that this was the case on the more "professional" level. If you think about it, it's the same way today. One can say that everyone can now play sports, but not everyone can own a hockey team. It is the wealthy, who decide where you play and for which team, as your opportunity to be the pitcher for the Pirates may quickly disappear with the signing of a rising star athlete somewhere in Mexico. One could say that it all depends on how good you are and how hard you work to be better. Another question arises from this: who is better able to get better at sports, somebody who has all the time in the world, as he has his parents taking care of everything else? or someone who's been working after school in the McDonalds down the street to help his parents pay the bills? Thus, my question is simple, have things really changed that much when it comes to sports?