Anne B. Rodrick – författare

The very idea of Britain has changed with the gain and loss of empire, the assimilation and devolution of various portions of the country, and the introduction and then dismantling of a welfare state that was nothing short of revolutionary in the wake of World War II. This volume provides an introduction to the history and culture of a nation that just a century ago was the world's leading imperial power and today is striving to reestablish its place as an international leader. The fortunes of that nation are outlined, describing its development from the days of Roman rule through the most recent events of Tony Blair's prime ministership. Rodrick introduces many important issues in Great Britain's history and also provides the reader with an overview of contemporary British society, from the intricacies of parliamentary politics to the cultural significance of church and crown. Includes a biographical section highlighting famous figures in British history, a timeline of important historical events, and a short bibliographical essay with suggestions for further reading.Focusing on the political and social developments of the 19th and 20th centuries, Rodrick discusses the evolving relationship between monarch and parliament, the dismantling of Britain's empire and the challenges the nation now faces, Britian's contentious relations with the rest of Europe, and the differences between English and British. This volume places modern Britain within the contemporary context of a post-imperial world, addressing the issues of post-colonialism and nationalism in a readable and brief format.

First published in 2004. The nineteenth century witnessed a flowering of the culture of self-improvement that was reflected in a plethora of institutes, societies and journals that sprang up across Britain with the goal of spreading knowledge and learning to a wide spectrum of society. The prophets of self-improvement believed that not only was self-improvement a laudable goal in its own right, but more importantly, it would contribute towards a general improvement in society. In an age in which direct participation in the political processes was restricted to a minority, education and self-improvement could act as an alternative force by creating a sophisticated and knowledgeable population. In other words, self-improvement was also seen as a way of creating active and responsible citizens. Focusing on the city of Birmingham, and drawing on both local and national sources, Self Help and Civic Culture explores the changing nature of self improvement and citizenship in Victorian Britain. By approaching the concept of citizenship from a new perspective, provincial identity and its relationship to wider ideas of 'Englishness' and 'Britishness', a distinct ideal of citizenship is elucidated that adds further nuance to current scholarship. By drawing together various issues of citizenship, self-improvement, class and political power, this work brings a new perspective to the on-going attempts to determine who could claim the full rights, duties, privileges and responsibilities of the larger social body, thus illuminating the relationship between culture and power in nineteenth century England.

This collection brings together and contextualizes a wide variety of lectures given in institutions and clubs in 19th century England. The popular lecture became one of the most common artefacts of Victorian culture and yet, due to its ephemerality, we know little about who spoke, who listened, why these lectures were delivered, and how they were received. The volumes in this set show how the lecture emerged as a central part of popular culture, how it changed over time, and how the educational and entertaining components of the popular lecture were in constant tension, preserving a crucial piece of political, social, and cultural history.This volume, 'Volume I: 1820-1850', provides a general introduction to the collection before focusing on lecture topics including the natural sciences, literature and the arts, and what can be labelled “domestic morality,” that is, lectures that reflect the general unsectarian religious atmosphere of the period. Selected lectures demonstrate how popular lecturing evolved, not just due to the platform appearances of well-known names, but also in much larger numbers due to the participation of local clergy, neighbourhood patrons, and largely anonymous institute members and governors.

This collection brings together and contextualizes a wide variety of lectures given in institutions and clubs in 19th century England. The popular lecture became one of the most common artefacts of Victorian culture and yet, due to its ephemerality, we know little about who spoke, who listened, why these lectures were delivered, and how they were received. The volumes in this set show how the lecture emerged as a central part of popular culture, how it changed over time, and how the educational and entertaining components of the popular lecture were in constant tension, preserving a crucial piece of political, social, and cultural history.Volume II: 1850-1870 Sciences and Social Sciences, provides a selection of lectures in sciences and social sciences that cover a variety of topics that were considered necessary to the up-to-date Victorian man and woman.

This collection brings together and contextualizes a wide variety of lectures given in institutions and clubs in 19th century England. The popular lecture became one of the most common artefacts of Victorian culture and yet, due to its ephemerality, we know little about who spoke, who listened, why these lectures were delivered, and how they were received. The volumes in this set show how the lecture emerged as a central part of popular culture, how it changed over time, and how the educational and entertaining components of the popular lecture were in constant tension, preserving a crucial piece of political, social, and cultural history.Volume III: 1850-1870 Literature, Fine Arts, and Entertainment, includes serious lectures in art history, performances of poetry, literature, and music, and increasingly comical or merely entertaining pieces, including the introduction of magic tricks and other sensational material onto the popular lecture platform.

This collection brings together and contextualizes a wide variety of lectures given in institutions and clubs in 19th century England. The popular lecture became one of the most common artefacts of Victorian culture and yet, due to its ephemerality, we know little about who spoke, who listened, why these lectures were delivered, and how they were received. The volumes in this set show how the lecture emerged as a central part of popular culture, how it changed over time, and how the educational and entertaining components of the popular lecture were in constant tension, preserving a crucial piece of political, social, and cultural history.In this, Volume IV: 1870-1900, the subject matter of credentialed speech, as well as the oratorical approaches of these credentialed men and women, will be highlighted in the selection of lectures. Selections will illustrate the growing tensions of popular lecturing as a space of education, of entertainment, and of the demonstration of citizenship.

First published in 2004. The nineteenth century witnessed a flowering of the culture of self-improvement that was reflected in a plethora of institutes, societies and journals that sprang up across Britain with the goal of spreading knowledge and learning to a wide spectrum of society. The prophets of self-improvement believed that not only was self-improvement a laudable goal in its own right, but more importantly, it would contribute towards a general improvement in society. In an age in which direct participation in the political processes was restricted to a minority, education and self-improvement could act as an alternative force by creating a sophisticated and knowledgeable population. In other words, self-improvement was also seen as a way of creating active and responsible citizens. Focusing on the city of Birmingham, and drawing on both local and national sources, Self Help and Civic Culture explores the changing nature of self improvement and citizenship in Victorian Britain. By approaching the concept of citizenship from a new perspective, provincial identity and its relationship to wider ideas of 'Englishness' and 'Britishness', a distinct ideal of citizenship is elucidated that adds further nuance to current scholarship. By drawing together various issues of citizenship, self-improvement, class and political power, this work brings a new perspective to the on-going attempts to determine who could claim the full rights, duties, privileges and responsibilities of the larger social body, thus illuminating the relationship between culture and power in nineteenth century England.

“We are a much-lectured people,” wrote Robert Spence Watson in 1897. Beginning at mid-century, cities and towns across England used the popular lecture for purposes ranging from serious education to effervescent entertainment and from regional pride to imperial belonging. Over time, the popular lecture became the quintessential embodiment of Victorian knowledge-based culture, which itself ranged from the production of new knowledge in the most elite of learned societies to the consumption of established knowledge in middle-class clubs and the hundreds of humble mechanics’ institutions initially founded to provide scientific instruction to workers.What did the “average” Victorian talk and think about? How did the knowledge-based culture of lecture and debate enable men and women to demonstrate both civic engagement and cultural competence? How does this knowledge-based culture and its changing expression give us ways to look at Victorian citizenship long before the extension of the franchise? With engaging and accessible prose Anne Rodrick draws from a variety of primary sources to provide fascinating answers to these pertinent questions.Based on the analysis of several thousand lectures and debates delivered over more than 50 years, this book digs deeply into what those individuals below the most elite levels thought, heard, debated, and claimed as a badge of cultural competence. By the turn of the 20th century, the popular lecture was competing for attention with new institutions of leisure and of higher education, and the discourse surrounding its place in contemporary England helps illuminate important debates over access to and deployment of knowledge and culture.

“We are a much-lectured people,” wrote Robert Spence Watson in 1897. Beginning at mid-century, cities and towns across England used the popular lecture for purposes ranging from serious education to effervescent entertainment and from regional pride to imperial belonging. Over time, the popular lecture became the quintessential embodiment of Victorian knowledge-based culture, which itself ranged from the production of new knowledge in the most elite of learned societies to the consumption of established knowledge in middle-class clubs and the hundreds of humble mechanics’ institutions initially founded to provide scientific instruction to workers.What did the “average” Victorian talk and think about? How did the knowledge-based culture of lecture and debate enable men and women to demonstrate both civic engagement and cultural competence? How does this knowledge-based culture and its changing expression give us ways to look at Victorian citizenship long before the extension of the franchise? With engaging and accessible prose Anne Rodrick draws from a variety of primary sources to provide fascinating answers to these pertinent questions.Based on the analysis of several thousand lectures and debates delivered over more than 50 years, this book digs deeply into what those individuals below the most elite levels thought, heard, debated, and claimed as a badge of cultural competence. By the turn of the 20th century, the popular lecture was competing for attention with new institutions of leisure and of higher education, and the discourse surrounding its place in contemporary England helps illuminate important debates over access to and deployment of knowledge and culture.