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‘The “Class” Complex’: Mass-Observation and Cultural Distinction in Pre-War Britain
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‘The “Class” Complex’: Mass-Observation and Cultural Distinction in Pre-War Britain
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Journal Article
‘The “Class” Complex’: Mass-Observation and Cultural Distinction in Pre-War Britain
2008
Overview
In June 1939 the social research organization Mass-Observation sent a directive to its panellists designed to solicit information on what it called \"the nexus of social attitudes and behaviour which make up the 'class' complex\". The responses, sent in by nearly 400 people from all parts of Britain, provide a rich source for understanding the experience of class on the eve of World War II. This article examines the responses, particularly in light of Pierre Bourdieu's analysis of cultural distinction, which conceptualises culture as false consciousness of class. Rather than confirming Bourdieu's view of high culture as intrinsically anti-democratic, the Mass Observers appear to exemplify a modernity which linked reflexive self-exploration to participation in public affairs and, for many, engagement with high culture. Their reflections suggest the potentially emancipatory effects of literature, the arts and intellectual life in general. (Quotes from original text)
