Description
Book SynopsisA comparative and trans-national study of urban culture in Britain and the United States from the late nineteenth to the twentieth centuryUsing the industrial cities of Manchester and Chicago as case studies, this book traces the idea of "citizenship" across different areas of local life in the first half of the twentieth century - from philosophy and festivals to historical re-enactment and public housing. Coalitions of voluntary associations, municipal government and local elites lambasted modern urban culture as the cause of social disintegration. But rather than simply decanting the population to new and smaller settlements they tried to re-imagine a reformed city as a place that could foster loyal and healthy communities. Celebrating civic progress in the period since the "shock city" of the nineteenth century,they sought to create a sense of local pride that could bracket growing class and racial tensions. The diverse individuals, groups and communities of the city reacted in different ways to this message. Some were happy to gather under the identity of one civic banner. Others, held back by discriminatory structures of society, chose to shape their own idea of citizenship - one that looked far beyond the city for a sense of belonging and rights. Historians have tended to emphasise the rise of national identity, state centralisation and popular patriotism at the expense of distinctive local identities, municipal autonomy and expressions of civic pride. This book aims to redress the imbalance, demonstrating how local ideas of belonging could still exert a powerful hold on the making of modern citizenship. TOM HULME is a lecturer in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, Queen's University Belfast.
Trade ReviewThe book is full of wonderful moments [...], and deftly weaves together the histories of two places thousands of miles apart. -- ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW
Historians of modern Britain and America should congratulate Tom Hulme for this insightful, comparative history and his successful analysis of the sources from the councils that governed both cities. This book is essential reading for all those interested in the urban development history and what helped to shape urban culture and citizenship in the early twentieth century. * THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIAL HISTORY SOCIETY *
Meticulously researched [it] adds much to our understanding of early twentieth century Britain and America. It is a welcome addition to a burgeoning literature on the urban environment, and is testament to the vibrancy of urban studies as a field. * JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY HISTORY *
Readers will learn much from this well-constructed book. Its comparative approach is deftly handed, toggling smoothly between Manchester and Chicago...In terms of both method and content, then, After the Shock City represents a welcome contribution to the thriving field of British urban history. * JOURNAL OF BRITISH STUDIES *
Urban historians and scholars of modern Britain and the US will be influenced by this insightful comparative approach and Hulme should be congratulated for the thorough archival research undertaken here and his successful analysis of sources... After the Shock City is a must read for all historians interested in urban history, local politics and urban governance in Britain and the US. * URBAN HISTORY *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: After the Shock City Citizenship and the Interwar City Urban Utopias and Education Celebrating the City History, Progress and Community Performance The Citizen of Tomorrow Civic Culture and Welfare Conclusion. After the Citizenship City Bibliography Index
