War and culture: the lessons of post-war France
War and culture: the lessons of post-war France
France emerged wounded from the dark days of the Second World War but the rebuilding of France offers one of the most successful examples of managing the aftermath of war. This article examines the process of ‘bricolage’ through which the French elites carried out an urgent programme of nation building, with the cultural and intellectual rebuilding of French national identity playing a key role. The emerging national synthesis subordinated the demands of other identities, especially those of class and gender, to the dominant forces in the national society. The powerful consensus to rebuild a new national identity in 1944-7 helped to secure the future for a free and prosperous post-war France. The success with which they rebuilt their nation may hold lessons for other countries in the present day, where embattled national elites confront the strategic task of building or rebuilding a nation after conflict and regime change.
france, second world war, liberation, nation building, national identity, language, culture, dominance, bricolage
91-100
Kelly, Michael
dcc9dfa0-fb81-40b3-b87b-a16e4ba0c430
2008
Kelly, Michael
dcc9dfa0-fb81-40b3-b87b-a16e4ba0c430
Kelly, Michael
(2008)
War and culture: the lessons of post-war France.
Synergies Royaume-Uni et Irlande, 1, .
Abstract
France emerged wounded from the dark days of the Second World War but the rebuilding of France offers one of the most successful examples of managing the aftermath of war. This article examines the process of ‘bricolage’ through which the French elites carried out an urgent programme of nation building, with the cultural and intellectual rebuilding of French national identity playing a key role. The emerging national synthesis subordinated the demands of other identities, especially those of class and gender, to the dominant forces in the national society. The powerful consensus to rebuild a new national identity in 1944-7 helped to secure the future for a free and prosperous post-war France. The success with which they rebuilt their nation may hold lessons for other countries in the present day, where embattled national elites confront the strategic task of building or rebuilding a nation after conflict and regime change.
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kelly_synergies.pdf
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Published date: 2008
Keywords:
france, second world war, liberation, nation building, national identity, language, culture, dominance, bricolage
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 80106
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/80106
ISSN: 1961-9464
PURE UUID: 68998057-1fd9-4107-bab1-090e5b61e8de
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Date deposited: 24 Mar 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:33
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