The Invention of Tradition

The Invention of Tradition

by E J Hobsbawm, T O Ranger

View in Mendeley Desktop In your library Save reference to library

The Invention of Tradition (1983)

Volume: Thirteenth, Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Pages: 320

ISBN: 0521246458

Buy this book

Abstract

Many of the traditions which we think of as very ancient in their origins were not in fact sanctioned by long usage over the centuries, but were invented comparatively recently. This book explores examples of this process of invention - the creation of Welsh and Scottish 'national culture'; the elaboration of British royal rituals in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; the origins of imperial rituals in British India and Africa; and the attempts by radical movements to develop counter-traditions of their own. It addresses the complex interaction of past and present, bringing together historians and anthropologists in a fascinating study of ritual and symbolism which poses new questions for the understanding of our history.

Cite this document ^(BETA)

Click to zoom in 1 page available to preview

Close

Page 1

The Invention of Tradition

Week 3—The Modern Invention of the Nation Text 1: • Hobsbawm, Eric J. (1983), “Introduction: Inventing Traditions” and “Mass-Producing Traditions: Europe, 1870-1914” in Hobsbawm, Eric J. and Terence Ranger (eds), The Invention of Tradition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 1-14 and 263-307. Questions •What are “invented traditions,” according to Hobsbawm, and what is their function? •Hobsbawm identifies several forms of invented traditions: the most obvious are holidays and festivals, but there are several others—what are they? • What social actors are most involved in the creation of those traditions? • Why is the invention of traditions necessary in modern society? Why aren’t old traditions good enough? •Hobsbawm does not discount the fact that old traditions do exist. But he maintains that old and invented traditions are prominent in their respective realms—which type is more important in the private realm, which one in the public sphere? • Why is the study of invented traditions so important if one wants to understand nationalism? • Traditions are created, or produced, at two levels: top down (political) and bottom up (social). What examples of each does Hobsbawm give? Can you think of contemporary ones, in US society? Terms/concepts to keep in mind -invented tradition -top-down/bottom-up processes of nationalization -private/public -