Cultural Revolutions : The Politics of Everyday Life in Britain, North America and France

The revolutions in England, the United State and France ushered in the modern political age. "Cultural Revolution" analyzes the place of material culture, ritual, and everyday life during these revolutions, providing a fresh and engaging discourse on the way in which the minds of the masses were transformed from monarchism to republicanism.

The author shows how, faced with the challenge of persuading large populations to alter their previously inscribed sets of ideas, revolutionaries in all three countries turned to the power of aesthetics.

From the banning of dancing in Cromwell's England, to the 'homespun' clothing of Revolutionary America, to France's new calendar and naming systems, Auslander assesses how daily habits and tastes were altered in the interests of political change.

An accessible introduction to the concept and practice of 'cultural revolution', "Cultural Revolution" shows that, though reason may change minds, it is habits and rituals which alter hearts.