The End of Public Culture by Richard Sennett - Literature review Example

THE END OF PUBLIC CULTURE BY RICHARD SENNETT: CRITICAL ANALYSIS The given chapter “The End of Public Culture”, has been extracted from Richard Sennett’s work “The Fall of Public Man” (1977: pp 259-270) in which the writer has expressed his views regarding the influence of social alienation, observed by the people in past, on the modern cultural patterns as well as the evident fall of social life in contemporary era. He also laments on the public indifference towards in social, cultural and political activities in contemporary times. “They become”, Sennett notices, “the passive spectators to a political personage who offers them his intentions, his sentiments, rather than his acts, far their consumption.” (1977: p 261) He also emphasises on the nature of and need for the intimate relationships among the individuals by making a comparison of present-day intimate socio-cultural relations with those of the past. The writer vehemently sustains the very fact that the modern man takes intimacy as the ethically beneficial act, a source of personality development and the way to overcome social evils from the environment. This type of philosophy and the desire for solving the individual problems through moral values may put the very meanings of intimacy in serious jeopardy. “This ideology of intimacy”, Sennett declares, “defines the humanitarian spirit of a society without gods: warmth in our god.” (1977: p 259) The feelings of alienation in the past have given birth to the present day intimacy. The writer is of the opinion that reckoning the past memories brings disappointment and remorse, and pushes man to perform something wrong in utter remorse; but it should not be the only mania to be recollected from the past; rather, a comparative analysis of the olden days is highly supportive in detecting the quintessence of customs, norms, mores and traditions prevailing in the contemporary times. In addition, such analyses facilitate the individuals alter their life style accordingly, as the distances between the individuals have left indelible imprints on them on the one hand, and have made them learn how to go closer to family, friends and relations on the other. “The past”, Sennett views, “built a hidden desire of stability in the overt desire for closeness between human beings.” (1977: pp 259-260) The people witnessed inadequate approach towards interaction even with the close relations during 18th and 19th centuries, particularly during the last decades of the Victorian Era, which brought untoward modifications in socio-cultural unit. Hence, people have reached the conclusion that intimate contacts with relations are not only favourable for the personality development and mental health, but also they play the decisive role in promoting moral values and ethical norms in society. “A dominant position has maintained”, Taylor & Brown observe, “that the psychologically healthy person is one who maintains close contact with relations. (1988: p 193) Experiences of last centuries also reveal different kinds of behaviour including both compassion and aggression, among which the latter one is the most unwanted and creates low-profile personality traits. On the contrary, intimate relationships pave the way towards the sublime feelings of respect, warmth, kindness, compassion, and sacrifice. “It has”, Lynn observes, “recently been claimed that a particular form of intimacy, the pure relationship is increasingly sought in personal life. For a couple, the pure relationship involves opening out to each other, enjoying each other’s unique qualities and sustaining trust through mutual disclosure.” (1999: p 477) Intimacy provides individuals with the sense of protection and security against substantial and poignant crumple. Sennett maintains that absence of public life eclipses the social norms and religious beliefs. The people in 19th century had their intellectual links with Enlightenment that kept cultural values in perfect decorum. The writer strives to realize the very reality that people have absorbed so much in their private activities that they have no care for the public life. Public display of affection and other private and personal activities support the very fact that people do not bother even the existence of public life, which must be according to social norms, and personal display of affection should not be made in public places. The writer has successfully raised the question of changing patterns in present day individual and collective life. He has magnificent command over convincing the readers regarding the significance of social activities where there exist strong and well-developed cultural mores, ethical values and historical traditions, ignoring of which may create the situation of peculiarity and alienation in society, weakening the very foundation of a nation consequently. He maintains dexterity and command in making comparison between the life patterns existing in the Victorian and modern cultures. His argues have been supported with apposite examples from history (1848 Revolution), philosophy (Narcissism), literature (i.e. Henry Fielding’s Joseph Andrews) and political science (Capitalism). Sennett declares two communities, i.e. artists and politicians, for shaking the faith of the people towards social phenomenon through the masks of fantasy and delusion. Politicians, through their false promises and lame excuses, and the artists through their self-made artificial love and intimacy, have thrust the common man far from the social interaction and intimate relationships with one another. Hence, Sennett contains persuasive arguments regarding the fundamental motives behind the aloofness and isolation of the contemporary people. There are some points that should also be included in the chapter; one of the most formidable reason of turning people away from public life include Industrial Revolution of 1750 and the consequent mode of earning money while working in loneliness. Under agricultural system, people worked in fields and at institutions while remaining in close contact with one another. Inventions of mechanical devices and computer technologies have enabled man complete his tasks without the help of others. In addition, since the life has become very fast and speedy, everyone aims to work very hard in this age of perfect competition, to make his both ends meet and enjoy all the activities of life out of his own free will. Thus, enlightenment and liberalism have paved the way towards people’s preference of personal life to the public one. Renowned feminist novelists Virginia Woolf, in her Mrs. Dalloway (1924), and Margaret Drabble in her “The Ice Age” (1977) have also indicated the same problem that people do not bother even the grave incidents taking place in their surroundings. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Jamieson, Lynn. (1999) Sociology: Intimacy Transformed? A Critical Look at the Pure Relationship. Volume 3 No. 3 pp 477-497 Sennett, Richard. (1977) The Fall of Public Man Penguin Books pp 259-270 Taylor, Shelley E. & Brown Jonathon D. (1986) Illusion and Well-Being: A Social Psychological Perspective on Mental Health. (Quoted in Psychological Bulletin 1988 Volume 103, No. 2, pp 193-210 Read More