Cultural pessimism arises with the conviction that the culture of a nation, a civilisation or of humanity itself is in a process of irreversible decline. In an incisive and wide-ranging analysis, Cultural Pessimism: Narratives of Decline in the Postmodern World charts the growth of pessimism in the West during the last decades of the twentieth century.Drawing on studies from within a very broad range of fields, which include ecology, human rights, military history, international relations, criminology, history of science, cultural criticism and political economy, the author shows how cultural...

An intellectual history of contrasting ideas around the power of the arts to bring about personal and societal change - for better and worse. A fascinating account of the value and functions of the arts in society, in both the private sphere of individual emotions and self-development and public sphere of politics and social distinction.

Cultures are shaped by many institutions and agencies, including governments, corporations, education and the media. In recent years, research into these culture-shaping activities has been increasingly associated with the developing field of cultural policy studies. The Cultural Policy Review of Books offers a fascinating insight into the intellectual formation of many of the leading figures that have contributed to this field. Invited to write a short review essay on the book that had most influenced their thinking, 41 academics and researchers from around the world reveal what they...

In the context of widespread intellectual pessimism, this book explores how individuals and societies sustain hope. It focuses, in particular, on the active role played by powerful institutions in the propagation of optimism. The cultures they promote offer visions of the future, which nurture hope and meaning, and exercise strong influences on how people act in the present. Yet these processes often go unobserved.

In this sequel to his acclaimed book on cultural pessimism, Oliver Bennett examines the institutional promotion of optimism in five different domains: democratic politics;...