Mike Wayne 
England’s Discontents 
Political Cultures and National Identities

England’s Discontents unpacks the genealogy of British identities over the last two hundred years as they have been shaped by the main political cultures and their interactions with cultural politics.



Conservatism, social liberalism, economic liberalism, social democracy and socialism in partnership and conflict, have forged different models of national belonging and identity. Wayne draws on Gramsci’s work to reassess debates about Britishness and renew Gramsci’s relevance to understanding our contemporary discontents.



In doing so, he reveals that England’s enduring attachment to economic liberalism is in danger of eroding all other political cultures, even conservatism, liberalism and the British state.

Tabella dei contenuti

Introduction

1. Political Cultures and National Identities: A Gramscian Framework

2. The Formation of Political Cultures

3. Conservative Culture and the Economy

4. Conservative Culture and the State

5. The Oscillations of Liberalism

6. Geopolitical Discontents: A Tale of Two Referendums

7. Hegemony in Question: Stuart Hall, Gramsci and Us

8. Going Forwards, Facing Backwards

Notes

Index

Circa l’autore

Mike Wayne is Professor of Film and Television Studies at Brunel University, London. He is the author of England’s Discontents: History, Politics, Culture and Identities (Pluto, 2018), Understanding Film (Pluto, 2005) and Marxism and Media Studies (Pluto, 2003).