Nation-states have long used representational architecture to create symbolic identities for public consumption both at home and abroad. Government buildings; major ensembles and urban plans have a visibility that lends them authority; while their repeated portrayals in the media cement their image as icons of a shared national character. Existing in tandem with this official self; however; is a second; often divergent identity; represented by the vast realm of domestic space defined largely by those who occupy it as well as those with a vested interest in its cultural meaning. Using both historical inquiry and visual; spatial and film analysis; this book explores the interaction of these two identities; and its effect on political control; class status; and gender roles.Conflicted Identities examines the politicization of both public and domestic space; especially in societies undergoing rapid cultural transformation through political; social or economic expansion or restructuring; when cultural identity is being rapidly "modernized"; shifted; or realigned to conform to new demands. Using specific examples from a variety of national contexts; the book examines how vernacular housing; legislation; marketing; and media influence a large; but often underexposed domestic culture that runs parallel to a more publicly represented one. As a case in point; the book examines West Germany from the end of World War II to the early 1970s to probe more deeply into the mechanisms of such cultural dichotomy. On a national level; post-war West Germany demonstratively rejected Nazi-era values by rebuilding cities based on interwar modernist tenets; while choosing a decidedly modern and transparent architecture for high-visibility national projects. In the domestic realm; government; media and everyday citizens countered this turn to state-sponsored modernism by embracing traditional architectural aesthetics and housing that encouraged patriarchal family structures.Written for readers interested in cultural theory; history; and the politics of space as well as those engaged with architecture and the built environment; Conflicted Identities provides an engaging new perspective on power and identity as they relate to architectural settings.
#964556 in eBooks 2015-10-12 2015-10-12File Name: B0168IXIF6
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Tales AlmanacBy Mark Bonyo BuoghaDo you write? Then read this. About tales. and telling them. About writing responsibility. About juicy Fire-lit evening confidences that keep your audience nailed.
