New Books in Sociology
Waiyee Loh, "Empire of Culture: Neo-Victorian Narratives in the Global Creative Economy" (SUNY Press, 2024)
Mar 3, 2025
Waiyee Loh, an Associate Professor of World Literature at Kanagawa University, discusses her book, revealing how Victorian Britain's legacy shapes global culture today. She explores the commodification of British culture in modern contexts like Japanese Lolita fashion and the collaboration between British and American cultural industries. Loh's insights into trans-imperial relationships highlight the complex dynamics of identity in Singapore and the ongoing impact of colonial histories on contemporary narratives in literature and popular culture.
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Quick takeaways
- The commodification of British heritage reveals historical complexities intertwined with governmental policies and market interests since the 19th century.
- The interplay between British, American, and Japanese cultural industries illustrates both competition and collaboration in the global creative economy.
Deep dives
The Commodification of British Heritage
The commodification of British heritage has deep historical roots, extending beyond the Thatcher government's policies to earlier practices dating back to the 19th century. The book explains how the British state began defining historic monuments as national properties, which required protection rather than privatization. Thatcher's era marked a significant shift where public institutions were encouraged to operate like private companies, indicating a new approach to heritage management. This transition highlights the complexities involved in commodifying culture and how these processes are intertwined with government policy and commercial interests.
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