CiNii Books - Talking of the royal family

The public seem to have an insatiable appetite for information about the Royal family. Every day the media carry news and pictures about the most famous family in the world. Yet social scientists have virtually ignored this strange mass obsession. Now, Michael Billig, a social psychologist, examines the significance of this interest in royalty. He argues that the Royal family is a symbol of continuity in national consciousness. He supports this claim with analyses of 63 English families discussing the Royal family. As the families talk about royalty, they are talking about much more: about gender, nationality, family life, the media, inequality, sex. Above all, they are talking about themselves. The book shows how this talk can be simultaneously serious and funny. There are jokes, criticism, praise and, above all, acceptance. Billig does much more than simply portray `attitudes' towards royalty. He shows how our commonsense attitudes and ordinary desires are constructed and contributes new insights about ideology and popular memory. This book should be of interest to students of sociology, cultural studies, psychology, and the general reader.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: The problem of monarchy 2. The envy of the world 3. The continuing mystery 4. Identifying with them 5. Settling accounts 6. Desire, denial and the press 7. A woman's realm 8. The heritage of the future. Appendix. Interview details.

Volume: : pbk ISBN 9780415067461

Description

To talk about royalty is to talk of many things: privilege, equality, nationality, morality, family life, parenting, divorce, the media and more. Important themes and issues flow through the seemingly trivial everyday chatter about royalty. Now with a new preface, Talking of the Royal Family was the first serious full-length study of royalty to emerge from this rhetorical perspective and remains relevant today.

Table of Contents

Preface, Preface to the reissue, Acknowledgements, 1 INTRODUCTION: THE PROBLEM OF MONARCHY, 2 THE ENVY OF THE WORLD, 3 THE CONTINUING MYSTERY, 4 IDENTIFYING WITH 'THEM', 5 SETTLING ACCOUNTS, 6 DESIRE, DENIAL AND THE PRESS, 7 A WOMAN'S REALM, 8 THE HERITAGE OF THE FUTURE, Appendix, References, Name index, Subject index

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Talking of the royal family

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