Festivities of the Middle Class

29 December 2007 11 views No Comment

Creation of Public Space in Europe 19^th Century

- part 1Introduction

In this paper I will attempt to explain how the public space created through festivities in the specific context of Europe in 2 centuries ago. My study will begin with literature background to define what kind of being this word ‘festivities’ is and most importantly, the actors who created those spaces. In this case the role of Bourgeoisie will be explained; why and how they influenced the space. The approach I conduct would be simple, using some study cases of some major festivals during 19^th Century time frame.

I use Friedriech’s[1] work as my main reference and the help of on-line sources, which will be stated throughout the essay. Many of them will give the historical and social set of the community that will help to understand the quality and uses of the public space created. This is then concluded in a sub-chapter that will explain the overall red line of the essay. I hope you will enjoy the ride back into the history of past days with me. After all it is an enjoyable topic to discuss; we are talking about festivities here.

Festivities as Definition

I am sure by mentioning the word would make you to relate the word to festival. The term festivities derived as proceeding from the act of celebration[2]. Just a reminder, the characteristic of a festival is that it is always enjoyment-related experience of the society or in this case a part of society. It is the interest of a festival to make the space a lively spot through activities, such as street parade, dance, the use of costumes, games, etc. I would refer the part of society as the Bourgeoisie, a class which developed throughout Europe as a result of the industrial revolution. This part of society is the one benefited from the liberal system of economy during those ages. This term will be deeper discussed in the next part.

However, before we get too far, I would like to give a brief description of each variant.

Popular based festival went back through the traditional, popular cultures and religious background which is celebrated on reoccurring year or lunar calendar.
Meanwhile monarchic festivals mainly celebrate commemoration of monarchical history.
The last but not least is the national celebration that is renowned annually and based on very important historical facts related to the nation, i.e. Independence Day.

The Bourgeoisie

Let me make a short recollection of this particular name. The word came from French, used as an expression to call the middle class society in the 19^th century. We should at first go back to the French feudal order, which refer to a legal category in society, defined by conditions such as length of residence and source of income. The word mean evolved to merchants and traders, and until the 19th century it was mostly synonymous with the middle class (persons in the broad socioeconomic spectrum between nobility and serfs or proletarians). Then, as the power and wealth of the nobility faded in the second half of the 19th century, the Bourgeoisie emerged as the new ruling class. [3] It is important now to amplify their role in the society. The bourgeois state is sovereign, i.e., it is an independent body separate from its citizens and distinct from all their particular interests. It is a power acknowledged by all citizens solely because it enforces its own interest, the common good, against all the private individuals.[4] This explanation gives a good description of what the class capable of. They were the main actors in the social structure. In relation to festivalisation, I am going to explain it through the study cases.