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From Art to Politics: How Artistic Creations Shape Political Conceptions
Murray Edelman holds a unique and distinguished position in American political science. For decades one of the few serious scholars to question dominant rational-choice interpretations of politics, Edelman looked instead to the powerful influence of signs, spectacles, and symbols—of culture—on political behavior and political institutions. His first, now classic, book, The Symbolic Uses of Politics , created paths of inquiry in political science, communication studies, and sociology that are still being explored today.
In this book, Edelman continues his quest to understand the influence of perception on the political process by turning to the role of art. He argues that political ideas, language, and actions cannot help but be based upon the images and narratives we take from literature, paintings, film, television, and other genres. Edelman believes art provides us with models, scenarios, narratives, and images we draw upon in order to make sense of political events, and he explores the different ways art can shape political perceptions and actions to both promote and inhibit diversity and democracy.
"Elegantly written. . . . He brilliantly contends that art helps create the images from which opinion-molders and citizens construct the social realities of politics."— Choice
"It is perhaps the freshness with which he puts his case that is what makes From Art to Politics , as well as his other works, so challenging and invigorating."—Philip Abbott, Review of Politics
In this book, Edelman continues his quest to understand the influence of perception on the political process by turning to the role of art. He argues that political ideas, language, and actions cannot help but be based upon the images and narratives we take from literature, paintings, film, television, and other genres. Edelman believes art provides us with models, scenarios, narratives, and images we draw upon in order to make sense of political events, and he explores the different ways art can shape political perceptions and actions to both promote and inhibit diversity and democracy.
"Elegantly written. . . . He brilliantly contends that art helps create the images from which opinion-molders and citizens construct the social realities of politics."— Choice
"It is perhaps the freshness with which he puts his case that is what makes From Art to Politics , as well as his other works, so challenging and invigorating."—Philip Abbott, Review of Politics
- GenresArtNonfictionPolitics
162 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1995
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47 people want to read
About the author
Murray Edelman
18 books6 followersEdelman received a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1941. He then earned a master’s degree in history from the University of Chicago in 1942 and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1948. He served on the faculty of the University of Illinois from 1948 to 1966. In 1966 Edelman joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and he retired from there in 1990.
Edelman’s innovative and classic book The Symbolic Uses of Politics (1964) is the seminal work on symbolic politics, and it continues to exert a widespread influence on scholarly research. In it, Edelman explored the use of myths, rites, and other symbolic forms of communication in the formation of public opinion and policy. He drew a distinction between the conventional view of politics, which focuses on how people acquire what they want through government, and the reality of politics, in which political symbolism is used to influence a country’s citizens by placating them or compelling them to act. The book was centred on the notion that democracy is largely symbolic and expressive in function and has fostered vibrant scholarly debate. According to Edelman, political reality is concealed from the public through the generation of largely empty symbols by the political elite.
Edelman wrote 10 other books exploring the issues of which The Symbolic Uses of Politics laid the foundation. Those books include Politics as Symbolic Action: Mass Arousal and Quiescence (1971), which explored the generation of political perception and public opinion in democracies and mass political action, and Constructing the Political Spectacle (1988), in which he argued that even those who are the most well-versed in politics would exhibit characteristics of the dominant ideology—even if they developed and espoused ideologies that ran counter to it
Edelman’s innovative and classic book The Symbolic Uses of Politics (1964) is the seminal work on symbolic politics, and it continues to exert a widespread influence on scholarly research. In it, Edelman explored the use of myths, rites, and other symbolic forms of communication in the formation of public opinion and policy. He drew a distinction between the conventional view of politics, which focuses on how people acquire what they want through government, and the reality of politics, in which political symbolism is used to influence a country’s citizens by placating them or compelling them to act. The book was centred on the notion that democracy is largely symbolic and expressive in function and has fostered vibrant scholarly debate. According to Edelman, political reality is concealed from the public through the generation of largely empty symbols by the political elite.
Edelman wrote 10 other books exploring the issues of which The Symbolic Uses of Politics laid the foundation. Those books include Politics as Symbolic Action: Mass Arousal and Quiescence (1971), which explored the generation of political perception and public opinion in democracies and mass political action, and Constructing the Political Spectacle (1988), in which he argued that even those who are the most well-versed in politics would exhibit characteristics of the dominant ideology—even if they developed and espoused ideologies that ran counter to it
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 24, 2017
Edelman is an arch-constructivist who believes that art influences how we think about politics - to the point that he believes that 'art is the fountainhead from which political discourse, belief about politics, and consequent actions ultimately spring'.
Edelman's book is iconic in its field, and understandably so. From Art to Politics is littered with numerous intelligent examples, his insights original and incisive, his argument credible, and yet it is let down by both a dull few chapters later in the book, and a wildly assumptive tone that offers little in the way of scientific evidence to back up blanket statements and theories he provides.
An original and intriguing book begging for someone to give it a 21st century update.
Edelman's book is iconic in its field, and understandably so. From Art to Politics is littered with numerous intelligent examples, his insights original and incisive, his argument credible, and yet it is let down by both a dull few chapters later in the book, and a wildly assumptive tone that offers little in the way of scientific evidence to back up blanket statements and theories he provides.
An original and intriguing book begging for someone to give it a 21st century update.
Read
September 29, 2022so boring. school reading sucks.
February 24, 2014
Strong arguments at the beginning, but in the last to chapters it seems to fall apart. It becomes a bit too abstract and difficult to understand.
Overall, he exhibits a strong understanding of the importance of art in a political environment and provides helpful examples to illustrate his point.
"art is the fountainhead from which political discourse, beliefs about politics, and consequent actions ultimately spring."
Overall, he exhibits a strong understanding of the importance of art in a political environment and provides helpful examples to illustrate his point.
"art is the fountainhead from which political discourse, beliefs about politics, and consequent actions ultimately spring."
Read
September 30, 2008This book starts in earliest art and goes through different political uses of art... Spain, China, Nazi German, Feminists. It's a great read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews