Propagande culturelle ou relations culturelles ? La mission ambiguë du British Council, 1934-1954

The British Council’s name reflects its founders’ difficulty in defining its mission. Today the Council defines itself as the British organization for cultural relations whereas in the interwar years it was described at times as a cultural propaganda organization. How can we explain this difference?...

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Main Author: Alice Byrne
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association Française d'Etudes Américaines 2020-02-01
Series:Transatlantica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/13460
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author Alice Byrne
author_facet Alice Byrne
author_sort Alice Byrne
collection DOAJ
description The British Council’s name reflects its founders’ difficulty in defining its mission. Today the Council defines itself as the British organization for cultural relations whereas in the interwar years it was described at times as a cultural propaganda organization. How can we explain this difference? It becomes apparent from a study of the British Council’s development between 1935 and 1954 that both of these notions influenced its policy over this period. Although the changing international context led one or the other to the forefront at certain times, neither approach ever fully replaced the other. Furthermore, although certain scholars have opposed cultural propaganda and cultural relations, they are in fact closely related and even complementary.
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spelling doaj-art-5fcdb719620347f3b39bd34cbece2d222025-01-30T10:45:32ZengAssociation Française d'Etudes AméricainesTransatlantica1765-27662020-02-01210.4000/transatlantica.13460Propagande culturelle ou relations culturelles ? La mission ambiguë du British Council, 1934-1954Alice ByrneThe British Council’s name reflects its founders’ difficulty in defining its mission. Today the Council defines itself as the British organization for cultural relations whereas in the interwar years it was described at times as a cultural propaganda organization. How can we explain this difference? It becomes apparent from a study of the British Council’s development between 1935 and 1954 that both of these notions influenced its policy over this period. Although the changing international context led one or the other to the forefront at certain times, neither approach ever fully replaced the other. Furthermore, although certain scholars have opposed cultural propaganda and cultural relations, they are in fact closely related and even complementary.https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/13460British Councilcultural relationscultural propagandaliberal internationalismBritish foreign policy
spellingShingle Alice Byrne
Propagande culturelle ou relations culturelles ? La mission ambiguë du British Council, 1934-1954
Transatlantica
British Council
cultural relations
cultural propaganda
liberal internationalism
British foreign policy
title Propagande culturelle ou relations culturelles ? La mission ambiguë du British Council, 1934-1954
title_full Propagande culturelle ou relations culturelles ? La mission ambiguë du British Council, 1934-1954
title_fullStr Propagande culturelle ou relations culturelles ? La mission ambiguë du British Council, 1934-1954
title_full_unstemmed Propagande culturelle ou relations culturelles ? La mission ambiguë du British Council, 1934-1954
title_short Propagande culturelle ou relations culturelles ? La mission ambiguë du British Council, 1934-1954
title_sort propagande culturelle ou relations culturelles la mission ambigue du british council 1934 1954
topic British Council
cultural relations
cultural propaganda
liberal internationalism
British foreign policy
url https://journals.openedition.org/transatlantica/13460
work_keys_str_mv AT alicebyrne propagandeculturelleourelationsculturelleslamissionambiguedubritishcouncil19341954