Familiarity Breeds Consent? Patriotic Rituals in British First World War Propaganda

Abstract

This paper focuses on ritual aspects of British public propaganda during the First World War and considers whether they can be said to have encouraged emotional investment in patriotic tropes like duty and sacrifice. It explores the structural organisation of patriotic events arranged by different groups and argues that these amounted to the ritualised staging of patriotism. The first part of the paper discusses the small, everyday public events arranged by propaganda organisations. It suggests repetitive conventions served deeper purposes than routine administrative convenience. The second section explores patriotic fundraising. Kit Good suggests that civilians felt the need not only to be patriotic, but to be seen in that light through their participation in patriotic events, and this section explores the rituals surrounding the collection of money for patriotic purposes.