This book reproduces the original 1937 founding pamphlet of Mass-Observation - the compelling social research project that ran for decades in the mid-20th century - with expert commentary throughout. It also features brand new supporting essays by and informative interviews with prominent scholars of Mass-Observation which reflect on the organisation, its origins and its influence on multiple academic disciplines, including history, sociology and anthropology. An introductory essay by the editor synthesizes the arguments of this material, as well as contributing vital historical context and suggestions for ways in which other disciplines might benefit from the use of Mass-Observation approaches and archival material. There is also a chronology of Mass-Observation, its publications and major figures associated with it. Mass-Observation offers an unparalleled wealth of insights into the lived experiences of Britons in the 20th century and this volume provides the best introduction to it available, familiarizing you with both the original Mass-Observation aims and what value this fascinating material carries for us today.

In this original volume, Jennifer J. Purcell and Fiona Courage curate and contextualize Mass-Observation’s rich archival materials on the British popular imagination of the monarchy and the royal family between 1937 and 2022. A 2016 telephone poll of British adults by Ipsos Mori conducted on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday declared that ‘the monarchy remains as popular as ever’. The survey also found that a substantial majority favored a monarchy over a republic. What lies behind the generalisations and statistical data generated by such opinion polls? How does the British public imagine the monarchy and its role in British society and governance? What is the relationship between the British people and the Crown? Using material from the social research organisation, Mass-Observation, which has been asking these questions for over 80 years, Reflections on British Royalty gets to the heart of these issues and more besides. From the coronation of George VI in 1937 to the wake of Elizabeth II's death– via war, weddings, a jubilee and a tragedy – this book incorporates everything from diaries and detailed responses to questionnaires, to children’s essays on royalty, internal organisational documents and published reports on popular attitudes to royalty in order to reveal the true nature of Britain’s relationship with its monarchy in the modern era.

Mabel Constanduros was one of the first British radio comediennes and a beloved star of the early BBC, best known as the creator and performer of the comic Cockney family, the Bugginses. In this, the first significant biography of Constanduros, Jennifer J Purcell explores Constanduros's career and influence on the shaping of popular British entertainment alongside the history of the nascent BBC. Mother of the BBC provides new insights into programming decisions and content on the early BBC, deepening our understanding of the history and evolution of situation comedy and soap opera. Further, Constanduros's biography considers class in the representation of the British people on BBC radio, the gendered experience and performance of radio celebrity, and the intersections between BBC entertainment and other forms of popular media prior to the advent of television. Constanduros's emphasis on the everyday and the family had far-reaching impacts on the shape of sitcom and soap opera in Britain, two popular lenses through which the nation sees itself at home. Her role in developing entertainment on the BBC and the ways in which she cultivated her career make her the Mother of the BBC, but in constructing a popular image of family life she might also be considered the Mother of the Nation.

This book reproduces the original 1937 founding pamphlet of Mass-Observation - the compelling social research project that ran for decades in the mid-20th century - with expert commentary throughout. It also features brand new supporting essays by and informative interviews with prominent scholars of Mass-Observation which reflect on the organisation, its origins and its influence on multiple academic disciplines, including history, sociology and anthropology. An introductory essay by the editor synthesizes the arguments of this material, as well as contributing vital historical context and suggestions for ways in which other disciplines might benefit from the use of Mass-Observation approaches and archival material. There is also a chronology of Mass-Observation, its publications and major figures associated with it. Mass-Observation offers an unparalleled wealth of insights into the lived experiences of Britons in the 20th century and this volume provides the best introduction to it available, familiarizing you with both the original Mass-Observation aims and what value this fascinating material carries for us today.

In this original volume, Jennifer J. Purcell and Fiona Courage curate and contextualize Mass-Observation’s rich archival materials on the British popular imagination of the monarchy and the royal family between 1937 and 2022. A 2016 telephone poll of British adults by Ipsos Mori conducted on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday declared that ‘the monarchy remains as popular as ever’. The survey also found that a substantial majority favored a monarchy over a republic. What lies behind the generalisations and statistical data generated by such opinion polls? How does the British public imagine the monarchy and its role in British society and governance? What is the relationship between the British people and the Crown? Using material from the social research organisation, Mass-Observation, which has been asking these questions for over 80 years, Reflections on British Royalty gets to the heart of these issues and more besides. From the coronation of George VI in 1937 to the wake of Elizabeth II's death– via war, weddings, a jubilee and a tragedy – this book incorporates everything from diaries and detailed responses to questionnaires, to children’s essays on royalty, internal organisational documents and published reports on popular attitudes to royalty in order to reveal the true nature of Britain’s relationship with its monarchy in the modern era.

Mabel Constanduros was one of the first British radio comediennes and a beloved star of the early BBC, best known as the creator and performer of the comic Cockney family, the Bugginses. In this, the first significant biography of Constanduros, Jennifer J Purcell explores Constanduros’s career and influence on the shaping of popular British entertainment alongside the history of the nascent BBC. Mother of the BBC provides new insights into programming decisions and content on the early BBC, deepening our understanding of the history and evolution of situation comedy and soap opera. Further, Constanduros’s biography considers class in the representation of the British people on BBC radio, the gendered experience and performance of radio celebrity, and the intersections between BBC entertainment and other forms of popular media prior to the advent of television. Constanduros’s emphasis on the everyday and the family had far-reaching impacts on the shape of sitcom and soap opera in Britain, two popular lenses through which the nation sees itself at home. Her role in developing entertainment on the BBC and the ways in which she cultivated her career make her the Mother of the BBC, but in constructing a popular image of family life she might also be considered the Mother of the Nation.