Rethinking the history of British popular culture, 1850–1914

Abstract

This article explores the way in which the history of Victorian popular culture has been rethought by historians since 2000. In the mid to late 20th century, the social history of leisure was often shaped by Marxist assumptions and devoted to emphasising the role of social class in determining forms of pleasure. In the 21st century historiography, class still matters but so do issues around race, gender and space.