Changing cultural tastes

By Anthony Edward Waine

Book Description

This thought-provoking exploration invites readers to examine how deeply held cultural beliefs about love and relationships shape our understanding of ourselves and others. Anthony Edward Waine challenges the long-standing European assumption that courtly and romantic love represents the pinnacle of human connection, revealing how this perspective became intertwined with cultural identity and marriage concepts for centuries.

Through careful analysis, Waine demonstrates how this romantic ideal served as a cornerstone of European self-perception from the late eighteenth century through the mid-twentieth century. The book traces the significant shift that occurred in the 1960s, when scholars began recognizing romantic love as a universal human experience transcending cultural boundaries rather than a uniquely European invention.

For those on a journey of personal growth and cultural awareness, this work offers valuable insights into how emotions and identity intersect across different societies. By questioning Eurocentric assumptions about love and relationships, readers gain a broader perspective on human connection that extends beyond traditional Western frameworks.

The examination of friendship, popular culture, and public opinion provides additional layers of understanding about how cultural tastes evolve and influence our worldview. This scholarly yet accessible work encourages readers to reflect on their own assumptions about love, identity, and the universal nature of human emotional experience across diverse cultures.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~5 hours)

📄 Length: 184 pages

What You'll Discover

✓ Explore History and criticism
✓ Explore Popular culture
✓ Explore Public opinion
✓ Explore Friendship
✓ Explore Europeans
✓ Understand the nature of love
✓ Explore German literature, history and criticism, 19th century
✓ Explore European National characteristics

Topics Covered

History and criticism Popular culture Public opinion Friendship Europeans Love in literature German literature, history and criticism, 19th century European National characteristics Love Social life and customs Popular culture and literature Popular culture, germany Intellectual life Germany, intellectual life German literature, history and criticism, 18th century German literature, history and criticism, 20th century Courtly love German literature Attitudes Politics and literature History