Like this:

I recently finished a complete first draft of my PhD. At the moment it is a bit too long and I am about to take a knife to it. However, I thought that it would be useful to post a brief summary of the arguments that have emerged from my research.

There are two ‘sides’ to the PhD – The first is about how the Totnes area became a site of ‘countercultural’ activity. At the moment I have written two chapters on this, detailed below. Many of the posts that I have put up on this site have actually related to this side of the PhD.

If anybody would like to read the whole of either chapter I would be happy to email them a copy. Similarly, if anyone would like to agree or challenge the arguments I would also be very interested in hearing from them.

—————————-

Chapter 5: The Dartington effect

The ‘Dartington experiment’ is the primary reason that Totnes became a countercultural place.  However, it was not necessarily the direct effect of Dartington, but the ‘collision’ of Dartington and the Counterculture of the 1970s that led to the impact on Totnes. Whilst Dartington experimented with some Countercultural practices these experiments were limited and controversial within the organization. One of the key effects of Dartington was to act as a migratory driver for the ‘progressive’ middle classes.  A number of its institutions (Dartington Hall School, the College of Arts) acted in this way. The chapter therefore argues that the desire to be amongst ‘likeminded’ people was a draw to the area (value homophily). However, the research also suggests that familial homophily was also important, with migration occurring because of friends, families and personal connections.

Dartington also supported the circulation of ideas and people, bringing Countercultural ideas to the area and supporting their local circulation. It did this not only through the employment that it provided but also through the conferences and events that it put on. The local courses and literature that it produced also helped ideas to circulate.

The chapter argues that during the 1970s, underpinned by Dartington, a Countercultural milieu grew up around the Totnes and Dartington area. Much of the Countercultural practice emerged from this milieu rather than Dartington itself, although the latter did support some activities, for example through Elmgrants. Furthermore, it argues that both Dartmoor and Torquay were also significant influences on the developling milieu.

Chapter 6: The impact of a Countercultural milieu

This chapter charts the impact of the milieu. It charts the emergence of several significant strands of countercultural practice within the Totnes area:

• Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
• New Spiritual Movements
• Radical Feminism
• Organic Agriculture
• Environmental Activism and Green politics
• Peace activism
• Hood Faire festivals
• ‘New Age’ Travellers

One argument of this chapter (and the thesis as a whole) is that place images / myths such as ‘new age’ or ‘alternative’ obscure the diversity of countercultural practices that take place.

It goes on to argue that there have been several effects of this milieu that have all had a direct impact on Totnes itself:

1)   The emergence of  ‘place myths’ / ‘place images’ about the town / area which shape both how it is imagined and its actual material development

2)   The production of underground press and other countercultural literature in Totnes

3)   The development of Totnes as an economic ‘centre’ for various ‘alternative’ cultures

4)   Increased visibility of countercultural activity in Totnes

5)   Proliferation of  ‘countercultural’ institutions since the mid 1970s

6)   Ongoing in-migration driven by reputation and homophily

The ‘countercultural’ migration has contributed to a wider process of gentrification that has taken place in Totnes and which has led to the current disparity between house prices and wages.

Advertisement