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1 Ribbon Culture

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3 Ribbon Culture Charity, Compassion, and Public Awareness Sarah E.H. Moore School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, University of Kent, UK

4 Sarah E.H. Moore 2008 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act First published 2008 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOI / This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

5 for Alex

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7 Contents Acknowledgements 1 Introduction 1 Ribbon culture 1 Scholarly accounts of ribbon wearing 4 Overview of the book 5 Structure of the book 7 2 Ribbon Wearing: Towards a Theoretical Framework 10 Symbolic behaviour 12 Identity 21 Charity and compassion 31 Conclusion 41 3 Flags and Poppies: Charity Tokens of the Early Twentieth Century 43 Flag days 43 The poppy 46 4 Ribbon Histories 51 The yellow ribbon: tradition and sentiment 52 The red AIDS-awareness ribbon: from AIDS activism to fashion accessory 57 The pink breast-cancer awareness ribbon: marketing breast cancer 63 Conclusion 70 5 Symbolic Uses of the Ribbon 73 The ribbon as a symbol of solidarity with homosexuals 74 The ribbon as a resource in community-action campaigns 77 The ribbon as a mourning symbol 81 The ribbon as a symbol of self-awareness 89 Showing awareness and its connection to other uses of the ribbon 90 The meaning of showing awareness 93 vii ix

8 viii Contents 6 Showing Awareness and the 1960s Counter-culture: Breaking Rules and Finding the Self 100 Breaking rules 102 Finding the self 112 Conclusion Worry as a Manifestation of Awareness: The Implications of Thinking Pink 123 Worrying about breast cancer 126 Femininity in the breast cancer awareness campaign 133 Conclusion The Commercialisation of Charity and the Commodification of Compassion 137 Ribbon wearers attitudes towards charity 137 Feelings of compassion 141 Conclusion Conclusion 150 Appendix: Some Brief Notes on Methodology 158 Notes 164 References 171 Index 187

9 Acknowledgements I wish to thank a number of people who have provided useful criticism and advice during the writing of this book. Frank Furedi has not only offered many useful suggestions during the course of this project, but he has also supported me throughout. Mary Evans and Alisdair Spark have also provided stimulating advice and much encouragement. Fabienne Jung, Ralph MacKenzie, and Jacqueline Moore also deserve special mention for their help and support. Many of my students at the University of Kent and Rochester Independent College have sparked thought-provoking discussions over the years without them I imagine I d have become a reclusive writer. This book is based on doctoral work funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and I gratefully acknowledge their financial assistance. Lastly, I would like to thank my whole family, and especially my husband, Alex Clayton, for their love and support. ix