SOME SOCIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF MODERN ARCHITECTURE.

This article discusses the sociological aspects of modern English architecture as of 1930. The 19th century industrialism was expressed in Great Britain by the cheapest and most unpleasant form of urbanism--developed in centers remote from the normal English traditions of culture, for example, the peasant culture represented on the social side by the Country Family, and on the intellectual, by the University of Oxford. This industrial urbanism had no tradition of city life to guide it, like the city life of the continent, and 19th century towns were, for the most part, nothing but crude miners' camps. It is interesting to note how the various political parties have contributed to the architectural problems of the day as particularly exemplified in post-war housing. After the War, when Lloyd George was in power, the Liberals attempted to solve the problem by the employment of architects, and were successful to the extent that they produced a series of model settlements, which will be a starting point for similar schemes of building for a very great while to come. These little architectural communities stand out as oases in the desert of speculative building--but, as they were provided ostensibly for the Working Classes, they have had this curious effect on the Class immediately above them, which is, that what is called a Council house, however, beautifully designed, has a distinctly detrimental effect on a Middle-Class neighborhood, so that this Class differentiation operates to the disadvantage of good architecture.