Historical and Cultural Context

Before I begin to analyse the changes in representation that occur in the different adaptations of Sherlock, I thought it would be useful to research the years that each film/TV series were produced to understand the historical/cultural context. 

Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror - 1942

World War II...

• Following the introduction of the United States to WW2 on December 7, 1941 the war truly became a 'world war' with most areas of the world being affected in some way 
• Mobilization of war efforts- manufacturers changing to production of weapons of war 
• Nazis at the Wannsee Conference in Berlin decide that the 'Final Solution' to the Jewish problem is relocation and later extermination- beginning of the holocaust
• Minimum draft age lowered from 21 to 18 (US)
• Singapore surrendered to Japan
• Norway under German occupation
• Death penalty announced for anyone aiding Jews
• Womens units set up in the US, for example the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) - General Douglas MacArthur said the WAAC's were his best soldiers, they worked harder, complained less and were better disciplined than men    
• New breed of movies with war themes 

Other important events...

• British government accept the findings of the 'Beveridge report'- proposed a welfare system that would operated by the state at the end of the war to banish poverty and 'want' in Britain 
• 26 countries agreed to create the United Nations (UN)- declaration signed in Washington 

Women (progress up to 1942)...

• Large number of organisations now represented women's interests- National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship, women's trade unions and the Women's Institute 
• Women contributed a lot more to wartime labour- 7.25 million women employed in industry, agriculture, the armed forces and civil defence organisations. Whereas in the 1930's, before the war had begun, a woman's place was in the home and it was only acceptable for them to work outside of the home if they had no family to care for
• 'Rosie the Riveter' was used as propaganda to encourage women to go into work, she was seen as strong, serious and competent- shift in the way women were represented in the media
• Women generally hired for the lowest paying jobs and it was difficult for them to get promoted- willing to accept lower wages 
• Skilled male employers often refused to adequately train women- tended to resent female workers and assumed that they would not take their job seriously 
• Women had to endure harassment in the work place, including sexual harassment 
• Criticism from traditionalists who feared that war work would destroy women's femininity
• Despite the lack of faith in women workers they worked hard, gained confidence in their skilled and saved their well earned wages- eventually started to win over their male co-workers  
• No maternity or family benefits- if a working women got pregnant she was usually terminated 
• War helped to revive the women's movement- growing consensus in favour of the social and welfare reform (proposed by the Beveridge Report)
• The war influenced women's fashion, often they wore trousers or one-piece siren suits
• Greater social freedom- more opportunities for encounters with the opposite sex
• The stigma attached to single mothers meant that many women were forced to seek backstreet abortions or give up their babies to adoption services 

Sexuality (progress up to 1942)...

• Social freedom due to the war resulted in an increase in people with venereal disease or having illegitimate children (less socially acceptable then), however as a result sex education was being introduced and by the end of the war people were far better informed about the topic (opened up a discourse about sex)  
• Societal views of the role of sex were beginning to change- people starting to view it as 'individual satisfaction' and 'self expression'
• Transition in how sex crimes are classified and regulated- laws around the world regulating sodomy and adultery were slowly becoming more relaxed, whereas laws regulating rape and child sexual abuse were starting to be expanded 
• Homosexuals were involuntarily committed to psychiatric facilities by their families, the hospitals promised that they would eventually leave cured of their 'sexual illness'- they were often subjected to cruel and inhumane treatments (castration, torture drugs, shock therapy and lobotomies)
• A large portion of the gay community didn't actually see themselves as gay despite having relations with men as well as women 
• Article by Rado describes homosexuality as 'a phobic avoidance of the opposite sex caused by parental prohibitions against childhood sexuality'
• The US military eliminated homosexuals based on a medical rationale
• During WW2 homosexuality was grounds for dismissal from the forces and for harsh imprisonment 
• The police enforced laws prohibiting sexual behaviour between men
• Gay people were often treated like child molesters

Race/ethnicity (progress up to 1942)...

• Black women often employed as maids and cooks- poorly paid jobs
• Most employers in the war industries tried to avoid hiring black women- in America black people started to hold protest demonstrations and eventually an order was produced that banned discrimination in the war industries
• Racism was prevalent in America, particularly in the Southern states 
• Many white Americans opposed to black people working in factories
• The lives of black people in America had improved during the war and they didn't want this to come to an end so they started to campaign to secure their rights
• Segregation was the norm in the US army- white soldiers and black soldiers would fight separately- black soldiers called the 'Jim Crow Army' 
• In the US black people couldn't sit down on buses, they couldn't drink from white drinking fountains and they had to address white people as 'Sir' or 'Mam'
• 'Race crossing' was thought to be dangerous 
• Thousands of Jewish people were rejected from Britain- helped play a part in driving millions of Jews into Hitler's concentration camps
• In England, particularly London, signs often appeared in the windows of B&B's and lodging houses reading 'No Blacks, no dogs, no Irish...' 
• Black workers in Britain often faced discrimination- 'colour bars' prevented them from entering pubs and clubs 

Murder by Decree - 1979

Important events...

• USSR invades Afghanistan 
• Public sector workers go on strike- largest strike to take place in the UK since 1926, workers from the 4 largest public sector unions (National Union of Public Employees, Confederation of Health Service Employees, General and Municipal Workers Union, and Transport and General Worker’s Union) stop working in protest of the British government attempting to create a pay ceiling at 5%. They demand a 60 pound a week minimum wage and a 35hr work week
• Margeret Thatcher elected as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• Crisis in Iran causes an increase in oil prices around the world- the public begin panic buying making things worse
• Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after 15 years of exile- takes over the Iranian law enforcement, courts and government administration, seizing power all over Iran (Iranian Revolution)
• Iran's government becomes Islamic Republic when the Shah of Persia is forced to leave 
• First black-led government of Rhodesia in 90 years takes power and the countries name is changed to Zimbabwe
• President Hasan al-Bakr resigns and Vice President Saddam Hussein replaces him in Iraq
• China institutes the one child per family rule to help control its expanding population
• The price of oil reaches a new record of $24 per barrel 
• Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is executed 
• Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty signed 
• Siege of the Grand Mosque in Mecca- lasted 2 weeks and claimed an estimated 4000 lives 
• Soviet war in Afghanistan began (December 24th)

Women (progress up to 1979)... 

• Birth control bills approved (US&UK)
• The 'Civil Rights Act' bars discrimination in employment based on race and sex (US)
• 'Equal Pay Act' makes it illegal for employers to pay women less than what a man would recieve for the same job (US)
• National Organisation for Women (NOW) founded by a group of feminists in the US-seek to end sexual discrimination
• Sex segregated help ads in newspapers made illegal (US)
• Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) passed by Congress (US)
• Supreme Court establishes a woman's right to safe and legal abortion (US)
• First marital rape law enacted in Nebraska, making it illegal for a husband to rape his wife
• Pregnancy Discrimination Act bans employment discrimination against pregnant women- cannot be fired or denied a job on the basis that she is pregnant (US)
• Married women's property act- allowed married women to keep half of any savings they'd made from the allowance paid to them by their husbands (financial independence for women) (UK) 
• Rape Crisis formed (1973)- a network that provides support to affiliated member groups and campaigns to raise awareness of the issues of sexual violence in the wider community (UK)
• Sex Discrimination Act founded in 1975 (UK)
• UN declared 1975 an International Year for Women to raise global awareness of women's rights 
• Employment Protection Act made maternity pay a requirement for employers and stopped dismissal on the grounds of pregnancy
• National Abortion Campaign (NAC) formed in 1975 to defend women's rights to make decisions about their bodies 
• Organisation of Women of Asian and African Descent (OWAAD) founded- campaigned on issues of immigration and deportation (UK)
• Margaret Thatcher becomes first woman Prime Minister of the UK
• Second-wave feminism- focus on issues of sexuality, family, the workplace, reproductive rights, de facto inequalities and official legal inequalities. Also drew attention to domestic violence and marital rape issues 
• TIME awarded its 'Man of the Year' in 1975 to American women
• First Women's studies department founded at San Diego State College in 1970

Sexuality (progress up to 1979)...

• Sexual liberation (also known as the sexual revolution)- acceptance of sex outside of traditional heterosexual, monogamous relationships. Normalization of contraception, public nudity, pornography, premarital sex, homosexuality and alternative forms of sexuality 
• Loosening norms around sex and non-heterosexual sex was brought into the spotlight
• Era of increasing awakening and visibility, as well as backlash and persecution for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people
• Political mobilisation of the gay and lesbian movement 
• First gay pride parade held in 1970
• In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its official list of mental disorders
• Books published about sex, often with graphic sexual imagery (e.g The Joy of Sex)
• Increased commercialisation and commodification of sexuality through pornography and mass media- relaxation of censorship laws
• Culture of 'free love'- preached the power of love and the beauty of sex
• Female sexual empowerment brought about by the pill, a form of contraception- more women engaging in pre marital sex 
• Aversion therapy as a form of treatment for homosexuals died out towards the end of the 1970's after pressure from gay rights campaigners and the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967 
• Not much of a discourse for gay issues- people who were homosexual would often only 'come out' to friends, possibly family but not society at large
• People used abusive language such as 'fruits', 'queers' and 'fags' to describe homosexuals- often there was also acts of violence towards gay people 
• Gay liberation movement- a civil rights movement that advocates equal rights for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals

Race/ethnicity (progress up to 1979)...

• Some schools allowed black children to go to the same school as white children, however some states refused to pay for black children to go on a bus to the same school as white children (US)
• Standards in schools better for white children than they are for black children (US)
• In the early 70's the 'Black is Beautiful' movement was created to make black people feel proud of being black
•  African Americans more involved in further education and the field of literature, however only 16% of young African Americans were attending college and unemployment was prevalent  
• Most black women worked in the service sector and more than half of black men were employed in blue-collar jobs (US)
• Although most white people think racism is wrong, they still look down on blacks and possibly fear them
• Racism in the UK was deeply enshrined- people being verbally abused and not treated as equals
• UK police were largely prejudiced towards young Asian and black men, performing stop and searches without reason 
• Thatcher was determined to keep race/immigration at the centre of political debate

Sherlock Holmes - 2009, Sherlock (UK TV Series) - 2010, Elementary (US TV Series) - 2012

2009 Important events...

• On going financial crisis and recession which began in late 2007- many calling it the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930's. By the end of 2009, although unemployment had continued to increase, markets had recovered and the worst was thought to be over
• World Health Organization (WHO) declares 'swine flu' as a global pandemic 
• Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States
• Slovakia adopt the euro 
• Russia shuts off all gas supply to Europe through Ukraine due to dispute over a debt of $2.4 billion to Gazprom
• Israel begin an assault on the Gaza Strip 
• Israel and Hamas declare a ceasefire in the Gaza War
• International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for the president of Sudan, Omar Hassan Ahmad al Bashir for was crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region
• President Obama announces that the US, China, India, Brazil and South Africa have reached an agreement to combat global warming
• Mobile phone technology continues to grow- increased use of 3G networks 

2010 Important events...

• Financial crisis and high unemployment continues- house prices still depressed due to the large number of foreclosures 
• BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster in the gulf of Mexico- leaves gulf beaches, fishing and the shellfish industry reeling
• US increase the number of troops stationed in Afghanistan hoping to eliminate the Taliban and Alkida terrorist groups operating in the country 
• American, Afghan and British troops storm the city of Marja in an attempt to destroy the Taliban's latest haven 
• Floods in Pakistan leave millions homeless, starving and cause major disruption to the country 
• Suicide bombers carry out a bomb attack on the Moscow Metro leaving 40 dead and 60 injured
• Explosions in Iraq disrupt the general election, killing at least 38 people
• Gordon Bbrown formally resigns as prime minister after acknowledging that his party (Labour) will be unable to reach a majority in parliament
• David Cameron becomes Prime Minster of the United Kingdom

2012 Important events...

• EU imposes an oil embargo on Iran in an attempt to get them to halt uranium enrichment and end its nuclear weapons efforts
• Mars Science Laboratory or Curiosity Rover successfully lands on Mars  
• Felix Baumgartner becomes the first person to break the sound barrier without mechanical assistance 
• Vladimir Putin wins the presidential election in Russia, making it his 3rd full term as President
• Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agrees to cease fire but it is later considered moot and a UN official declares that Syria is in a state of civil war 
• President Obama is re-elected for his second term 
• Russia joins the World Trade Organisation 
• Taliban members shoot Malala Yousafzai in the head and neck for her outspokenness against the Taliban and her determination to get an education 
• Denmark's parliament approved same-sex marriage 
• A federal appeals court in California rejects the voter-approved ban on same sex marriage
• North Carolina passes an amendment to ban gay marriage- becomes the 30th state to include an anti-gay marriage amendment in its constitution 
• Facebook goes public 

Women (progress up to 2012)...

• The Isle of Man passes its first ever Sex Discrimination Bill in 2001, 30 years after the UK
• Sexual Offences Act (2003) provides new legislation against abuse by people who work with children and updates the laws of sexual abuse within the family (UK)
• Iraq war sees increase in female military involvement (2003)
• Wangari Muta Maathai becomes the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 
• Dove launches campaign for real beauty- models that more closely resemble real life women, creating a message that focuses on self-esteem rather than flaws (2004)
• In 2005 Hillary Clinton became the First Lady to be elected to public office as a US Senator
• Reauthorisation of the Violence Against Women Act- aids victims, provides housing to victims and ensures victims have access to the justice system (2005)
• Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf became the world's first black female president (2006)
• Jacqui Oatley became the first female 'Match of the day' commentator (2007)
• In November of 2008 the Forced Marriage Act came into force in the UK to protect vulnerable women
• Hilary Clinton becomes the only First Lady to run for President in 2008
• President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act which allowed victims of pay discrimination to file a complaint with the government against their employer within 180 days of their last pay check
• Kirsty Moore became the first woman pilot to fly with the Red Arrow team (2010)
• Affordable Health Care Act signed into US law- private health insurance companies must provide birth control without co-pays or deductibles (2010)
• Third wave feminism- broadened their goals focusing on ideas like queer theory and abolishing gender role expectations and stereotypes for both men and women 
• Increasing number of women and men identifying themselves as feminists- more discussion about what it means to be a feminist 

Sexuality (progress up to 2012)...

• Supreme Court overturned sodomy laws in 2003- legalised consenting sexual behaviour between adults (US)
• Unmarried and same sex couples became able to adopt children together for the first time in 2005 (UK)
• Civil Partnership Act (2004) brought same sex-couples similar legal rights as married couples (UK)
• Massachusetts legalised gay marriage in 2004- first US state to legalise same sex marriage, since then 13 more states have also legalised it
• In 2007 the House of Representatives approved a bill ensuring equal rights in the workplace for gay men, lesbians and bisexuals
• In 2009 Obama signed the Hate Crimes Prevention Act which gives the Department of Justice the power to prosecute crimes that were motivated by the victim's race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability
• Gordon Brown made an official public apology on behalf of the British government for the way in which Alan Turing was chemically castrated for being gay, after the war (2009)
• Same sex marriage is introduced in states across America 
• Barrack Obama became the first president to support same sex marriage in 2012
• London hosted World Pride in 2012
• LGBT people across the UK victimised- hate crime
• Gay Pride festivals in cities across the world show growing acceptance for the LGBT community
• Younger generations leading the change in public attitude toward gays and lesbians
• TV shows from the early 2000's such as 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' that have followed the lives of gay and lesbian characters have made homosexuality more widely accepted 
• Kids learning about sexuality at a young age through films, TV and the internet 
• Sexual health more openly discussed 
• Portrayal of women in popular media has become increasingly sexualised- often depicting women as passive objects for someone else's sexual pleasure
• Unrealistic representations of women in the media lowering self esteem 
• Become the norm for women to have pre-marital sex 

Race/ethnicity (progress up to 2012)...

• Extraordinary steps towards race relations in the US- new ground broken in film, television and politics
• The amount of racial violence in American communities decreased significantly 
• Some minority groups, for example Arab Americans and Hispanic Americans, still faced discrimination- mainly because of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and immigration 
• Rather than discriminating people because of their race, many people are choosing to discriminate people for their religion- rise of Islamophobia  
• The cartoon 'Dora the Explorer' from the early 2000's young children of different ethnic groups to embrace Latino people
• America elected their first black President in 2008
• Disney released first film with black princess in 2009 ('The Princess and the Frog')
• New strand of racism in America called 'reverse racism'
• White people in America have closer contact and relationships with black people than they did 35-40 years ago 
• People in America mainly live in racially integrated neighborhoods now
• Ethnic minorities in Britain were highly likely to have suffered some form of racism- concern that little was being done to address the causes of racism 
• Racial inequality worsened in the workplace in the UK and ethnic minorities were more likely to be living in poor housing conditions
• Attitudes towards foreigners were believed to being passed down by previous generations in the UK