1.1 Types Of Culture Flashcards
Give examples of subcultures:
- religious groups
- youth subcultures
- subcultures based on hobbies
- subcultures based on sexuality
- social groups
- subcultures based on ethnicity
What are deviant youth subcultures?
Subcultures made up of young people who’s norms and values run counter to those of wider society
Give examples of some youth subcultures:
- goths
- emos
- chavs
- hippies
- punks
- skinheads
- mods
- indie
- rockers
What is the CCCS and what did they study?
- the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (marxist)
- in the 1970s and 80s they began studying youth subcultures which emerged from the 1950s onwards
What is a subculture?
A smaller group within a larger group (society) that share some mainstream norms and values, but has its own set of unique norms and values differing from the wider group
What did the CCCSs research show?
- youth subcultures often are a way of symbolically resisting dominant culture
- they do this by creating there own style, dress and music so they maintain control over distinct values
Give examples of what youth subcultures value:
- most youth subcultures value being unique, resistance, acceptance and community
- hippies value peace
- skinheads value aggression
How are youth subcultures viewed by wider society?
- looked down upon and are seen in a negative light
- many in society feel intimidated by them
What do youth subcultures provide for young people?
- A sense of identity and belonging
- rebellion
- pride
- community
What do postmodernists say about youth subcultures?
They are becoming less distinct as people increasingly choose their identities. As a result styles are becoming more mixed (hybrid identities)
What is high culture?
" the culture of the rich " - the type of culture enjoyed by those of the upper class and those with higher status
Give examples of high culture activities:
- opera
- ballet
- classical music
- certain types of art
- plays/theatre (Shakespeare)
- certain novels and literature (Dickens)
What are high culture activities seen as?
More sophisticated, difficult and worthwhile
What did Pierre Bourdieu (Marxist) say about high culture?
- high culture is dominant as the upper classes have the power to give it more status
- it provides people with cultural capital
What is cultural capital?
Having the appropriate norms and values and enjoying a particular form of high culture leads to financial rewards and social mobility
What is social mobility?
The chance to improve your social position
Why are children who are raised in a high culture environment at advantage in the education system?
Because the knowledge gained through enjoying high culture is highly valued in the education system
What does enjoying high culture with certain groups of people mean for individuals?
- rewards (financial, jobs)
- chance to build up social contacts and networks
What is popular culture also known as?
Mass culture
What is popular culture?
Any form of culture that is not high culture, it is enjoyed by the majority of society
Give examples of popular culture:
- TV
- Cinema
- Sport
- mainstream music
How is popular culture produced?
It is commercially produced
Why has popular culture grown?
Due to the growth of the mass media, which made particular forms of music and items widespread
What is popular culture often viewed as?
- simple
- low status
- unchallenging
- less sophisticated
How do Marxists view popular culture?
- powerful high culture individuals attempts to exploit and control lower status groups
- a way of dumbing us down and making us more passive
How do others view popular culture?
A way to allow lower status groups to express their own cultural views and even rebel
What did Strinati (postmodernist) say about the distinction between high and popular culture?
- the distinction is blurring
Why are high and popular culture blurring?
- the media gives everyone access to activities previously seen as high culture
- e.g Shakespeare plays in to movies
What is consumer culture?
- a culture centred on buying and consuming goods
- encouraging people to buy a range of never ending products
Why does consumer culture exist?
Due to the increasing availability of and emphasis on the consumption of goods and services
How is consumer culture connected to global culture?
The mass media is used to promote and advertise products for people to buy
What has become a part of people’s culture and what is now seen as acceptable?
- consumerism has become a part of people’s culture
- excessive consumption and the debt associated with it are now seen as acceptable
What’s conspicuous consumption?
People consume branded goods in order to construct an identity and gain status in the eyes of others
What do postmodernists say about consumer culture?
People create their identities based upon what they buy consume (pick n mix identities)
What did Marcuse (Marxist) say about false needs?
Advertising creates false needs, people think they need the stuff they see
This keeps capitalism going but distracts the rest of society from the wider issues
What is global culture?
- a collection of norms and values crossing national boundaries
- a global culture exists through cultural products becoming UNIVERSAL
What is this universal global culture a result of?
The spread of western ideas through the mass media
What is globalisation? Why is it happening?
- The process leading to a global culture
- “the compression of time and space”
- as the world is becoming more interconnected through transport and technology, people can travel and communicate ideas easily
What is mcdonaldisation (Ritzer)?
The idea that western ideas and culture are making societies around the world increasingly similar like fast food brands
What is another word for mcdonaldisation?
- Americanisation
- homogenisation
What does western culture mean for societies?
They are becoming more rational, scientific and predictable
Why do some worry about global culture?
Some feel it is leading to the loss of traditional culture
What do others argue about the positives of globalisation?
-It has led to the strengthening and protecting if traditional cultures
-increasing communication of traditional ideas
(Globalisation works both ways)
How do some cultures resist globalisation?
They block out global culture, for instance the great firewall of China
Give an example of things universally recognised:
- Nike
- McDonald’s
- the Simpsons
- Beyoncé
What is a cultural hybrid?
When two or more cultures combine an da new form of culture emerges
How is cultural hybridity linked to globalisation?
Western ideas spread and combine with local cultures to form hybrids
Where is cultural hybridity often most noticeable?
- music
- fashion
- food
Give an example of cultural hybridity in the UK:
The uk National dish is chicken tikka masala
What is creolisation?
- example of cultural hybridity
- process where creole cultures emerged in colonial societies
What is a creole culture?
A culture that doesn’t have historical roots but is the result of global interconnections
Where have creole cultures occurred?
In places such as Louisiana and the Caribbean
Why did creolisation occur in the Caribbean?
- uprooting and displacement of large numbers of people in colonial plantation economies
- European powers established colonies in the Americas, Asia and Africa
Why is creole an example of cultural hybridity?
The combination of traditional cultures with new ideas
E.g. Within creole cultures traditional African religious beliefs exist along with Christianity the blending of the two has led to new religions such as voodoo in Haiti
what are some aspects of the Na’s culture?
live with siblings no marriage "walking marriages" - secret visits religion highly valued diet based on smoked and salted meat
what are some aspects of the San’s culture?
healing dances respect for the land - ancestry nuclear families all adults take responsibility for the children live off the land language involves clicking sounds
