high and low culture Flashcards
paragraph one
is still meaningful - different between them
popular culture has no artistic merit compared to products of high culture
elite theory - low culture used by elitists to contrast to high culture - seen as inferior and less worth - ‘persuit of perfection’ - superior
popular culture is eroding high culture
McDonald - marxist - mass culture is undermining high culture as it was easier to enjoy and understand - turns adults into children eg superman
evaluation 1
elite theory - postmodernists argue that is it inappropriate to evaluate cultures as superior or inferior - we have a choice to what type of culture we want to consume - pick and mix identity
Giddens - PM - mass culture isnt undermining - blurring lines are like border between countries “they are only there because we are told they are there”
paragraph 2
mechanism of control
marxists - popular mass culture is social control - illusion of choice - dumbing down
marcuse - consumption through advertising of media-generated mass culture - relationship, fun - undermines people’s ability to think critically about the world - social repression
evaluation 2
Storey - members of upper class no longer just consuming high culture - technology and mass markets - elements of high culture are now popular culture and vice vera - some mass culture now being consumed eg Banksy
Harvey - cultural pessimistic view of high culture
- increase of channels due to the digital revolution has dumbed down culture - repeats, sports, gaming - transmits candy flossy culture - speaks to everyone but no one in particular - a reduction and marginalisation of high culture due to technology
paragraph 3
dominant ideology is in high culture over low culture
miliband - mass culture is now the opium of the people
mass culture has the ability to drug the working classes and provide them with an ideology that they buy into without understanding the exploitation
evaluation 3
strinati - PM consumers of mass culture are not passive - they choose what they consume - active on how to react - often critical and reject products they dont find interesting
Livingstone - rather than passively consuming - popular has positive benefit - writers of media open up controversial debates and expose public to issues such as eating disorders and domestic violence
