Introduction to the course

Question 1

Different foci of cultural studies!

Answer 1

1. Examines - culture - interact…
2. Provide - …critically
3. Enhance - appreciation - enjoyment,,,

Question 2

Characterise traditional notions of ‘Landeskunde’ (regional) and ‘Kulturstudien’ in Germany.

Answer 2

1. If it was on offer at all, it was either:
   *contextual - language - literary
   *background knowledge -…native speaker
2. Both approaches were unsatisfactory bcz:
   *lacked - other questions
   *failed - relevant correct issues
   *GDR, single perspectives

Question 3

Name three criteria that define an academic discipline.

Answer 3

Object, method, history

Question 4

The etymology of the word culture and give at least four different uses of the word.

Answer 4

1. Etymology: Frech to Latin (cultus) nurturing the growth ; colere - to grow
2. Different uses:
   *tending of growing ; nurturing the growth
   *high culture
   *universal culture
   *art or aesthetic - symbol
   *human civilization, set against the rest of nature
   *specific national culture

Question 5

Barker’s definition of cultural studies.

Answer 5

a. Interdisciplinary - culture and power intersect
b. Focus on how ways of life are instilled in society through systems of classification
c. Rooted in higher education but also engaged in social movement

Question 6

Edgar and Sedgwick’s definition of culture.

Answer 6

Culture is the everyday complexity we all live in and shape through our actions, reflecting our ability to create, build, and communicate through various forms of expression.

Question 7

3 Different meanings of the word culture as a dictionary entry.

Answer 7

1. a. The art of other human achievements collectively
2. b. Intellectual development
3. The civilization of a particular time or people
4. Improvement by mental or physical training
5. a. The cultivation of plants
6. b. The cultivation of soil
7. Quantity of micro-organisms and the nutrient material supporting their growth

Question 8

The concept and the arbitrariness of the linguistic sign (Saussure).

Answer 8

The concept: the linguistic sign doesn’t unite ‘a thing’ but a mental and physical part

Saussure stressed the arbitrariness of a sign as a first principle of semiology (no good reason why we used that sound or word). Saussure saw language as a structural system where natural connections determine meanings.

Question 9

Explain the terms langue and parole and the relation between the two.

Answer 9

Language: all the rules and structures that make communication possible.

Parole: It’s a specific, individual expression created by a speaker, chosen from the options provided by the language.

Langue provides the structure and system, and parole represents its practical application in everyday speech.

Question 10

Explain the difference between the terms denotation and connotation. Give three examples (different lexical items).

Answer 10

Denotation: literal or primary meaning
Connotation: associative or additional meaning

• Rose denotes a type of flowering plant with prickles on its stems; Connotes love, beauty, and romance.
• Home denotes a physical dwelling where people live; Connotes comfort, security, and belonging.
• Book Denotes a set of written or printed pages bound together; Connotes knowledge, imagination, and education.

Question 11

Explain Saussure’s structuralist view of language.

Answer 11

First, relations of cultural texts and practices the ‘grammar’ which makes the meaning possible

Second, meaning is always the result of the interplay of relationships of selection and combination made possible by the underlying structure

Question 12

Give common characteristics of different schools of structuralism in the 20th century.

Answer 12

Interest in the systems and the formal structure that enable the production of meaning

The original structuralist stimulus was a theory of language

Language is appropriate as a model for understanding cultural systems

Question 13

Explain the traditional Marxist base-superstructure model

Answer 13

The base determines the conditions under which people live and work. Includes the economic system, such as the means of production (factories, farms, etc.) and the relationships of production (how goods are produced and distributed).

Superstructure: aspects of society, such as politics, laws, culture, religion and ideologies. These elements are shaped by the economic base to maintain the ruling class.

“economic systems (base) shape society’s laws, culture, and ideologies (superstructure), reflecting and reinforcing the interests of the ruling class.’

Question 14

Give three basic definitions of ideology.

Answer 14

A systematic body of concepts (idea)
A manner of the content of thinking
The integrated assertions, theories, and aims that constitute a political and social programme

Question 15

Describe the functioning of Althusser’s ‘ideological state apparatuses’. What are their common concerns?

Answer 15

Common concerns:
1. they all are patriarchial
2. concerned with the getting and keeping of wealth and possessions
3. assert individualism and competition between individuals

Althusser’s ideological state apparatuses (like the media, legal, educational, and political systems) achieve ideological goals by setting and validating social norms:
1. Realized in the day-workings of ideological state apparatuses
2. Each institution is ‘relatively autonomous’ (no connection between any other; e.g. legal system isn’t explicitly connected to school or media)

Question 16

Outline and comment on Marx’s notion of ‘false consciousness’ and ideology!

Answer 16

1. the dominant ideas are the ideas of the ruling class
2. the true character of social relations within capitalism are in actuality the mystification of the market

Question 17

Explain Gramsci’s concept of hegemony!

Answer 17

1. Control cannot be maintained simply through the use of force or violence (police or armed forces)
2. Trade unions, civil rights expansion and universities require rulers to seek consent rather than relying on force
3. The dominant capitalist class presenting their ideas and experiences as normal and legitimate
4. Intellectuals are aligned with the ruling class and reinforcing capitalist ideologies

Question 18

Define globalisation and name at least three types of change that characterise it!

Answer 18

A process of transformation in the spatial organization of society, generating transcontinental flows and network of activity, interaction and power

Characterized by 4 types of changes:
1. Involves a stretching of social, political and economic activities across political frontiers, regions and continent
2. Suggest the intensification of the interconnectedness and flows of trade, migration, culture, etc
3. Global interconnectedness can be linked to a speeding up of global interactions and processes
4. Global interactions can be associated with their deepening impact, the boundaries between domestic matters and global affairs can become increasingly blurred

Question 19

Explain either the concept of homogenisation or heterogenisation concerning global cultural exchange. Give at least four examples!

Answer 19

Homogenization: the tendency for cultures around the world to become more similar or uniform due to globalization processes, and the spread of common values driven by global media, technology, and economic integration.

Examples:
1. Fast food chains: McDonalds and Starbucks could be found worldwide
2. Fashion trend: luxury brands like Gucci influenced by brands like Supreme, create a global aesthetic treat that transcends local cultural boundaries
3. Language and communication: English as a global language
4. Pop culture: Hollywood dominates the global entertainment market

Question 20

Name examples of the impact of globalisation on cultural exchange.

Answer 20

a. Increased accessibility of diverse and remote culture
b. Patterns of population movement and settlement established during colonialism and its aftermath increased cultural juxtapositioning
c. More advanced means of transportations
d. Availability of global choice of consumer goods

Question 21

Name the main dimensions of globalisation.

Answer 21

Historical, economic, cultural, political, technological, environmental

Question 22

Explain the term glocalisation. Give at least two examples.

Answer 22

The global and local shouldn’t be considered mutually exclusive but interdependent.

Two tendencies:
1. Global localisation
2. Local globalisation

Examples:
1. global youth cultural forms (practices, music, lifestyle, fashion) are adapted to and integrated into a specific local context
2. local youth cultural forms (practices, music, lifestyle, fashion) are spread globally

Question 23

Name the central elements of Rex’s ideal of egalitarian multiculturalism.

Answer 23

1. Shared political culture of the public domain
2. Number of separate cultures in private or communal domain
3. Multiculturalism is only acceptable in a democratic society

Question 24

Comment on the ‘problem’ of a multicultural society for the host nation and the migrant/minority communities.

Answer 24

For the host nation:
1. Hardly balancing cultural diversity with national identity
2. A diverse community can weaken social community
3. Increased competition for jobs and pressure on public service
4. Creating fair policies that accommodate diversity could be challenging

For the migrant/minority communities:
1. Integrating the majority culture could be quite challenging for immigrants
2. Facing prejudice and unequal opportunities
3. Lower wages, higher unemployment, limited access to service
4. Struggling for political participation

Question 25

Name the main convictions that are the basis of Hartley’s definition of multiculturalism.

Answer 25

Multiculturalism means recognizing and managing societal diversity through official policies that value and celebrate cultural differences in contrast with previous expectations of assimilation, advocating instead for the celebration and preservation of cultural diversity.

Question 26

Explain the terms ‘race’, racism and ethnicity.

Answer 26

Race: a socially constructed category that emphasizes physical characteristics but is shaped by cultural and societal influences rather than by universal biological truth.

Racism: Belief in the superiority of one’s ethnic group or seeing other groups as threats to cultural identity, racial integrity, or economic well-being.

Ethnicity: a group of people who identify with each other based on a common ancestry, shared cultural traits, and group history.

Question 27

Characterise the relations between minority cultures and the indigenous majority culture.

Answer 27

Elements of minority culture do affect the majority culture, but they are unlikely to transform it fundamentally

Immigrants must adapt to the cultural and institutional norms of the societies where they settle

Immigrants typically accept and live within these constraints as part of the trade-off for the benefits of immigrating

Minorities contribute to national culture through campaigns against injustice and their own cultural expressions or arts

Question 28

Name major achievements for and of women in Britain in the 20th Century.

Answer 28

1. Voting rights in 1918, full voting rights in 1928
2. Laws gradually restricted husbands’ exclusive rights over wives and children
3. Legal rulings and administrative decisions expanded rights to hold public office
4. The Equal Pay Act (1970) and Sex Discrimination Act (1975) banned discrimination based on sex in certain areas.

Question 29

Explain the difference between sex and gender. Identify areas in which gender differences are constructed.

Answer 29

Sex is what we are born with, we do not have an influence on our sex at birth and it is categorized as biological. Gender is best understood as a spectrum rather than a binary.

Gender is a socio-cultural construct and its roles can vary from culture and change over time.

Major areas: family, school or education, peer groups, media, language, reservations and prejudice in society

Question 30

Characterise gender divisions in employment and the segregation of the labour market.

Answer 30

Gender division:
a. Historical perspective: gender-based labor has been seen throughout history
b. Present situation: gender remains a fundamental factor in the contemporary British labor

Occupational segregation by sex:
a. Horizontal:
- Female workers are concentrated in a limited range of occupations
- there is further concentration on roles traditionally defined as ‘women’s work’
- Most women are found in lower-status professions like

b. Vertical:
- Women are predominantly found in lower levels of the occupational hierarchy, with lower wages, status, and authority within professions.
- Vertical segregation by sex is evident in both manual and non-manual occupations

Question 31

Comment on the controversial issue of paid work vs. child care and housework.

Answer 31

1. Housework and child care are often seen as part of women’s roles rather than recognized as work
2. This perspective has hidden the connection between household labor division and gender disparities
3. Labor is typically exchanged for wages, work performed in personal relationships rather than for monetary payment is not acknowledged as labor. Women’s caregiving roles for children and husbands are seen as natural family responsibilities rather than essential work.