Mass Culture

Question 1

The debate in sociology concerning the development of MASS CONSUMERISM and the mass media?

Answer 1

Whether the mass media and mass consumerism has led to the DEVELOPMENT of a mass culture

Question 2

What is the MASS culture Characterised by?

Answer 2

LOW STANDARDS and it is CONSUMED by a passive, uncritical audience

Question 3

Perspective of Right Wing Critics (aka. Elite Theorists) on mass culture?

Answer 3

• They see mass culture as threatening to high culture
• Provides a positive example to lower social orders
• Mass culture = the dumbing down of culture

Question 4

Left Wing Critics (Neo Marx Frankfurt School) critical theory against the mass culture?

Answer 4

• Capitalism imposes culture on the masses and creates an illusion of choice
• In reality, standardisation and banal mass culture conceal a manipulative ideology, in which CONSUMERISM and CONFORMITY replace CONSCIOUSNESS
• Marcuse- Mass culture reduces people to uncritical and passive consumers
• The media is a new opium of the masses, drugging its victims with a mixture of consumerism and crass entertainment

Question 5

Pluralist views of the media?

Answer 5

• Offers greater variety of choice than ever (folk culture, high and different ethnic cultures globally are available to everyone)
• we can experience all music that ranges from classical to country, reggae, etc.
• Gans (UNPRECEDENTED CULTURAL CHOICES available to people today) not confined to the elite

Question 6

Postmodernists view of the media?

Answer 6

• Media provide us with many cultural artefacts from many times and places, so we can now forge our identities THROUGH our CONSUMER choices
• Lyotard - we are no longer bound by our social backgrounds. Age, gender, ethnicity , etc. ni longer main determinants of identity

Question 7

What is Mass Culture?

Answer 7

Mass culture is a contemporary culture that is the product of CAPITALISM and MASS PRODUCTION and the MASS MEDIA