Mass culture and popular culture Flashcards
what did BURKE suggests with the modern idea of popular culture?
Burke suggests that the modern idea of popular culture is associated with the development of national consciousness in the late eighteenth century, and results from the attempt by intellectuals to turn popular culture into national culture
what did Williams note with the history of the idea of popular culture?
he notes that ‘popular’
meant ‘being seen from the point of view of the people rather than from those seeking favour or power over them’
what are the three related themes related to the development of the idea of popular culture?
- what or who determines popular culture?
- what is the influence of commercialisation and industrialisation on popular culture?
- what is the ideological role of popular culture?
how are the 1920s and 1930s considered significant turning points in the study and evaluation of popular culture?
The coming of cinema and radio, the mass production and consumption of culture, the rise of fascism and the maturing of liberal democracies in certain western societies, all played their part in setting the agendas of these debates
how did cinema and radio fuel fears about the commercialisation of culture?
Mass media such as radio and film transmitted and inculcated the official ideology of the fascist state because they could be controlled centrally and broadcast to the
population at large.
mass media equalled mass propaganda equalled mass repression
what is culture? (Geertz, 1973)
Culture is a historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbolic forms by means of which people communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life
what is culture? (Bloch, 1991)
Culture is that which people must know in order to function reasonably effectively in their social environment. Social environment consists of social organizations and behaviors that are instruments through which people relate to each other.
what is culture? (Quinn and Holland, 1987)
Culture is what people must know in order to act as they do, make the things they make, and interpret their experience in the distinctive way they do
what is culture? (Kachru and Smith, 2008)
Culture is both historic and immediate;
It shapes action - verbal as well as a variety of other actions - and in turn is shaped by them;
It is a dynamic process rather than a static, monolithic entity with a stable existence.
how is culture universal?
Everyone belongs to one or more cultures;
- It is the template for rituals;
- It is the way to organize and interpret experience;
- It simplifies living by giving structure to daily life, minimizing interpersonal stress.
explain the external symbolic system of culture
External symbolic systems that vary among cultures include dress, personal appearance, and make-up.
- It may be acceptable to some cultures and families for young girls to wear make-up, while others find this inappropriate and suggestive of premature sexuality.
according to Hebdige (1988), what is popular culture?
a set of ‘generally available artefacts: films, records, clothes, TV programmes, modes of transport, etc.
this term refers to either folk culture in preindustrial societies or mass culture in industrial societies
popular culture, for mass culture critics
according to strinati, where can popular culture be found?
Popular culture can be found in different societies, within different groups in societies, and among societies and groups in different historical periods
for this organization, popular culture is the culture produced by the culture industry to secure the stability and continuity of capitalism
Frankfurt School
what were the effects of mass culture?
-socially disruptive and destabilizing
- moral decadence
- ‘atomization’ (lack of meaningful relationships) of the mass society through industrialization and urbanization
- made people vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation
what did mass culture result from?
Mass culture results from the “coming of the mass media and the increasing commercialisation of culture and leisure
what were the main issues with mass media?
- with the mass media, products are sold to the masses.
- mass media became a medium of repression especially in countries run by autocrats.
- mass media promoted consumerism
what does atomisation mean?
A mass society consists of people who can only relate to each other like atoms in a physical or chemical compound
-lack of any meaningful or morally coherent relationships with each other
-the links between people are said to be purely contractual,
distant and sporadic rather than close, communal and well
integrated
what is the major argument and claim of mass society theory?
claim - major claim of mass society theory refers to the disruptive consequences of industrialisation and urbanisation
argument - argues that industrialisation and urbanisation serve to create what is called ‘atomisation’
how is american culture an embodiment of everything wrong about mass culture
americanization threatens aesthetic standards, cultural values, and national culture.
This theory primarily focuses on the content and characteristics of mass-produced cultural products, such as films, music, and television shows. It critiques how these products can lead to a homogenization of culture and a decline in the quality of cultural experiences.
mass culture theory
