meaning & importance of culture Flashcards
culture
the language, diet, dress, beliefs, norms and values which make up the way of life of any society - passed between generations by socialisation
dominant culture
the main culture in a society shared by the majority. marxists regard the dominant culture as reflecting interests of the rich and powerful. feminists regard it as patriarchal reflecting the power of men
subculture
smaller culture within the main culture of a society with some different norms and values to the dominant culture but with some common aspects. can sometimes be active opposition to the dominant culture - subcultures of resistance
folk culture
associated with pre-industrial/early industrial societies. key features:
- authenticity: emerges from everyday experiences
- actively created: produced by ordinary people in local communities
- active involvement: participation of people rather than passive consumption
high culture
elite culture associated with ‘superior’ cultural tastes of privileged intellectuals and wealthy upper classes e.g museums, theatres, art galleries, opera houses
low culture
derogatory term to describe mass/popular culture suggesting they are of inferior quality compared to high culture of the elite
mass culture
commercial, mass-produced culture like magazines, tabloid newspapers, reality tv, popular music. key features:
- product of industrial societies
- standardised, short lived products
- inauthentic (mass produced by businesses for profit in consumer societies)
marxist view on mass culture
suggest its only regarded as inferior to high culture because the dominant class has the power to impose its ideas of ‘good taste’ in culture on the rest of society
also suggests it acts as a form of social control & repression of working class, lulling consumers into passivity through exposure to mindless entertainment that promotes capitalist ideology, undermining people’s ability to think for themselves or criticise ruling class
popular culture
more positive mass culture, may include cultural products drawn from high culture such as tv adaptations of classic literature, reproduction of fine art. it can involve more active participation and creativity than mass culture such as street art that challenges mainstream ideas
is there still a division between high and low/mass/popular culture?
postmodernists (Strinati) argue that the distinction between the two is weakening because:
- modern technology, mass markets and consumption, global travel & tourism enable all forms of culture to be consumed by everyone
- high culture has become popularised where institutions like galleries attract ordinary people by making high culture fun
- high culture is now included in popular culture (e.g Hollywood movies) and popular in high (e.g Banksy)
globalisation of culture: global culture
sociologists such as Ritzer suggest globalisation has led to emergence of global culture where local culture is undermined and cultural products & norms in different countries become more alike (cultural homogenisation) due to:
- new media technologies enabling instant communication
- the culture industries sell the same cultural products across the globe
- advertising and marketing of global brands
- international tourism and easier transportation
marxist evaluation of global culture
global culture is not really global, but imposed Western (and mainly American) culture - a process of Americanisation
postmodernist evaluation of global culture
not one uniform global culture, but a diversity of cultures from which people pick and choose from the wide choices available
hybridisation (evaluation of global culture)
a mixing of cultures rather than homogenisation and glocalisation (global products are adapted to fit local cultural needs) e.g McDonald’s burgers in India not containing beef or pork
