topic 1: meaning + importance of culture

Question 1

culture

Answer 1

• refers to the language, beliefs, customs, norms and values which make up the way of life of any society
• it is passed on between generations by socialisation
• it acts as the link between individuals and society

Question 2

dominant culture

Answer 2

• the main, shared culture in a society, accepted by the majority
• marxists say this reflects the interests of the bourgeoisie (dominant class) whereas feminists say it is patriarchal and reflects the power of men

Question 3

subculture

Answer 3

• smaller culture within the main culture, with some differences
• often emerge as a result of the experiences and socialisation of different groups
• subcultures of resistance act in opposition to the dominant culture
  eg. Willis (1977) study of the ‘lads’ who were resistant to schooling

Question 4

folk culture

Answer 4

• associated with pre-industrial societies
• authenticity: emerges from everyday experiences, customs + beliefs (eg. folk music, storytelling)
• actively created: produced by ordinary people in local communities
• active involvement: involves active participation of people rather than passive consumption of products manufactured by others

Question 5

high culture

Answer 5

• elite culture associated with the ‘superior’ cultural tastes of privileged individuals
• culture that is seen as special, worth-preserving and set apart from everyday life in specialised institutions (eg. museums)

Question 6

low culture

Answer 6

• derogatory term used to describe mass/popular culture
• suggests this is of inferior quality and are signs of cultural decline

Question 7

mass culture

Answer 7

• commercial, mass-produced culture including products like popular music, reality TV shows, video games + blockbuster films
• product of industrial societies, standardised, short lived products
• inauthentic (mass produced for profit by businesses, rather than created by the community itself)
• passive involvement and demands little critical thought

Question 8

evaluation of mass culture

Answer 8

• Bordieu (1971) argues that high culture is allegedly superior to mass culture because the dominant class imposes its own cultural ideas on the rest of society who are socialised into accepting the continuing superiority of high culture
• he argued that it acts as a form of social control + repression of working class, lulling consumers into passivity and conformity through exposure to mindless entertainment that promotes capitalist ideology
• undermines people’s ability to think for themselves or to criticise the dominant ideas of the ruling class
• postmodernist Strinati (1995) rejects the view that mass culture diverts people away from useful activities but believes it has value

Question 9

popular culture

Answer 9

• regarded as a more positive version of mass culture as things that are enjoyed by the mass of ordinary people
• can involve more active participation and creativity than mass culture, such as youth fashion or street art

Question 10

divisions between high and mass culture

Answer 10

• Strinati argues that the distinction between high and mass culture is weakening
• modern technology and tourism enables all forms of culture to be consumed by everyone
• high culture has become popularised and commercialised (aspects of popular culture have become a part of high culture eg. art works by Banksy)

Question 11

globalisation of culture

Answer 11

• Sklair suggests globalisation has led to a global culture where local culture is undermined and products, norms and values are becoming more alike
• Flew (2002) said new media technologies enable instant communication + exploration of new cultures
• the culture industries sell the same products across the globe, weakening cultural differences (eg. world music - Eurovision)
• marketing of global brands like Apple, McDonalds etc. promote global lifestyles
• McDonalds have over 40,000 restaurants in 120 countries around the world (2022)
• these processes have led to cultural homogenisation where cultures across the world have become increasingly similar

Question 12

evaluation of global culture

Answer 12

marxists: global culture is not really global but is imposed by Western culture (Americanisation)
postmodernists: there is not one uniform global culture but a diversity of cultures from which people pick and choose from the wide choices available
hybridisation: a mixing of cultures rather than homogenisation (eg. glocalisation: where global products are adapted to fit local cultural needs - McDonald’s burgers in India contain no beef or pork)