Raymond Williams 1983
Culture - "One of the most complicated words in the English language"
- The shared development of society
- A way of life
- Works of intelligent or artistic significance
Karl Marx concept of Base/ Superstructure
Base - Forces of production (Tools/Materials)
Relationships of production (Master/ Slave)
Superstructure - Social Institutions (Legal, Political, Cultural)
Forms of consciousness (Ideology)
Society is fundamentally based on struggle.
Base -> Determining content and form of -> Superstructure -> Reflects for and legitimises -> Base etc.
Ideology: - System of ideas or beliefs
- Masking, distortion or selection of ideas to reinforce power relations through creation of "false consciousness"
Representing personal interests as social interests.
Definitions of 'Popular' - Well liked by many
- Inferior kinds of work
- Work deliberately setting out to win favour
- Culture actually made by the people themselves
Things can be high culture and popular - quantitative popularity
The idea of taste is ideological.
Inferior or Residual Culture:
Popular press VS quality press <- aimed at different classes
Cinema VS Art Cinema
Jeremy Deller & Alan Kane
"Folk Archive" 2005
Graffiti - Developed by the people for the people
Popular culture movement can be traced to the beginnings of modernity.
- Industrial revolution brings about obvious class divisions (wealth but also culture, art etc.)
Matthew Arnold 1867 "Culture & Anarchy" - Arnoldism
Culture - "The best thats been thought and said about the world"
The study of perfection
The pursuit of culture
"Minister to the diseased spirit of our time."
Working class starting to break class boundaries. Culture stops it from happening.
Leavisism - F. R. Leavis
20th Century has seen a decline in the quality of culture.
"Culture has always been in minority keeping" - Blames the increasing of the working class.
Collapse of traditional 'quality' society came at the same time as democracy.
Popular culture offers a form of distraction and compensation for real culture.
Culture is an elitist ideology dominated by higher classes.
Critical Theory: Frankfurt school -> 1923 - 33
Marxism and psycho analysis
Reinterpretation of Marxism for the 20th Century
"Late Capitalism" "All mass culture is identical"
Mass Culture produces conformity not anarchy
Hebert Marcuse - Popular culture VS Affirmative
Consuming popular culture can reduce the political meaning and just help fuel capitalism.
People may think they are making a political stand but really just conforming more to nonconformity.
Authentic Culture VS Mass Culture -
Autonomous culture
Individual creation and imagination
Adorno and Pop Music - Produces passivity through rhythm and emotional adjustment.
Walter Benjamin - "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" 1936
Mass production introducing potential progression
The Birmingham School.
The Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies
1963 - 2002
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