1) Setting
Traditionally, Wedding ceremonies are held within a church . This tradition derived from the Victorian era as a result of the population consisting of mainly Roman Catholics as weddings were seen as a holy sacrament. In terms of semiotics, study of signs, a church connotes religion therefore religion roots can be attached to Western culture as a result of these culturally inflicted relations.
Thursday 15 January 2015
Monday 12 January 2015
Essay - Attempt 1 (Notes need compiling)
'Culture is ordinary, that is the first fact' but what is it that makes culture ordinary? It starts with society and how we choose to bind ourselves into groups based upon morals, income, shared interests and anything else that allows us to become relate-able to each other in some sense. How a society is run on the other hand and how 'culture' is created can be strongly based on politics and what we are conditioned to be believe and abide by. Our westernised ideas rooted from a right-ring led system teaches us to make an honest living and encrypts a '10 commandments' style of morally right acts in which we should perform to avoid various consequences such as imprisonment. The fact most people follow these acts, or rules, and avoid 'wrong doing' such as theft and murder is because we 'are trained to.' What does this say about culture? Culture is something that is taught therefore lacks originally, are we honestly 'individuals' or are we subliminally controlled by a higher dominant force? Through comparing and contrasting two celebratory events, two weddings, I will aim to answer the question 'is culture ordinary.' With focus on Wedding iconography, class differences and gender references supported by the work of Raymond Williams, Karl Marx and Roland Barthes I will critically analyse Western Culture from a contemporary perspective.
Starting with my parents wedding an importance aspect to consider is the class differences as the bride came from a middle class and the groom came from a working class background. With this in mind it would make sense to see influences from both cultures present due to incorporation of two different societies, defined by their class, in one setting. However, despite this the dominant influence came from the middle class, supporting the Marxists view of us living in a class dominating culture, this was emphasised through the following of 'wedding traditions' seen through the items featured in the ceremony. These traditions conformed to the conditioning of middle class culture who have the ability to spend money to conform "the best day of my life " attitude, an expectation middle class culture encourages. However is this truly the best day because of the act of love a wedding proposes or it is due to the amount of money spent to create a form of art after years of saving...The main division between middle and working class is the income. Being a working class citizen, from a Marxist perspective, means you willingly sell your labour to dominant classes in exchange for the value of money which conforms to the 'survival of the fittest' mindset of a right-wing system in which we currently live in. However, as a middle class citizen you stand higher in terms of hierarchy and have a greater disposable income to afford more than just the basics of survival. Middle class have the ability to be materialistic and a product of Media consumption influence in which the media can use different forms to influence those with disposable income, such as 'unique' selling points of products, in order to win over that income to make a profit. With this in mind what can be said about culture? Marxism states the media is in favour of the upper classes and therefore media products such as newspaper and TV are put forth to only serve to them. However, is this truly the case? As without the upper classes making the decision to indulge in media consumption industries wouldn't be able to survive without profit. Therefore are the media truly supportive of the middle class as a way of setting an example to society to form a culture enriched with the ideas of upper class ideology or are the upper classes merely targeted and focused on as oppose to the working class as they are the ones who fuel the finance of the Media.
Due to technological advancements it has allowed Western culture to become highly standardised to the point very little remains 'original.' As a result of manufactures means of mass production allowing everything to duplicate a single product it grants society the ability to purchase the same product over and over. This westernised way of living has become encrypted into the ideologies of most classes who live with this modern way of thinking. Instead of travelling to a farm to obtain fresh produce its now more convenient for most to simply go to the supermarket to purchase food and this is what we are conditioned to believe. Print adverts, TV Advertisements and Radio all support supermarkets through advertising stores for their low prices and providing deals to benefit a mass audience. However, independent farms for example don't have media power in the sense they aren't funded by a company to advertise there products thus taking the simpler route, which we are encouraged to, powers over the traditional way of life.
The main division between middle and working class is the income. Being a working class citizen, from a Marxist perspective, means you willingly sell your labour to dominant classes in exchange for the value of money which conforms to the 'survival of the fittest' mindset of a right-wing system in which we currently live in. However, as a middle class citizen you stand higher in terms of heirachy and have a greater disposable income to afford more than just the basics of survival. Middle class have the ability to be materialistic and a product of Media consumption influence in which the media can use different forms to influence those with disposable income, such as 'unique' selling points of products, in order to win over that income to make a profit. With this in mind what can be said about culture? Marxism states the media is in favour of the upper classes and therefore media products such as newspaper and TV are put forth to only serve to them. However, is this truly the case? As without the upper classes making the decision to indulge in media consumption industries wouldn't be able to survive without profit. Therefore are the media truly supportive of the middle class as a way of setting an example to society to form a culture enriched with the ideas of upper class ideology or are the upper classes merely targeted and focused on as oppose to the working class as they are the ones who fuel the finance of the Media.
n terms of culture being ordinary‘Every human society has its own shape… purposes, its own meanings. Every human society expresses these, in institutions, and in arts and learning’ – Williams, culture is ordinary (1958) pg 93 However, this is expressed differently depending on the class of individuals which leads onto the effect class has on culture and society. Living in a working class society with little income resulting in different tastes and interests in which will cater to those with less money to pay for luxuries attached stereotypically to the upper classes such as the opera which is know for being a upper class art form. The working class on the other hand don't have the disposable income to appreciate the opera therefore they find their appreciation for the arts in different art forms such as
Products of human manufacture sold to society for materialistic consumption to emphasise someone’s wealth or to simply praise an individual for their hard work a trophy of achievement. – can be applied to weddings, we are often taught when it comes to weddings the bigger the celebration the better which ties into our competitive nature to succeed. Thus the materialistic items seen in weddings can work as an investment to impress guests with their wealth – westernised ideology derived from American culture portrayed in TV shows, films and magazines the celebrity ‘wow factor’ the working class are striving for to perhaps cover up their own culture which isn’t as idealistic. (Material culture)
Starting with my parents wedding an importance aspect to consider is the class differences as the bride came from a middle class and the groom came from a working class background. With this in mind it would make sense to see influences from both cultures present due to incorporation of two different societies, defined by their class, in one setting. However, despite this the dominant influence came from the middle class, supporting the Marxists view of us living in a class dominating culture, this was emphasised through the following of 'wedding traditions' seen through the items featured in the ceremony. These traditions conformed to the conditioning of middle class culture who have the ability to spend money to conform "the best day of my life " attitude, an expectation middle class culture encourages. However is this truly the best day because of the act of love a wedding proposes or it is due to the amount of money spent to create a form of art after years of saving...The main division between middle and working class is the income. Being a working class citizen, from a Marxist perspective, means you willingly sell your labour to dominant classes in exchange for the value of money which conforms to the 'survival of the fittest' mindset of a right-wing system in which we currently live in. However, as a middle class citizen you stand higher in terms of hierarchy and have a greater disposable income to afford more than just the basics of survival. Middle class have the ability to be materialistic and a product of Media consumption influence in which the media can use different forms to influence those with disposable income, such as 'unique' selling points of products, in order to win over that income to make a profit. With this in mind what can be said about culture? Marxism states the media is in favour of the upper classes and therefore media products such as newspaper and TV are put forth to only serve to them. However, is this truly the case? As without the upper classes making the decision to indulge in media consumption industries wouldn't be able to survive without profit. Therefore are the media truly supportive of the middle class as a way of setting an example to society to form a culture enriched with the ideas of upper class ideology or are the upper classes merely targeted and focused on as oppose to the working class as they are the ones who fuel the finance of the Media.
Conformity has replaced consciousness, in the sense that culture is no longer dominated by the individual initiatives of society to make decisions, but rather the passive nature of conforming to the mainstream 'idolised' way of life we're conditioned to aspire to. 'culture is ordinary' (Williams) if this is factual it would imply no thought or action is original therefore culture, in terms of progression, has plateaued. This would find truth in the eyes of The Frankfurt school and when looking at western culture it can be argued it stands close too fact, years after Williams writings, in a highly standardised society. However, although hundreds of examples can be given That approve these ideas, such as the assembly line reproduction of boy bands capturing the desire of a teen girl cult, its the rejection through many art forms which is interesting. Looking at the expansion of mainstream culture the visceral pessimism felt is natural for art enthusiasts yet deeper exploration of culture is needed to stimulate the thought provoking that culture may not be so ordinary.
Upon arrival to my Cousins wedding the distinctive feature was the florescence of everything being pink. From a westernised perspective our society is 'trained' to make certain association with colours from birth. Pink in this case in terms of semiology has connotations of feminism and is known for being a "female" colour as even from birth pink is the colour culture teaches us to dress girls in so they can be distinguished from the boys. The choice of this colour scheme could hint at the feminisation of weddings and how in contemporary times it stands as a celebration for the woman as oppose to conforming to traditional religious values of a wedding being (almost a ritual, get from blog) to celebrate the bond of a couple. This appears to be a reoccurring theme across weddings and is influenced by celebrity culture and the "beauty" of having the money to recreate an ever long fantasy of the bride. This is further emphasised through reality TV such as my 'big fat gypsy wedding' or 'don't tell the bride' all of which centre around the bride and her wants and desires for her "big day." my big fat gypsy wedding puts a strain on cultural norms through divorcing traditions from wedding ceremonies as their aim is to go extremely over the top to the point it evokes a shock factor from audiences outside that lifestyle. Even in terms of ideology girls are raised to watch Disney films filled with princesses, marriage and happy ending which has seemed to become woven into western culture
Due to technological advancements it has allowed Western culture to become highly standardised to the point very little remains 'original.' As a result of manufactures means of mass production allowing everything to duplicate a single product it grants society the ability to purchase the same product over and over. This westernised way of living has become encrypted into the ideologies of most classes who live with this modern way of thinking. Instead of travelling to a farm to obtain fresh produce its now more convenient for most to simply go to the supermarket to purchase food and this is what we are conditioned to believe. Print adverts, TV Advertisements and Radio all support supermarkets through advertising stores for their low prices and providing deals to benefit a mass audience. However, independent farms for example don't have media power in the sense they aren't funded by a company to advertise there products thus taking the simpler route, which we are encouraged to, powers over the traditional way of life.
The main division between middle and working class is the income. Being a working class citizen, from a Marxist perspective, means you willingly sell your labour to dominant classes in exchange for the value of money which conforms to the 'survival of the fittest' mindset of a right-wing system in which we currently live in. However, as a middle class citizen you stand higher in terms of heirachy and have a greater disposable income to afford more than just the basics of survival. Middle class have the ability to be materialistic and a product of Media consumption influence in which the media can use different forms to influence those with disposable income, such as 'unique' selling points of products, in order to win over that income to make a profit. With this in mind what can be said about culture? Marxism states the media is in favour of the upper classes and therefore media products such as newspaper and TV are put forth to only serve to them. However, is this truly the case? As without the upper classes making the decision to indulge in media consumption industries wouldn't be able to survive without profit. Therefore are the media truly supportive of the middle class as a way of setting an example to society to form a culture enriched with the ideas of upper class ideology or are the upper classes merely targeted and focused on as oppose to the working class as they are the ones who fuel the finance of the Media.
Edward B. Taylor (1871) ‘Culture includes socially acquired knowledge, beliefs, art law, morals, customs and habits.’ – To adapt from this it emphasises the role society plays in not only formulating culture but growing culture to create societal norms in which individuals follow through gaining ‘socially acquired knowledge’ highlighting we are taught how to act and believe in from a young age which becomes encrypted into our ideologies and allows us to join a formulated culture one enriched with civilization and ‘morally right’ actions. e.g we are conditioned to abide by the law and recognise acts of violence, vandelisation and theft are morally wrong acts and should be avoided.
George P. Murdock (1930) – Human relation area files to identify and sort distinctive cultural variations – Imporatant when it comes to comparing and contrasting.
n terms of culture being ordinary‘Every human society has its own shape… purposes, its own meanings. Every human society expresses these, in institutions, and in arts and learning’ – Williams, culture is ordinary (1958) pg 93 However, this is expressed differently depending on the class of individuals which leads onto the effect class has on culture and society. Living in a working class society with little income resulting in different tastes and interests in which will cater to those with less money to pay for luxuries attached stereotypically to the upper classes such as the opera which is know for being a upper class art form. The working class on the other hand don't have the disposable income to appreciate the opera therefore they find their appreciation for the arts in different art forms such as
Products of human manufacture sold to society for materialistic consumption to emphasise someone’s wealth or to simply praise an individual for their hard work a trophy of achievement. – can be applied to weddings, we are often taught when it comes to weddings the bigger the celebration the better which ties into our competitive nature to succeed. Thus the materialistic items seen in weddings can work as an investment to impress guests with their wealth – westernised ideology derived from American culture portrayed in TV shows, films and magazines the celebrity ‘wow factor’ the working class are striving for to perhaps cover up their own culture which isn’t as idealistic. (Material culture)
Saturday 10 January 2015
Thursday 8 January 2015
An intro to popular culture notes
'The coming of the mass media and the increasing commercialisation of culture and leisure gave rise to issues, interests and debates.' pg 2 Dominc Strinati
'What or who determines popular culture? Does it emerge from the people themselves as an autonomous expression of their interests and modes of experience, or is it imposed from above by those in positions of power as a type of social control? ... Or is it rather a question of an interaction between the industrialisation upon popular culture.' pg 3 Strinati
'Does the emergence of culture in commodity forms mean that criteria of profitability and marketability take precedence over quality, artistry, integrity and intellectual challenge? Or does the increasingly universal market for popular culture ensure that it is truly popular because it makes available commodities people actually want?' pg 3 Strinati
'The mass production and consumption of culture, the rise of fascism and the maturation of liberal democracies in certain western societies' pg 4 Strinati
Due to technological advancements it has allowed Western culture to become highly standardised in the sense that nothing is original. As a result of manufactures means of mass production allowing everything to duplicate a single product it grants society the ability to purchase the same product over and over. This westernised way of living has become encrypted into the ideologies of most classes who live with this modern way of thinking. Instead of travelling to a farm to obtain fresh produce its now more convenient for most to simply go to the supermarket to purchase food and this is what we are conditioned to believe. Print adverts, TV Advertisements and Radio all support supermarkets through advertising stores for their low prices and providing deals to benefit a mass audience. However, independent farms for example don't have media power in the sense they aren't funded by a company to advertise there products thus taking the simpler route, which we are encouraged to, powers over the traditional way of life.
The main division between middle and working class is the income. Being a working class citizen, from a Marxist perspective, means you willingly sell your labour to dominant classes in exchange for the value of money which conforms to the 'survival of the fittest' mindset of a right-wing system in which we currently live in. However, as a middle class citizen you stand higher in terms of heirachy and have a greater disposable income to afford more than just the basics of survival. Middle class have the ability to be materialistic and a product of Media consumption influence in which the media can use different forms to influence those with disposable income, such as 'unique' selling points of products, in order to win over that income to make a profit. With this in mind what can be said about culture? Marxism states the media is in favour of the upper classes and therefore media products such as newspaper and TV are put forth to only serve to them. However, is this truly the case? As without the upper classes making the decision to indulge in media consumption industries wouldn't be able to survive without profit. Therefore are the media truly supportive of the middle class as a way of setting an example to society to form a culture enriched with the ideas of upper class ideology or are the upper classes merely targeted and focused on as oppose to the working class as they are the ones who fuel the finance of the Media.
'Human beings as individuals and as social actors, make their own history, while they can merely observe the history of the natural world.' Samir Amin ( Spectres of Capitalism: A Critique of Current Intellectual Fashions, New York, 1998, pg 27-47)
'A general equilibrium is produced through the self-regulating nature of the market' -Samir Amin
'Among the entirety of conceptions making up the bourgeois thought, that one which responds best to the demands posed by the particular phase of captialist development under consideration easily wins its place of itellectual dominance; it becomes the 'single thought' of the moment' - Samir Amin
Social thought & Social power
bourgeois = Belonging to the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes. e.g a bourgeois family
Commercialization is the process or cycle of introducing a new product or production method into the market
Facism - an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.
Right- wing system - conservative = survival of the fittest, they believe that if you have more money, you should get to keep it, and buy better education and health services for yourself
Left wing system - Labour = progressive in nature, they look to the future, aim to support those who cannot support themselves, are idealist and believe in equality. People who are left wing believe in taxation to redistribute opportunity and wealth - things like a national health service, and job seeker’s allowance are fundamentally left wing ideas. They believe in equality over the freedom to fail
Is culture ordinary? Before we can determine whether or not culture is ordinary we must ask ourselves what exactly culture is, paying close attention to the effects of a class specific society
'What or who determines popular culture? Does it emerge from the people themselves as an autonomous expression of their interests and modes of experience, or is it imposed from above by those in positions of power as a type of social control? ... Or is it rather a question of an interaction between the industrialisation upon popular culture.' pg 3 Strinati
'Does the emergence of culture in commodity forms mean that criteria of profitability and marketability take precedence over quality, artistry, integrity and intellectual challenge? Or does the increasingly universal market for popular culture ensure that it is truly popular because it makes available commodities people actually want?' pg 3 Strinati
'The mass production and consumption of culture, the rise of fascism and the maturation of liberal democracies in certain western societies' pg 4 Strinati
Due to technological advancements it has allowed Western culture to become highly standardised in the sense that nothing is original. As a result of manufactures means of mass production allowing everything to duplicate a single product it grants society the ability to purchase the same product over and over. This westernised way of living has become encrypted into the ideologies of most classes who live with this modern way of thinking. Instead of travelling to a farm to obtain fresh produce its now more convenient for most to simply go to the supermarket to purchase food and this is what we are conditioned to believe. Print adverts, TV Advertisements and Radio all support supermarkets through advertising stores for their low prices and providing deals to benefit a mass audience. However, independent farms for example don't have media power in the sense they aren't funded by a company to advertise there products thus taking the simpler route, which we are encouraged to, powers over the traditional way of life.
The main division between middle and working class is the income. Being a working class citizen, from a Marxist perspective, means you willingly sell your labour to dominant classes in exchange for the value of money which conforms to the 'survival of the fittest' mindset of a right-wing system in which we currently live in. However, as a middle class citizen you stand higher in terms of heirachy and have a greater disposable income to afford more than just the basics of survival. Middle class have the ability to be materialistic and a product of Media consumption influence in which the media can use different forms to influence those with disposable income, such as 'unique' selling points of products, in order to win over that income to make a profit. With this in mind what can be said about culture? Marxism states the media is in favour of the upper classes and therefore media products such as newspaper and TV are put forth to only serve to them. However, is this truly the case? As without the upper classes making the decision to indulge in media consumption industries wouldn't be able to survive without profit. Therefore are the media truly supportive of the middle class as a way of setting an example to society to form a culture enriched with the ideas of upper class ideology or are the upper classes merely targeted and focused on as oppose to the working class as they are the ones who fuel the finance of the Media.
'Human beings as individuals and as social actors, make their own history, while they can merely observe the history of the natural world.' Samir Amin ( Spectres of Capitalism: A Critique of Current Intellectual Fashions, New York, 1998, pg 27-47)
'A general equilibrium is produced through the self-regulating nature of the market' -Samir Amin
'Among the entirety of conceptions making up the bourgeois thought, that one which responds best to the demands posed by the particular phase of captialist development under consideration easily wins its place of itellectual dominance; it becomes the 'single thought' of the moment' - Samir Amin
Social thought & Social power
bourgeois = Belonging to the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes. e.g a bourgeois family
Commercialization is the process or cycle of introducing a new product or production method into the market
Facism - an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.
Right- wing system - conservative = survival of the fittest, they believe that if you have more money, you should get to keep it, and buy better education and health services for yourself
Left wing system - Labour = progressive in nature, they look to the future, aim to support those who cannot support themselves, are idealist and believe in equality. People who are left wing believe in taxation to redistribute opportunity and wealth - things like a national health service, and job seeker’s allowance are fundamentally left wing ideas. They believe in equality over the freedom to fail
Is culture ordinary? Before we can determine whether or not culture is ordinary we must ask ourselves what exactly culture is, paying close attention to the effects of a class specific society
Saturday 3 January 2015
Raymond Williams quotes - Culture
In terms of culture being ordinary‘Every human society has its own shape… purposes, its own
meanings. Every human society expresses these, in institutions, and in arts and
learning’ – Williams, culture is ordinary (1958) pg 93 However, this is expressed differently depending on the class of individuals which leads onto the effect class has on culture and society. Living in a working class society with little income resulting in different tastes and interests in which will cater to those with less money to pay for luxuries attached stereotypically to the upper classes such as the opera which is know for being a upper class art form. The working class on the other hand don't have the disposable income to appreciate the opera therefore they find their appreciation for the arts in different art forms such as
‘A culture has two aspects: the known meanings and directions
which it’s members are trained to; the new observations and meanings which are
offered and tested. These are the ordinary processes of human societies and human
minds and we see through them the nature of culture; that it is always both traditional
and creative; that it is both the most ordinary common meanings and the finest
individual meanings.’ - Williams, culture is ordinary (1958) pg 93
‘We use the word culture in these two senses: to mean a
whole way of life – the common meanings… The special process of discovery and
creative effort’ - Williams, Culture is ordinary (1958) pg 93
"'Culture' has been heavily compromised... Many reached for their chequebooks; now a growing number, now, reach for the latest bit of argot" - Williams, Culture is ordinary (1958) pg 94
"A desire to know what is best, and to do what is good, is the whole positive nature of man." Williams, Culture is ordinary (1958) pg 95
Culture Notes
http://www.slideshare.net/yatee151/what-is-culture-6556982
Culture when applied to society = clarification of meanings and values implicit and explicit in a particular way of life. A particular ideal way of life woven into society expressing certain meanings and values in art, learning, institutions and ordinary behaviour which keeps ‘the norm’ present within society. Any theory of culture must include the three most important aspects of culture – the ideal, documentary and social features of culture.
Culture distinguishes one group from another.
Patterns of behaviour and thinking that people living in social groups learn, create and share. Culture is something we are taught and varies depending on our psychographs and sociographs. Culture can have many categories such as symbolic learned shared and adaptive.
People who share a common culture especially common rules of behaviour and social organisation can constitute a society.
Edward B. Taylor (1871) ‘Culture includes socially acquired knowledge, beliefs, art law, morals, customs and habits.’ – To adapt from this it emphasises the role society plays in not only formulating culture but growing culture to create societal norms in which individuals follow through gaining ‘socially acquired knowledge’ highlighting we are taught how to act and believe in from a young age which becomes encrypted into our ideologies and allows us to join a formulated culture one enriched with civilization and ‘morally right’ actions. e.g we are conditioned to abide by the law and recognise acts of violence, vandelisation and theft are morally wrong acts and should be avoided.
George P. Murdock (1930) – Human relation area files to identify and sort distinctive cultural variations – Imporatant when it comes to comparing and contrasting.
3 categories: material, social, ideological and the arts which has characteristics of material and ideological culture)
Material culture
Products of human manufacture sold to society for materialistic consumption to emphasise someone’s wealth or to simply praise an individual for their hard work a trophy of achievement. – can be applied to weddings, we are often taught when it comes to weddings the bigger the celebration the better which ties into our competitive nature to succeed. Thus the materialistic items seen in weddings can work as an investment to impress guests with their wealth – westernised ideology derived from American culture portrayed in TV shows, films and magazines the celebrity ‘wow factor’ the working class are striving for to perhaps cover up their own culture which isn’t as idealistic.
The economy – Technologies and objects people make and use. Ways in which people exchange goods and services to survive and flourish e.g selling our labour to ensure people have houses to live in, in exchange for money to pay for materialism.
Social Culture
Forms of social interaction and organization – we are taught how to engage in conversation from when we are born we are taught to speak via imitation and social interaction therefore designed to interact with others however in a ‘socially acceptable’ way.
Bonds by kinship and marriage – something socially derived in order to emphasise your love for another you should marry to create an everlasting bond between the two of you through a celebratory ceremony where friends and family gather to show their acceptance and support of the ‘act of love’
Important factors of social culture include age and gender in defining your role in society in relation to stereotypes for example culture conditions females to desire to marry ‘prince charming’ with the help of films we are raised to watch such as Disney’s ‘Snow white and the Seven Dwarfs’ which demonstrates the significance of love and how women should be sweped away by a man who she will then marry. To further this we are also conditioned to become a ‘princess’ especially in contemporary culture with the influence of merchandise manufactures who create dolls and fancy dress costumes for young children who can become their favourite Disney princess through sharing their attire.
Ideological culture
Ties into believes and our understanding of how the world works and how we respond to others, their actions and environments. Relates to daily concerns such as politeness.
Values of culture – Our differentiation of right and wrong leading to morally right decisions
Ideals – Models for ehat people hope to achieve in life which can be influenced from many different things such as religion, the media, secular beleifs and values e.g some people aim for money others want a family.
The arts – Other forms serve no real functional purpose but are created as pure expression of the creater or the societys thoughts and actions.
High vs popular /mass culture
High culture used to be the realm of the wealthy and educated classes
‘high art’ includes opera, historical art, classical music, traditional theatre or literature – Widley perceived as the work of professional and favourable artists whose work is to be taken seriously and is highly valuable. Intellectual input and introspection needed
Popular culture used to be considered commercial entertainment for the lower classes
Low art/ mass culture = opposite of high cultural art forms. Often linked to commercial or mass production and perceived as having little or no serious aesthetic, intellectual or economic value as it’s usually inspiration drawn from daily experiences with no intellectually thought out processes.
Popular culture continues to develop, adapt and evolve over the last few decades.
It is important to remember culture is highly symbolic and dependant on the ability to communicate with symbols. This enables people to create, explain and record new ideas and information such as human language, sign language and colour association with can be linked to the work of Roland Barthes semiotics the study of signs. In terms of wedding traditions common items would include red roses which connote love and passion thus they are used to emphasise the romantic bond between the couple being married. Culture is also something that is taught as appose to an innate instinct therefore culture is captured as knowledge which is influenced by scientific discoveries and traditions such as taking holidays.
Culture is therefore socially inherited from other people in society who influence others especially important figures in society such as parents and teachers who stereotypically set morally right standards for those must vulnerable to influence. This is known as Enculturation which begins in the family and continues throughout the duration of a person life for example learning the importance of respecting elders from knowledge and skills accumulated over a lifetime.
Culture can also be influenced and adapted by new ideologies thus the joining of cultures which happens when events such as migration, tourism and international trade takes place. This results in the exchange and share of culture which can influence traditional values. This is seen in modern weddings which disenfranchise themselves from traditions for example having a pink coloured wedding dress as an alternative to white can be seen as a cultural influence from America thus the Americanisation of weddings. This could be inspired from princesses such as sleeping beauty or even celebrity weddings such as Jordan’s. Television shows also emphasise stepping out of the norm when it comes to weddings such as my big fat gypsy wedding which focuses on going as big as can you to achieve the ‘perfect princess wedding’ despite costs.
Cultural exchange led to the rise of an increasingly globalised culture – with increasing globalisation it has become difficult to find culture that is shared within only a single society
Subcultures can co-exist or clash with the mainstream culture
Ethnocentrism – members of a society who share culture often share feelings of notion that one’s culture is more sensible/superior to that of others societies
Cultural imperialism
- Americanisation of the world criticised = much of what is exported reflects questionable morals or is dumbed down content. Are we immune to this?
Cultural adaptation has made mankind one of the most successful species. E.g technological advances, medicine and nutrition allowed the race to flourish and survive with ever-increasing numbers
Despite society still retaining their distinctive cultures they are nevertheless being changed by the influx of global popular culture resulting in cultural dilution.
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