Culture & Ideology PDF

Preview

Summary

Sonntag, 10. November 2019Cultural theory and Popular CulturePopular CultureThe trouble with defining such a broad phrase as popular culture lies in the fact that the definition of popular culture is dependent upon the context the phrase is used in (on the `absent other ́). Storey presents six plaus...

Description

Sonntag, 10. November 2019

Cultural theory and Popular Culture Popular Culture The trouble with defining such a broad phrase as popular culture lies in the fact that the definition of popular culture is dependent upon the context the phrase is used in (on the `absent other´). Storey presents six plausible and broad definitions of what popular culture may be. Within each definition there are characteristics of the definition outlined that describe why each definition is not perfect. The first definition is quantitative in that it defines popular culture as the culture which is wide spread and populous. The second definition defines popular culture as the “residual category” that all culture not defined as high culture is placed into. The third definition of popular culture declares all popular culture is merely a commercial product of companies and is distributed to the people in a capitalist fashion. The fourth definition is the opposite of the third in that it defines popular culture as being derived from the people and then transferred to commercial companies. The fifth definition is a combination of the third and fourth definitions because it takes the stance that the materials for creating popular culture are given to the people through commercial companies and the people then create popular culture with the building blocks they are given. The sixth and final definition given says there is no distinction between high and popular culture and that all such past definitions are all part of a postmodern culture. ->The first and second definitions do not have a definitive political connotation but the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth definitions certainly do The chapter concludes with a very broad definition of popular culture as the culture that emerged after the Industrial Revolution as a result of social conflicts between different social classes. There are surely more than six possible definitions of popular culture but Storey uses these six as a way to demonstrate how any one definition is faulty in some way. Storey shows that the definitions are faulty in an effort to show the reader just how difficult it is to define popular culture.

1

Sonntag, 10. November 2019

Ideology The other fundamental concept taken from John Storey is his analysis of ideology. The five definitions that fall under ideology include-system of ideas of a particular group, false consciousness, ideological forms, material practices that bind us to the social order (Althusser) and mythology (Barthes). The first definition of a system of ideas of a particular group refers to the ideals which inform the practices of particular professional groups. The second definition of false consciousness indicates how some texts and practices present distorted images of reality. These distortions symbolize a capitalist ideology concealing the reality of domination from those in power (capitalist ideology). The third definition of ideological forms draws attention to the way in which texts always present a particular image of the world. Storey states, “a site where collective social understandings are created; a terrain on which the politics of signification are played out in attempts to win people to particular ways of seeing the world.” The fourth definition is taken from Althusser correlating to how certain rituals and customs have the effect of binding us to the social order; a social order which is marked by enormous inequalities of wealth, status and power. The fifth and final definition is taken from Barthes concept of mythology. Mythology is an attempt to make something this is cultural as something that is natural. !!!

2...