The modern definition of ‘culture’ is the ‘art, literature, music and other intellectual expressions of a particular society or time’ (“Culture,” Oxford’s Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English). There are two principal concepts in the study of communication and culture – the materialist and the idealist view of culture. The materialist approach concerns itself with the literary criticisms of Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels, and the Frankfurt School where culture is constituted by class relations and social structure, whereas, the idealist approach concerns itself with literary criticisms of Matthew Arnold (Arnoldian), F.R. Leavis and Q.D. Leavis (Leavisite) where it discriminates between high culture and low culture. This essay seeks to examine how the concept of high culture is used and its alternative counterparts.
Idealism, by Oxford’s definition, is ‘the practice of forming, pursuing or believing in ideals’ (“Idealism,” Oxford’s Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English). The idealist approach in the anthropological study of culture lays its prominence on the ‘informing spirit’ which informs the interests and values of the people by the higher society, the educated minority through language, styles of art and kinds of intellectual work (Williams, 1981). This view was first developed by Arnold’s theory of high culture and later Leavis’ theory of mass society in the determining what integrates ‘culture’ hence discriminating between ‘the best and the worst of culture’ (Barker, 2009:41).
Arnold, as famously quoted, referred culture as ‘the best that has been thought and said in the world’ (Arnold, 1960:6) where moral perfection and social greatness can be achieved through ‘reading, observing and thinking’ (...
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In Highbrow, Lowbrow, Levine argues that a distinction between high and low culture that did not exist in the first half of the 19th century emerged by the turn of the century and solidified during the 20th century, and that despite a move in the last few decades toward a more ecumenical interpretation of “culture,” the distinction between high art and popular entertainment and the revering of a canon of sacred, inalterable cultural works persists. In the prologue Levine states that one of his central arguments is that concepts of cultural boundaries have changed over the period he treats. Throughout Highbrow, Lowbrow, Levine defines culture as a process rather than a fixed entity, and as a product of interactions between the past and the present.
Ruth Benedict discusses her views of culture as personality-writ-large in her famous novel “Patterns of Culture”. This means that a culture is a magnification or reflection of the personalities of the people in a group. In other words, what one could say about a group of people could also be said about their culture. Benedict believes that what constitutes culture is not the material or external aspects but stems from a shared mindset, stating that “what really binds men together is their culture—the ideas and the standards they have in common,” (Benedict 1934:16). Basically, traits of a culture rely on inherent and intrinsic natural instincts. She emphasizes the notion that the individual and their broader culture share a “consistent pattern of thought and action” constantly intertwined through their principal ideals, motives, values and emotions (Benedict 1934:46). It is through this shared system of beliefs that core...
Paul S. Boyer. "Television." The Oxford Companion to United States History. 2001. Retrieved November 24, 2011 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O119-Television.html
One of the largest “booms” that this country has witnessed is in the area of the ultimate “entertainment” source, the television. The growth in popularity of the use of the television is harming Americans in every aspect of their lives,
Culture is an aspect of everyone's life. It helps others to understand another person's beliefs and actions. There are multiple cultures in the world which are opposed to their own kind seeking help for a mental illness. There is an infinite number of cultures that are represented in the United States. “Many cultural and religious teachings often influence beliefs about the origins and nature of mental illness, and shape attitudes towards the mentally ill.” (1). One's cultural beliefs can make them think about whether or not they should seek to get help for a mental illness. Among the cultures around the world and particularly in the US, many Asian cultures do not want the community members to be receiving help for their mental illness. In these cultures mental illness is seen as shameful, because these cultures influence the “conformity to norms, emotional self-control, and family recognition through achievement.” (1). There are many cultural factors that play a role in whether or not a person will receive therapy. These factors include: language, level of acculturation, age, gender, occupational issues, family structure, religious beliefs, and traditional beliefs about mental health (2). Language limits the access of therapy. If a person living in the United States does not speak English very well, it could influence them to not seek therapy. There is a large focus on “in-group/out-group” in many Asian cultures, as in everyone who is in the family/community around them are in the “in-group” and everyone else who is not like them are in the “out-group.”
Ruth Benedict’s anthropological book, Patterns of Culture explores the dualism of culture and personality. Benedict studies different cultures such as the Zuni tribe and the Dobu Indians. Each culture she finds is so different and distinctive in relation to the norm of our society. Each difference is what makes it unique. Benedict compares the likenesses of culture and individuality, “A culture, like an individual, is a more or less consistent pattern of thought or action” (46), but note, they are not the same by use of the word, “like.” Benedict is saying that figuratively, cultures are like personalities. Culture and individuality are intertwined and dependent upon each other for survival.
“According to, Stuart Hall, “Cultural Studies: Two Paradigms” from Media, Culture and Society, Raymond Williams and E.P Thompson summarize about the way they saw culture, they refer it to the way of life and saw mainstream media as the main role in capitalist society. “Williams says that, his perspective and ideas are referred to culture as to social practice, he saw “culture as a whole way of life” and as to structuralism that makes the concept of
Baldick, Chris. The Concise Oxford Dictionary Of Literary Terms , New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.
At the same time, idealism can be healthy. Realism, the cotrary of idealism can be
A: According to Marx, historical materialism has been controversial and is a part of the evil that has caused class struggle. Ruling and lower were two classes that were struggling against each other till one finally wins and becomes the new ruling power. Marx and Eagle clearly highlighted the importance of both classes in Communist Manifesto, “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles” (pg. 344). Marx, who began his argument by stating his belief that all humans should be able to live equivalent lives under self-governing rule, and materialism, is a system that stops such equality from being achieved. A great example is that Marx connects the existence of classes through the ownership of private property and the desire to gain more property. According to Marx those who own their own property (bourgeoisie) force others who do not have their own property (Proletariat) to work for them. For Marx, materialism is the desire to accrue more possessions and belongings therefore forms an unequal society and if the society is unequal in nature some people will gain more than others and will be in position of power over others. According to Marx, materialism is a key factor of the class struggle and inequality.
Stevenson, Angus. Oxford Dictionary of English. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2010.
Idealism is difficult to practice in an everyday setting; it is especially hard in a political sense. This paper will discuss several aspects of idealism and its struggles to exist.
In the end, what we learn from this article is very realistic and logical. Furthermore, it is supported with real-life examples. Culture is ordinary, each individual has it, and it is both individual and common. It’s a result of both traditional values and an individual effort. Therefore, trying to fit it into certain sharp-edged models would be wrong.
Some may define literary idealism as the act or practice of envisioning things in an ideal and often impractical form. In Don Quixote, Don Quixote gets his self in a lot of bad situations because he thinks that he is doing the right thing. “Obsessed with a theory (of doing good) and convinced that it is his duty to interfere in other people's lives, Don Quixote's utopianism reeks havoc on those people with whom he has contact, for he is careless and inconsiderate in applying his theory” (Klein, 44). Early on in Don Quixote’s
In Matthew Arnold’s 1869 essay, “Culture and Anarchy”, there is little discussion about the word culture. Instead, he describes culture as striving for perfection in a world without it. Without a clear definition, the meaning of the word is open to interpretation and thus will mean different things to different people. While I do not necessarily agree with Arnold’s ideas, they are the foundation for the thought about culture. While Arnold builds a foundation for the study of culture, it was F.R. Leavis who built on this foundation in his 1933 text “Mass Civilizations and Minority Culture”.