Popular Culture
Sociology: AQA A Level, topic 3.1.5
Popular Culture
There is a weakening of the distinction between high and low/mass/popular culture.
Popular culture
- The term popular culture is often used to refer to mass culture and includes most elements of mass culture but in a more positive way.
- Popular culture includes products drawn from high cultures, such as film adaptations of classic literature or the mass reproduction of fine art or street art by artists such as Banksy.
The weakening distinction
- Postmodernists (e.g. Strinati) have argued that the distinction between these different types of culture is weakening and disappearing, and suggest a number of factors as to why this might be the case.
- Due to modern technology (e.g. new media and the Internet), mass markets and global travel, people are now able to consume a variety of cultural forms without having to visit specialist institutions.
Commercialising high culture
- High culture has become popularised and commercialised.
- High culture institutions such as museums and art galleries have been forced to make high culture more enticing to the general public due to financial constraints.
Choice
- High culture has now become part of popular culture with respect to Hollywood movies, classical movies used in video games, advertising and the popularisation of artists such as Andy Warhol and Banksy.
- People now have greater access to and choose between all forms of culture and often select a pick ‘n’ mix of different forms.