Second Session - Traditional Approaches and Cultural Studies

Explain “The Three Senses of Culture” by T.S. Eliot

Echoes traditional use of the term culture (Williams):

• culture as human development from a low to a high state

− 'primitive' and 'developed' cultures

− assigns higher value to cultural phenomena that concern the whole society

However, the text also partially acknowledges more diverse contributions to culture.

Explain the shift in Eliot’s text

• from a traditional use to a more open one:

  > inclusion of a list of typical English activities; culture as a whole way of life

What does this shift reflect?

This reflects the overall development (starting in the 1940s) from the traditional view (culture as growing towards perfection) towards the more open usage favoured by Cultural Studies.

How does Simon During define Cultural Studies?

• Cultural Studies are "engaged"

  Cultural Studies are:

  1. "political, critical" (1)

  → try to uncover injustice, power-imbalances, hierarchies leading to inequality and exclusion

  2. “[aim] to enhance and celebrate cultural experience" (1)

  → communicating enjoyment in cultural variety and encouraging everyone to take part

  3. “[aim] to deal with culture as part of everyday life" (1)

  → open to all forms culture can take