(short version) - Culture: Traditional Approaches and Cultural Studies (2)

T. S. Eliot, "The Three Senses of Culture"

1. Culture of a whole society

2. Culture of a group or class

3. Culture of the individual

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Hierarchy: culture of a whole society valued higher than individual culture

Interdependence: acknowledges that individual activities and practices contribute to culture

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

activities from Eliot’s list

The list mixes activities typically representative of very different social classes.

Shift in Eliot’s text: from traditional use —> to more open use

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

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inclusion of a list of typical English activities

− culture as a whole way of life, everyday practices

T. S. Eliot, "The Three Senses of Culture"

… although Eliot’s way of viewing culture is rather progressive for his time, it is still exclusive from today’s point of view:

• list only focuses on very few fields (sports, food, traditions, high culture)

→ These often potentially highlight class divisions and restrictions.

• Most activities listed are traditionally associated with men.

• Activities and practices of minorities are excluded.

• Most activities are practiced in groups, not as individuals.

T. S. Eliot "The Three Senses of Culture" vs. the traditional sense

• Eliot uses ‘culture’ more openly than the traditional approach.

• This reflects the overall development (starting in the 1940s) from the traditional view

Simon During, from Cultural Studies: A Critical Introduction

How can we define Cultural Studies?

Cultural Studies are "engaged"

Simon During, from Cultural Studies: A Critical Introduction

What does this ‘engagement’ mean more concretely?

Cultural Studies are:

1. "political, critical"

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

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

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

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

→ open to all forms culture can take

Cultural Studies use 'culture' in an open, broad sense

3. Culture of a Particular Nation

• Culture as 'a whole way of life'

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4. Different Cultures Within One Nation

• Differences between people or groups of people

Hanif Kureishi's List of Typically British Activities

examples

• not distinctly class-oriented (many activities span the classspectrum, such as therapy, the taking of drugs…)

• stressing the individual (activities that can be done alone, such as reading, watching films vs. many activities typically undertaken in groups in Eliot’s list)

• multicultural (highlights importance of other cultures for Britain, e.g. Indian restaurants, Buddhism …); the use of the term ‘British’ instead of ‘English’ may also be significant in this respect

• contains popular culture (Bob Marley, films of Sylvester Stallone…)

• refers to activities of specific (minority) groups within society (the Hare Krishna Temple, visits to gay bars)

• includes the importance of globalisation/global culture and consumption (yoga, Buddhism, Sylvester Stallone films, hamburgers)

• includes activities that are not necessarily connoted positively (therapy, the dole office, taking drugs)

Hanif Kureishi's List of Typically British Activities

descriptions

→ Kureishi’s list is much more open/inclusive than Eliot’s

→ recalls Williams’ third use of culture (everyday activities of individuals within a culture)

→ also fits in well with Williams’ fourth use of culture (includes difference e.g. in terms of religion, (mental) health and sexuality)

Key characteristics of a Cultural Studies Approach to Culture:

• attention to power structures & social inequalities resulting from them

• promoting enjoyment of Cl.

• view of culture as open to outside influences / globalisation

• broad, inclusive view

• attention to diversity

• no value judgements

• interest in the individual and its contributions to culture

Cultural studies are engaged

Cultural Studies are:

1. "political, critical"

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

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