High and Popular Culture
Cultural Value
Question 1 on the COMM 1 exam paper will have something to do with the 'nature of culture'. One concept we are interested in here is 'cultural value'. Cultural Products and practices are often seen as more or less valuable depending on a number of factors. A cultural product or practice might be seen as 'valuable' because;
- It is worth money
- It is popular
- It is new
- It fulfils a need in society
- It is a part of a tradition
- It is morally civilising
- It produces a reaction
- It is Emotionally important to an individual
- It is respected by others
- It is influential
- It has stood the test of time
- It is original
- It is challenging
- It is produced by talented individuals
- It is valued by those in power (the establishment)
Often these ideas are Contradictory, and one argument is that it is impossible to say for certain whether a cultural product or practice is more or less 'valuable' than another. This idea is sometimes termed 'cultural relativism' - the idea that all cultural practices are equally valid and valuable.
The concept of High Culture introduced by Mathew Arnold sees cultural value stemming from challenge, tradition,talent,influence and moral guidance. 'the best that has been thought and known' in Arnold's words has been collected into a 'canon' - a set of cultural products and practices which are 'better' than all others, and are what should be aspired to.
Popular Culture, or Mass Culture, is made up of cultural products and practices which appeal to the majority, the masses, which are perhaps less demanding at an intellectual level.
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