revision notes

Cultural Theory.

Hypodermic needle theory.
E.D. Martin
The idea that the media, like a hypodermic needle, has a very direct, powerful and immediate impact. Society can't help but be effected by the media we are exposed to.
Media is loaded with ideology and propaganda.
Thought that people weren't very clever so allowed themselves to be heavily influenced by each other and the media.
Its easier to pay too much attention to media then it is to think for yourself.
REAL LIFE EXAMPLE: watching 'Made In Chelsea' and behaving or dressing in a similar way as a direct reaction.

Uses and Gratifications.
Blumler and Katz
Why people buy and watch what the do.
Uses which people have for media artifacts.
1) Escapism.
2) Personal relationships - to develop relationships with the people in media.
3) Person identity. - role models - taking aspects of our personality from what we see in the media.
4) surveillance - people gain an understanding of the world around them from the media artifacts the are exposed to.

Culture Definition: Culture is a particular way of life that expresses certain meanings and values.

cultural practices - activity you engage in in your culture.
cultural products - an item you own or buy within your culture.


value: the usefulness or importance of a product or practice to an individual.
popular culture: cultural P or P that are universally accepted or valued (mass culture)
Higher culture: cultural products or practices to which we aspire - typically the realm of the higher middle classes or the wealthy.

Higher culture
Going to the opera/ ballet.
codes:
Don't talk over it
Don't use your phone
Don't kick seats
Dress smartly
Don't say anything vulgar or loud.

Matthew Arnold 1869
Nineteeth century writer and critic
'the best that is thought and said in the world'
believed higher culture helps people behave. an appreciation of the arts in particular could prevent social disorder, immorality, violence, selfishness and disobedience.
He was interested in the arts. The best of these are often collected together in what is knownas the canon.
the canon:
shakespear, da vinci, mozart. beethoven, bach, wordsworth, verdi.
even in todays western culture these is sttill evidence of the ruling classes exposing everyone to higher culture
higher culture is still asperational.

why do we still learn shakespear? the higher classes decide we should. it touches on topics that might not be touched on in other texts. its inspiring.
we are still heavily influenced by the canon. its now compulsory to study 19th century noevels on the national curriculum.

CODE: rules we follow based on other peoples expectations of each other in how everyone should behave.
SOCIALISATION: the process in which we learn codes.