Henri Matissse Deux fillettes, fond jaune et rouge (Two Girls in a Yellow and Red Interior) 1947 Barnes Foundation, Merion, PA
There are two main competing traditions that carry out popular cultural studies. Those traditions differ in the periodization of history. The Anglo-Saxon tradition roots its studies of popular culture on industrialization. Peter Burke (1978), Karin Doving (1973), Robert W. Macolmson (1971) belong to that tradition. Whereas, the French tradition’s turning point is the French Revolution. Robert Darton (1985), Michael Mullet (1987) represent the French tradition. Industrialization creates a mass production of both material and cultural objects that reach a broad, however uncertain audience. Whereas, the French Revolution distinguishes between an “Anciėn Régime” mentality and a post-revolutionary one. Therefore, the purpose of understanding popular culture depends on the periodization of history that will influence on the content, the audience, and the language of popular culture studies.
The Anglo-Saxon tradition has generally drawn a relationship between popular culture and social class. Therefore, the traditional definition of popular culture distinguishes between high culture and popular culture. The former is inherent to the learned or upper classes. Whilst, the latter represents the folklore of the lower classes, or lower orders. The Anglo-Saxon tradition draws a distinction between high culture and popular culture. However, scholars such as Peter Burke, Redfield, Barbu, Fiedler, and Raymond Williams argue that popular culture studies the relationship between the learned and the popular classes.[1]
The French tradition of popular culture does not draw a distinction between the learned and ordinary people. On the contrary, the purpose is to discover and understand the mentality of the majority of the people over a long-term period of time, and a region, or culture. The French tradition analyses values, traditions, perceptions, attitudes, symbols, tastes, prejudices, and viewworlds shared by most of the people. The outcome of such approach is that there are certain values, perceptions, and attitudes that transcend both social class, and learned elite dimensions. Therefore, the French tradition dares to talk about “mentalités” of civilizations and societies.
The Marxist and neomarxist tradition argue that popular culture is the appropriation and transformation of the cultural creations of a lower strata by a learned elite. They state that the learned elite of the Enlightenment appropriated songs, ballads, sayings, plays, and stories, that circulated among the lower strata, Moreover, this learned elite transformed the “folklore” for both the high class and the lower strata. The purpose of rescuing “folklore” is for the elite, related to the idea of nationhood, aesthetics, social control, and identity. Another elite’s goal is to impart or impose the elite’s own values, and perceptions of the world upon the lower strata.
Popular culture analyzes the mentality of a certain society, and civilization focusing on the shared beliefs, attitudes, prejudices, experiences, perceptions, and traditions of the majority. The goal of popular culture is to reject the distinction between the learned and the lower orders. On the contrary, to analyze the shared values, traditions, prejudices, attitudes, and perceptions or their own civilization, or society over a long-term period of time.
Department of History
The Anglo-Saxon tradition has generally drawn a relationship between popular culture and social class. Therefore, the traditional definition of popular culture distinguishes between high culture and popular culture. The former is inherent to the learned or upper classes. Whilst, the latter represents the folklore of the lower classes, or lower orders. The Anglo-Saxon tradition draws a distinction between high culture and popular culture. However, scholars such as Peter Burke, Redfield, Barbu, Fiedler, and Raymond Williams argue that popular culture studies the relationship between the learned and the popular classes.[1]
The French tradition of popular culture does not draw a distinction between the learned and ordinary people. On the contrary, the purpose is to discover and understand the mentality of the majority of the people over a long-term period of time, and a region, or culture. The French tradition analyses values, traditions, perceptions, attitudes, symbols, tastes, prejudices, and viewworlds shared by most of the people. The outcome of such approach is that there are certain values, perceptions, and attitudes that transcend both social class, and learned elite dimensions. Therefore, the French tradition dares to talk about “mentalités” of civilizations and societies.
The Marxist and neomarxist tradition argue that popular culture is the appropriation and transformation of the cultural creations of a lower strata by a learned elite. They state that the learned elite of the Enlightenment appropriated songs, ballads, sayings, plays, and stories, that circulated among the lower strata, Moreover, this learned elite transformed the “folklore” for both the high class and the lower strata. The purpose of rescuing “folklore” is for the elite, related to the idea of nationhood, aesthetics, social control, and identity. Another elite’s goal is to impart or impose the elite’s own values, and perceptions of the world upon the lower strata.
Popular culture analyzes the mentality of a certain society, and civilization focusing on the shared beliefs, attitudes, prejudices, experiences, perceptions, and traditions of the majority. The goal of popular culture is to reject the distinction between the learned and the lower orders. On the contrary, to analyze the shared values, traditions, prejudices, attitudes, and perceptions or their own civilization, or society over a long-term period of time.
Department of History
Geogetown University
[1] Bigsby, C. W. E. “The Poliics of Popular Culture”, Cultures I (1973):15-37.
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