Culture, Power, and Social Class: Exploring Perspectives from Arnold to Williams

Posted on Sep 4, 2024 in French

Hegemony and Popular Culture

Popular forms of culture, rather than leading to the manipulation of the masses, can be seen as sites of ideological struggle, where hegemonic battles are won or lost. Popular or mass culture was described by the Leavises as something negative that numbed its consumers, whereas nowadays popular culture is described as that which is “widely favored or well-liked by many people.”

Vocabulary

Section 1

1. Brewery (Cervecería): A company that makes beer.
2. To frown upon (Fruncir el ceño): To look disapprovingly upon.
3. Cobbled Street (empedrado): Road covered with round stones.
4. Rowdy (Ruidoso): Noisy and causing trouble.
5. To bait (cebar): To put food in a trap to attract animals/ to deliberately try to make someone angry.
6. Outlawed (illegal): Something that is illegal.
7. In the clink (en el tintero): To be in prison.
8. To make a profit (para obtener un beneficio): When you earn money from selling something.
9. Bawdy (obscene, verde): Referring to sex in a humorous way.
10. Slang: Words or expressions that are very informal and are not considered suitable for more formal situations.
11. Backstage (Bastidores): The area behind the stage in a theatre, including the rooms where the actors get dressed.

Section 2

1. Vaudeville (Reforma, arte): A type of popular entertainment of the late 19th and early 20th century, a kind of light entertainment, where there could be a mixture of different types of art.
2. Speak out (expresar opinion): To state your opinion firmly and publicly about something.
3. To label (cartel): To use a word or a phrase to describe someone or something.
4. Drill (taladrar): A method of military training that involves practicing things such as marching or holding weapons.
5. Reviled (muy odiado): Hated and criticized very much.
6. Clunky (algo grande, solido): Large, solid, and heavy in a way that is not attractive.
7. Sweetheart (corazón dulce): Used for talking to someone who you love.
8. This works (Trabajo): It functions properly.
9. Faux: Artificial.
10. Blend (batidora): A combination of different tastes, styles, qualities etc.
11. Review (revisar): The process of studying or examining a situation, policy, or idea in order to decide whether it is suitable or satisfactory.
12. Revue (revista): A type of performance with songs, dances and humor.
13. Tap-dance: A type of dancing in which you move your feet very quickly and make sounds with the special shoes you wear.
14. Swinging (alegre): Exciting and fashionable.
15. To get rid of something (deshacerse de algo): To throw away, give away or make something disappear.

Discussion Questions

Culture and Social Class

Question 2: Considering Arnold’s and the Leavises’ point of view on culture, how do you think it relates to social class? What kind of implications do you think it entails?

I think that high classes can access and produce quality culture, while low classes are considered to have a culture with less value. Also, this lower society could only produce poor, but quality culture.

Question 3: How would the following character ‘Vicky Pollard’ fit into this?

Vicky Pollard represents a low, popular class and therefore she can only contribute to society with bad quality culture.

Question 4: Which impression do you get after watching this video? Do you recognize her as part of your society?

She is quite rude and I think that nobody would like to be identified with her.

Question 5: Which social class do you identify her in?

I identify her in a low-class level.

Question 6: How do you feel about her? Do you feel sorry for her or do you just laugh at her? Reflect on your answer and on the implications of your ‘feelings’.

When I saw the video I felt both feelings. On the one hand I felt pity for her and on the other hand it made me laugh.

The Americanization of Society

Question 7: The Leavises also talk about the danger of the Americanization of society. What do you think about it? Do you see it as a threat or as something positive?

Probably he’s talking about globalization. This is the influence of American culture on the rest of European culture. As a result, all the cultures become similar. I think this is a threat if each country doesn’t keep its typical culture.

Mass Culture and Manipulation

Question 8: Thomson and Leavis saw mass culture as a means by which to manipulate. LEAVISES. Question 8. What do you think? Do you agree? Can you give examples of real life where you think this happens?

Yes, I agree because mass culture makes people think similarly, people can be easy to manipulate. Besides, mass culture makes people think less about real or important problems. For example: if fashion is flower-print trousers, all girls wear flower-print trousers.

Culture and Power

Question 9: After considering Arnold’s, the Leavises’, and T.S. Eliot’s views on culture, how can we explain and understand culture as inexorably related to power?

The culture within the culture and civilization tradition can be seen as an instrument of class oppression and an instrument of power.

Culture as a Reaction to Change

Question 10: He understands culture as our reaction towards changes around us, in our everyday life. RAYMOND WILLIAMS. So, what implications does this have as far as the study of culture is concerned?

The main implication is that everything around people is culture, therefore researchers must study everything as a culture.

Culture in the English Lesson

Question 11: How could you use this in your English lesson? Which aspects of English culture would you explore here? Which language aspects would you relate this video to?

I think that it’s a good activity for class, because students can describe the situation and explain what’s happening in that situation.

New Technologies and Culture

Question 12: New Technologies and their effect in our society and on culture. What do you think?

I agree with Williams on the idea that new technology does not modify the message. But it’s true that new technology makes it possible for millions of people to get the message faster and easier.

Question 13: McLuhan claims that ‘Print technology created the public’ and that in turn ‘electric technology created the mass’. What do you think about this? Who do you agree or disagree with? Justify your answer.

[Your answer here]

Question 14: Television has been around for a long time. RAYMOND WILLIAMS. How do you think the internet has changed the way television programs are produced? Which factors do you think have had an influence on this?

I think that the internet has been a revolution and most programs have web pages. One of the main factors that influence this is that people cannot depend on a fixed timetable and with the internet they can access the program that they like quickly.

Question 15: STUART HALL. Which implications would you identify in this video now? How would you deal with this video in your classroom if you were to use it?

In this video we can identify the different urban groups in the class, I would ask students to find similarities with urban groups that exist in their cities.