mass culture & mass society
DESCRIPTION
Mass culture & mass societyTRANSCRIPT
MASS CULTURE&
MASS SOCIETY
PREPARED BY
UMAIR
Mass Culture
A common culture experienced by large number of people
the culture that is widely disseminated via the mass media
It is the set of ideas
and values that
develop or arise from a
common exposure to
the same cultural
activities, media, news
sources, music, and
art
It is transmitted or otherwise distributed to
individuals instead of arising from their day-
to-day interactions with each other. Thus,
mass culture generally lacks the unique
content of local communities and regional
cultures
mass culture conveys the
idea that such culture
emerges spontaneously from the masses
themselves, like popular art
did before the 20th century
it promotes the role of individuals as consumers.
Emergence of mass culture in 19th century
With the rise of publishing and broadcasting in the 19th and 20th centuries, the scope of mass culture expanded dramatically
Mass culture is made available to the masses either with the help of mass media like broadcast, print, internet or by word of mouth.
the most important technology contributing to the development of mass culture in the 1920s was radio
Mass culture emerged due to the development of Print and Broadcast which were strong enough to alter perception, convince people to follow ideas on a large scale
The primary goal of a mass culture
To entertain and to distract
Level of economic development of modern societies has made possible liberation of a free time with which it is necessary to occupy with something, and also has raised a standard of living. People have appeared capable to pay for getting them entertained
The modern society
fast rate of social changes and their unpredictability
fragility of social communications an overabundance of the inconsistent
information
All it generates requirement from time to time to "be disconnected, “relax".And the mass culture allows satisfying both requirements: carrying out of leisure, entertainment and a relaxation
The mass culture constantly is exposed to criticism both from researchers, and from the most exacting public.
The criticism is caused by• poor quality of production of "the cultural
industry
• frequently playing the most primitive requirements
• the instincts, not aspiring to spiritual development of consumers
Other direction of criticism - commercial character of a mass culture, transformation of culture into the goods.
Besides all the negative sides of Mass Culture, it should not be coined as negative key, as it plays a important role in structural changes in any society and is responsible for particular functions in the society.
Agatha Christie and George Simenon's detective novels - it is doubtless, samples of a mass culture.
Nevertheless, they are recognized by "genre classics" and possess doubtless art advantages. Music "Beatles" - a brightest example of mass art.
E.Schilz marked cultural heterogeneity and cultural variety of a mass society, allocated the various "levels" of culture existing in it:
As one of displays of "disagreement" of a mass society division of its culture at least on three degrees of quality acts.
These are so-called "higher", or "found", "average" or "mediocre", and "lowest" or "vulgar", cultures.
The "higher" culture is not connected in any way with the social status.
It means perfection degree in it is defined not by a social standing of founders or consumers of objects of culture, and only truthfulness and beauty of these objects
The category of "average" culture includes products to which, irrespective of efforts of their founders, criteria of estimations of products of the "higher" culture are inapplicable.
The "mediocre" culture is less original, than "higher”, though operates with the same genres, as the "higher" culture
At the third level there is the "lowest" culture which products are elementary.
Some of them have genre forms of “average” and even the “higher” culture (the fine arts, music, verses, novels, stories),but also games and shows (boxing, jumps), possessing direct expressiveness and the minimum internal maintenance.
At this level of culture depth of penetration is almost always insignificant and refinement is absent.
The mass society is absorbed considerably by quantity of culture.
The greatest scope was got by distribution of "mediocre" and "lowest" cultures, and the proportional stock of the "higher" culture was sharply reduced.
Most obvious of the reasons of the similar phenomenon
• the big availability• reduction of expenses of work • increase in time of leisure • a material prosperity of the majority of
people
As a result Consumption of the "higher" culture also has increased, though and to a lesser degree.
MASS SOCIETY
DEFINITIONS
Mass society is any society of the modern era that possesses a mass culture and large-scale impersonal social institutions.
A mass society is a society in which prosperity and bureaucracy have weakened traditional social ties."
OR
Relationship between mass culture and mass society
Mass culture is the disruptive consequence of the emergence of the mass society.
In mass society, culture becomes open to debasement and trivialization because the masses lack taste and discrimination.
EMERGANCE OF MASS SOCIETY
Mass society was originated in 19th
century. It states media has strong
influence on people in term of
shaping:People’s mindPerceptionsSocial worldUrbanizationIndustrialization
As the rise of mass society is resulted from urbanization and industrialization so there are some consequences
The consequence of
size
The consequence of
density
The consequence of heterogeneity
The consequences
of industrializatio
n
Advancement of science
Rise in mass democracy
Mass education and public communication in western societies
ASSUMPTIONS:
The media are powerful force within society and can change norms and
values
There is a direct
influence of media on
people
Long term consequence
s
Average people are
vulnerable to media
MASS SOCIETY THEORY
Mass society theory is a complex, multifaceted perspective. As applied to social movements, however, the basic idea is that people who are socially isolated are especially vulnerable to the appeals of extremist movements. The theory resonated with fears of fascist and communist movements in the 1930s and 1940s and reached its climax in the late 1950s.
Mass society is a social system
characterized by mindless uniformity
the decline of religion, a sense of
alienation and moral emptiness, weak
family and community ties, political
apathy, and the replacement of high
culture (such as art and literature) by
low culture catering to bland and
unsophisticated tastes
SEVERAL KEY ASSUMPTIONS
Media are dangerous and powerful. In 1920s and 1930s there was concern that media had to be controlled or eliminated to protect the existing way of life.
Average people can be powerfully influenced by media. Ordinary people were not capable of defending themselves well against it
Significant negative consequences for individuals and for society could predictably occur once people were corrupted by media messages.
Modern Mass societies isolated ordinary people from the strong social, cultural, and religious institutions which would offer defense against powerful media messages.
Social disorder will result from lack of social unity and order will ultimately be restored by totalitarian or autocratic leadership
There are some modern Mass Society Theorists:
Michael Medved's popular book, Hollywood vs. America makes a very strong, common-sense case
which is well-supported with media examples.
Scruton who has written that people without culture cannot appreciate high culture or even understand what it is or why it is important. He also believes we have replaced
important ideas and values with consumerism. It's easier to live in the make-believe world than the real one, and since we don't demand much of ourselves (no rites of passage,
high goals, etc.) superficial media fill the gap
Ben Bagdikian has mass society concerns as he writes about the perils of media concentration, the reduced number of gatekeepers and the growing pressure to make sure content is "what's good for the corporation" and not what's good for individuals or for society
The Problems of Mass Society Theory
Mass culture theory is elitist
It also ignores the diversity of popular culture.
Mass culture theorists tend to romanticize the past in which folk and elite cultures solidly maintain
the social and moral order of communities.
The audiences of the mass cultures are often portrayed as passive, foolish, lack of tastes.