Culture

Question 1

Williams (1983)

Answer 1

used culture to describe a ‘way of life’, focusing on the beliefs and customs of a society or social group

Question 2

Fox (2004)

Answer 2

spent 3 years observing English culture and wrote ‘Watching the English’. Descriptions/ commentary on english culture. She identifies norms, drinking tea, owning a mobile phone.

Question 3

Woodward (2000)

Answer 3

suggests that the culture of a society is based around ‘shared meanings, values and practices’

Question 4

Leavis (1933)

Answer 4

Said high culture is something to be protected in society. This small elite group operate a system of social closure.

Question 5

Lury (1996)

Answer 5

identifies features of consumer culture:

• the availability of a wide range of consumer goods
• shopping being seen as a leisure pursuit
• different kinds of shopping available, internet, centres, local shops
• debt being accepted as a social norm
• packaging and promotion of goods is now a wide-scale buisness

Question 6

McLuhan (1989)

Answer 6

said that because of global culture the world has become a much smaller place, a ‘global village’ where homogeneity (decline of cultural sameness) is prevalent. Concepts such as Americanisation and McDonaldisation state that global culture is basically American culture.

Question 7

Strinati (1995)

Answer 7

argues the media are largely responsible fro creating popular culture in the contemporary UK, and that consumption plays a key role.

Question 8

Adorno

Answer 8

sees popular culture as a way in which the masses are socialised into being preoccupied with trivial matters, deflecting from important social consern.

Question 9

Parekh (2006)

Answer 9

Outlines 3 types of diversity:

• members of society have a distinct way of life while still broadly serving dominant culture. Gays/ Lesbians trying to open society up.
• members that rebel against central prinicples, rejecting dominant values. Environmental group ‘Reclaim the Streets’
• Communal diversification, where ethnic groups have long established communities adding to diversity of dominant life, Bangladeshi in East London.

Question 10

Barker (2003)

Answer 10

considers a multicultural society as seeking to celebrate difference, through the teaching of multi-faith religious education and the celebration of a range of ethnically diverse festivals.