CULTURAL STUDIES:-
Cultural Studies is an interdisciplinary field of academic study that explores the role of culture in shaping and reflecting social, political, and historical phenomena. It examines how cultural practices, media, and representations influence and are influenced by society, identity, power dynamics, and ideology. Certainly! Cultural Studies is an academic discipline that emerged in the mid-20th century and has since grown into a diverse and dynamic field of study. Here are some key aspects and components of Cultural Studies:
1. Interdisciplinarity: Cultural Studies draws from various academic disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, literature, media studies, history, and more. This interdisciplinary approach allows scholars to examine culture from multiple angles.
2. Critique of Power and Ideology: One of the central concerns of Cultural Studies is the analysis of power structures and ideologies within culture. It looks at how dominant groups exert influence, shape norms, and maintain control through cultural means. It also explores how resistance and subversion can occur within culture.
3. Popular Culture: Cultural Studies often focuses on popular culture, including music, television, film, fashion, advertising, and social media. It seeks to understand how popular culture both reflects and influences societal values, beliefs, and practices.
4. Identity and Representation: Cultural Studies examines how culture constructs and represents identities based on factors such as race, gender, sexuality, class, and nationality. It critically analyzes how media and cultural texts shape these identities and can perpetuate stereotypes or challenge them.
5. Global and Local Contexts: Cultural Studies considers both global and local perspectives. It looks at how global cultural flows and globalization impact local cultures and vice versa, highlighting the complex interplay between the global and the local.
6. Textual Analysis: Cultural Studies often involves close reading and analysis of cultural texts, which can include anything from literature and films to advertisements and social media posts. Scholars dissect these texts to uncover hidden meanings, ideologies, and cultural implications.
7. Historical Context: Understanding the historical context is crucial in Cultural Studies. Researchers examine how cultural phenomena change over time and how historical events shape cultural developments.
8. Social Justice and Activism: Many scholars in Cultural Studies are concerned with social justice issues and use their research to advocate for positive social change. They may analyze and critique inequalities and discrimination present in culture and media.
9. Methodological Diversity: Cultural Studies employs a wide range of research methods, including textual analysis, ethnography, interviews, surveys, and critical theory. The choice of method depends on the specific research question and context.
10. Continual Evolution: Cultural Studies is a dynamic field that continually evolves to address new cultural developments and challenges. It remains relevant by adapting to shifts in culture and society.
Cultural Studies is a multifaceted field that explores the intricate relationship between culture, power, identity, and society. It employs an interdisciplinary and critical approach to analyze how culture shapes and reflects the world we live in. (Chat GPT)
WHAT IS POWER?
If we think about what Power is? In normal terms we can think of an authoritative person. But what is the energy or factors behind it which male this particular person or position powerful? These all questions are answered in Cultural Studies and how Power really works.
- As noted in Merriam-Webster Dictionary Power means possession of control, authority, or influence over others. (Merriam-Webster)
Power can be divided in so many forms like Power of Position, Power of Person, Power of Money, etc. but all these forms lead us to one final conclusion that Power holds the right to consider Right as Wrong and Wrong as Right. So, let's see What is Power in Cultural Studies? and it helps us to understand the true meaning and influence of Power on us.
Here in this video Eric Liu described:-
- What Power is?
- 6 sources of Civic Power
- Physical Force
- Wealth
- State Action
- Social Norms
- Ideas
- Numbers
- How Power Operates?
- 3 Laws of Power
- Power is never Static
- Power is like Water
- Politics
- Policy
- Power Compounds
- What You can do
- Read so you have right to Write also
As noted in the book 'An Introduction to Cultural Studies' by Pramod K. Nayar about how Power studied in Cultural Studies can be helpful to understand it more clearly.
Cultural studies addresses the relationship between culture and power. By asking questions about who decides what is considered legitimate and valued culture, cultural studies scholars reveal the ways in which power operates through cultural practices. The three examples provide illustrate this point:
- Why is Agatha Christie not studied in English departments when most people read Christie rather than Thomas Hardy? - This question suggests that the literary canon, which is largely determined by English departments, is influenced by power relations. Christie's novels are popular with readers, but they are not considered to be as highbrow as Hardy's work. This is because the literary canon is traditionally dominated by male, white, and upper-class writers.
- How does walking through the city streets become significant as a practice? - The way that city streets are designed and used is a reflection of power relations. For example, pedestrian spaces are often given less priority than automobile spaces. This is because the transportation system is designed to benefit those who have access to cars, who are typically more affluent and powerful.
- What are the economic and political implications of creating special outlets and exhibitions of 'tribal culture' for elite people to purchase them in metropolises? - The commodification of tribal culture for elite consumers is a form of cultural appropriation. It involves the removal of cultural objects from their original context and their transformation into commodities for the consumption of wealthy people. This process is often accompanied by the stereotyping and misrepresentation of tribal cultures.
When examining these questions through Cultural Studies:
- Who decides Shakespeare is prioritised over Christie?
- Who controls spaces for pedestrians and cars?
- Who profits from selling tribal artifacts?
These questions reveal that cultural decisions are intertwined with politics and power. The legitimacy and value of cultural elements are determined by someone's decision, making culture inherently linked to questions of economy and politics. (Nayar)
If we see some of the examples of this in contemporary times we can see mostly in Social Media or in Politics or particular Group which holds the power to rule on others only by having more people in their side.
Recently, more people have been talking about the need for movies and TV shows to show a variety of different people and stories. There's a hashtag, #OscarsSoWhite, which became popular. It's used to point out that not enough people of different races are getting nominated for big awards like the Oscars. This hashtag got people to notice that not only are there not enough diverse actors in main roles, but there's also a problem behind the scenes with not having enough diversity in the people making the decisions. This whole movement is trying to change that. (Yousuf)
Here is a YouTube video available on understanding the Michel Foucault Idea or Theory of Power.
MEDIA STUDIES IN DIGITAL CULTURE:-
Media Studies in Digital Culture looks at how media and technology connect, studying how digital progress changes how we talk, show things, and do cultural activities. It covers things like social media, online platforms, digital stories, and how we use media in the modern digital era.
- In 1988, Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman co-authored 'Manufacturing Consent,' challenging the idea that the media acts as a check on political power. Instead, they argued that the media actually manufactures our consent, shaping the narrative to align with those in power.
- Media operates through five filters.
- Media Ownership - The first relates to ownership, where large corporations, often part of even bigger conglomerates, prioritize profit over critical journalism.
- Advertising - The second filter involves the role of advertising, with advertisers paying for audiences, essentially selling both the media's output and the consumers themselves.
- Media Elite - The third filter reveals how the establishment manages the media, as journalism can't effectively check power due to a system that encourages complicity. Governments and corporations influence the news narrative, making themselves crucial to journalism.
- Flack - The fourth filter is 'flak,' where those challenging the consensus face backlash, discrediting sources and diverting conversations when stories are inconvenient for those in power.
- The Common Enemy - The fifth filter involves creating a common enemy to corral public opinion.
These five filters constitute a comprehensive media theory, illustrating how consent is continually manufactured in various ways.
Let's see some of the examples of Media Studies in Digital Culture.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS INFLUENCE ON VOTES
Media studies in digital culture often examine how social media platforms impact political discourse and elections. For instance, the role of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in shaping public opinion, spreading information, and potential manipulation through targeted advertising.
ACTIVISM
The study of digital culture explores how platforms facilitate user-generated content and activism. The #MeToo movement, for example, gained momentum through social media, demonstrating the power of online platforms in mobilizing social and cultural change.
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The rise of podcasts exemplifies how digital media allows for the creation of niche content and communities. Media studies explore how podcasting has become a platform for in-depth discussions on specialized topics, fostering unique and dedicated audience engagement. Here are some examples of this as follow:-
The Dollop Podcast:-
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The Adventure Zone:-
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- All these examples and Ideas reflect that Why Media Studies is important in Digital Culture.
TRULY EDUCATED PERSON:-
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."
- Albert Einstein
To understand this point here is a video available on YouTube on Noam Chomsky - 'On being Truly Educated'.
In this video he described that To truly be educated, one can turn to classic views on the subject, such as those expressed by Bill Humboldt, a key figure in the Enlightenment era. According to him, being well-educated means having the ability to ask questions and create independently, without being controlled by external forces.
In a modern context, a physicist once emphasized in classes that what's crucial is not what is covered, but what one discovers. Being truly educated, then, involves being able to inquire and create based on the resources one understands, knowing where to look, and forming meaningful questions. It goes beyond simply storing information in one's mind; it's about knowing how to question, challenge, and proceed independently.
An effective educational system, from kindergarten to graduate school, should nurture this ability to inquire, create, and collaborate with others. Ultimately, a well-educated person, by these standards, is someone who can face the challenges of the world with the skills developed through self-education, inquiry, and cooperative exploration.
WORKS CITED:-
- Nayar, Pramod K. An Introduction to Cultural Studies. 2nd ed., Viva Books, 2016.
- Open AI. "Chat GPT-3.5".
- Rainie, Lee. “Social Media and Voting.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, Pew Research Center, 6 Nov. 2012, www.pewresearch.org/internet/2012/11/06/social-media-and-voting/.
- Yousuf, Imaan. "What Is the Significance of the #OscarsSoWhite Hashtag?". Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Jul. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/story/what-is-the-significance-of-the-oscarssowhite-hashtag.
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NOTE:- I took help from the Chat GPT for certain points and mostly to make my blog Grammar error free and If you have any questions or doubts comment it down or contact me on my Social Media.
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