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Culture and Class

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Isabel Margarita Herrera Altamirano
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8 views2 pages

Culture and Class

Uploaded by

Isabel Margarita Herrera Altamirano
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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13/12/2024

Introduction to British Cultural Studies and Theory


Dr. Anja Sunhyun Michaelsen
Isabel Margarita Herrera Altamirano

Cultural Studies and Class: Characteristics and Application

Cultural studies investigate how culture produces meaning and interacts with social power dynamics.
It is an interdisciplinary field that includes disciplines such as sociology, politics, linguistics,
historiography, anthropology, and literature.

As mentioned, one of the main characteristics of cultural studies is their interdisciplinary


nature. These studies thrive on integrating methods and theories from multiple disciplines. This allows
for a much more comprehensive understanding of cultural phenomena, avoiding the limitations of a
single perspective. This interdisciplinary nature enriches the understanding of cultural dynamics by
expanding the range of tools available to analyze culture.

Another characteristic present in cultural studies is the focus on power relations. A central
concern of cultural studies is uncovering how power operates within cultural contexts. It examines the
mechanisms used by dominant groups to maintain authority and how other groups resist or adapt. This
highlights a reciprocal relationship between cultural practices and social hierarchies, making visible
how power shapes everyday life.

This type of study also places special emphasis on the creation of meaning. Cultural studies
prioritize understanding how meaning is produced, negotiated, and contested. This involves analyzing
various media, literature, art, and academic studies as spaces where culture communicates and
constructs meaning. It questions how particular meanings gain prominence and influence collective
consciousness, ultimately shaping identities and ideologies.

To understand how cultural studies are reflected in our society, we can take the example of
social classes. Class differences are not only economic but also cultural, reinforcing inequalities. The
idea of cultural capital shows how dominant classes make their preferences seem "correct" or
"universal," subtly maintaining their power.

Since class is not solely an economic topic and is directly related to culture, it requires an
interdisciplinary approach. Sociology helps us understand class structures. It is also essential to
analyze how these differences appear in media such as television, music, or film. In this way, the
media becomes a space where class identities can be reinforced or challenged.

Social classes are inherently tied to power relations. Class struggle, for instance, is seen as a
force driving historical change, aligning closely with the cultural studies focus on oppression and
resistance. Aspects like education and tastes labeled as "cultural" are tools that subtly sustain power
hierarchies.

Popular culture plays a big part in how we see and understand social classes. To illustrate this,
we can think of the movie Parasite. The movie explores the big gap between the wealthy Park family
and the impoverished Kim family. The film uses a mix of sociology, cultural analysis, and storytelling
to examine how inequality infiltrates every aspect of life. We can see this even in the physical spaces,
like the Parks' luxurious home and the Kims' semi-basement apartment. It also critiques power
relations by showing how the Parks’ wealth and privilege depend on the labor and exploitation of
families like the Kims. The story emphasizes how these dynamics create tensions that ultimately erupt
into conflict. Parasite engages with meaning-making by crafting a narrative that critiques capitalism
and questions societal norms. Through its portrayal of the Kims infiltrating the Parks’ world, the film
challenges audiences to reflect on systemic inequities and the fragility of class stability.

In conclusion, there are three important characteristics in cultural studies; first, their
interdisciplinary nature, then their focus on power relations, and their emphasis on meaning-making.
These characteristics provide invaluable tools for analyzing complex social phenomena, like class and
class struggle.

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