Kultur (the culture of the elite classes) and massenkultur (the culture of the masses). But are these two categories really so separate?
Kultur (the culture of the elite classes) and massenkultur (the culture of the masses). But are these two categories really so separate?
Culture consists of a certain set of beliefs and values that are unique to themselves. It is the one that directs the individual's behavior in the initial stages of life. Culture will have unique food habits and dressing patterns. Culture acts as an identity, and it tends to be a factor in establishing power relations where the dominant cultures will exercise superior powers compared to the lower cultures.
Kultur ( the culture of the elite class): it is defined as the high cultural forms and the institutions that are unique to the elite group. It acts as a factor to distinguish the characteristics of the modern social elite class from the others. It consists of the tastes of the aristocratic class, educated bureaucrats, bourgeoisie group. It is used by the elite group to differentiate themselves from the other weaker cultural groups and to exercise their power by stating their cultural superiority.
Massenkultur( the culture of the masses): mass culture is the one that emerges from the centrally originated process of production in the mass media. This is the one that goes on changing in times. It is a specific variant when it is linked to the masses of society.
These categories are not separate entities. The mass culture consists of elite culture. It is no longer distinguishable from the mass culture due to the mass media that imbibes the elite cultural values and inculcates them into the cultural production process. The elite culture has become more open because the people from all socio-economic backgrounds consume the elite cultural values due to the growing trend of modernity and modern values. The people, irrespective of their class position in the society, consume the modern cultural values that comprise the elite culture, which leads to the production of the mass culture.
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