Class and Culture

Abstract

In many of the theories of culture we have examined the relationship of culture to class has been an important issue, but it has also shown many contradictions, confusions and discontinuities. As we saw in Chapters 1 and 2, historically the main thrust of theoretical developments in the sociological study of culture took place within sets of paradigms emphasising a whole range of other issues. Within these, initially, culture was simply ‘given’ by the nature of the class structure itself. Alternatively, within the structural-functionalist paradigm, class was seen as contributing to an overall cultural consensus. From the radical perspective of theorists of the Frankfurt School, as well as more conservative ‘mass society’ theorists, class and class-based culture were seen as ultimately giving way to a consensus mass culture based on classlessness. The distinction between ‘high’ and ‘low’ or popular culture in many theories, hinges implicitly or explicitly on some notion of class, although the term ‘élite’ often fudges the issue.