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Definition of “popular culture”

Popular culture is a difficult and extensive theme, about which many theories and definitions were written by different authors.

At the beginning the two words “popular” and “culture” must be clarified. “Culture is one of two or three most complex words in the English language” [1] , says Raymond William, a very high-powered British scientist, critic and author. In his work “culture and society” which is a big contribution for cultural theory, he writes about three general categories into which culture can be divided, namely: culture as an ideal, culture as a document and the social definition of culture. [2]

In William's first definition, lived culture, he leads on the human life-styles and models of behaviour, directing after ideals. Thus we people strive after a life in perfection, while we are directed after given values, as for example the foundation of a family or success in the job. Furthermore also the social life, like the support of weaker or an affectionate cooperation, count as timeless and universal ideals which are to be aimed. This process of culture happens mostly unconsciously, because we get these values already pre lived, automatically integrate ourselves and live after them.

Secondly culture is described in various documents. Besides, one means the traditional texts and works from the preceding epochs which return the life-style at that time. Especially in literature and art one can speak of “documented culture“ because only while we read or look at what has put out human life and thinking at that time, we get a picture of former values an can adopt or continue them.. In certain ways one can therefore say that the lived and the traditional culture are in coherence, because ideals and values are only shown through the texts and practices to us after which we can live and the culture is thereby continued. However, on this occasion, there is, as well as Williams discussed, a problem. To know the precise details of the preceding cultures, one would have to have read all traditional works. Because this is virtually impossible, nobody can claim itself to have read all works and therefore a big part of the details gets mostly lost. [3]

The however most important definition of culture is the social one, because it opens three new interpretation possibilities. From anthropological view culture describes a certain life-style. Another suggestion is the expression of certain values by culture. The last possibility sees cultural analysis as a way to show a life-style.

To the general interpretation of culture it is unacceptable, accord本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。