Popular Culture and High Culture
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Product Description
Is NYPD Blue a less valid form of artistic expression than a Shakespearean drama? Who is to judge and by what standards?In this new edition of Herbert Ganss brilliantly conceived and clearly argued landmark work, he builds on his critique of the universality of high cultural standards. While conceding that popular and high culture have converged to some extent over the twenty-five years since he wrote the book, Gans holds that the choices of typical Ivy League graduates, not to mention Ph. D. s in literature, are still very different from those of high school graduates, as are the movie houses, television channels, museums, and other cultural institutions they frequent. This new edition benefits greatly from Ganss discussion of the politicization of culture over the last quarter-century. Popular Culture and High Culture is a must read for anyone interested in the vicissitudes of taste in American society.
About the Author
Herbert J. Gans, author of Levittowners and The Urban Villagers, is professor of sociology at Columbia University and the former president of the American Sociological Association.
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First Sentence
THE CRITIQUE of mass or popular culture is now about two hundred years old, and in its contemporary form, that critique emphasizes four major themes: 1. The negative character of popular culture creation. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
THE CRITIQUE of mass or popular culture is now about two hundred years old, and in its contemporary form, that critique emphasizes four major themes: 1. The negative character of popular culture creation. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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3 reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Gans and Swirski
18 Nov 2006
Format:Paperback
I dont want to belabour here the greatness of Gans's study: it's an acknowledged classic and needs no further recommendation. But I would like to draw attention to a slightly less known study by Peter Swirski, called "From Lowbrow to Nobrow" (published about a year ago) which in many ways continues the line of inquiry spearheaded by Gans. As a matter of fact, Chapter 2 in "From Lowbrow to Nobrow" leans on Gans's book when it provides a thorough review (and a wonderful debunking) of a multitude of accusations raised against popular culture and popular fiction over the decades. Swirski tends to be more humorous and colloquial, and focuses mainly on literature and film, whereas Gans takes a more "wholistic" and sociological approach to popular culture. Otherwise, it is hard for me to decide which book I learned more from.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
A propos Gans and Swirski
23 Dec 2008
Format:Paperback
I just want to say that i agree with the review above. I read both of these books, Gans' Popular Culture and High Culture and Swirski's From lowbrow to Nobrow and i think both are great, they explore the same subjects, the are both easy and entertaining to read, and both pay a great deal of attention to sociological issues in contemporary culture. Naturally Swirski is more up to date and his perspective is a little broader, because he deals with aesthetics as well, but these two books are quite related, almost like two chapters of a much bigger book.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Highbrow or Lowbrow, its all Good
24 May 2008
Format:Paperback
Gans makes the general argument that in a pluralistic, democratic country we all deserve the culture we want whether it be high or low. Some parts of the book are pretty dated, but overall this is an excellent analysis of American cultural stratification and the creators and users of that culture.
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