Culture and society : a sociology of culture

This text explores the difficulties of defining a sociology of 'culture', emphasising the complex, interdisciplinary nature of 'cultural studies', and the variety of theoretical contributions from sociology, literature, history and anthropology. Intended for a wide range of undergraduates, the text covers areas not usually included in cultural studies, together with those more familiar to the field. It deals with the development and breakdown of key conceptual distinctions, like structure/culture, culture/knowledge, objective reality/subjective experience and the implications for the study of culture. Front Matter....Pages i-x What is Culture?....Pages 1-20 Theoretical and Methodological Issues in the Study of Culture....Pages 21-43 ‘High’ Culture, Art and Aesthetics....Pages 44-63 Culture and Imperialism....Pages 64-80 Race, Ethnicity and Culture....Pages 81-100 Class and Culture....Pages 101-118 Gendered Cultures....Pages 119-138 Education....Pages 139-155 Media: Creating Popular Culture....Pages 156-171 Disintegrations and Reintegrations: Future Directions in the Sociology of Culture....Pages 172-194 Back Matter....Pages 195-221 Following a definition of culture, the authors examine the role of culture in society by drawing on such themes as the media, education, class and race