Cultural industries

Cultural industries 

 

The cultural industries are those “activities, which deal primarily in symbolic goods – goods whose primary economic value is derived from their cultural value. We shall look at how this definition affects the practices and dynamics of this sector in a moment. This definition then includes what have been called the ‘classical’ cultural industries – broadcast media, film, publishing, recorded music, design, architecture, new media – and the ‘traditional arts’ – visual art, crafts, theatre, music theatre, concerts and performance, literature, museums and galleries – all those activities which have been eligible for public funding as ‘art’”[1]. Also Dr. Keith Nurse in her article the cultural industries and sustainable development in small island developing states, defining cultural industries by saying: “The term cultural industry describes the role of cultural entrepreneurs and arts enterprises, for-profit as well as not-for-profit in the production, distribution and consumption of film, television, books, music, theatre, dance, visual arts, masquerade, multimedia, animation and so on”[2]. According to Dr. Keith Nurse, it shows the function of the cultural manufacturer in manufacturing products, by spreading them via those industries.

From another side, the term “cultural industry” proposed by Adorno and Horkheimer of the Frankfurt School (Kulturindustrie) in their outstanding book dialectic of enlightenment to replace the concept of "mass culture"[3]. The cultural industries encompass: television; radio; internet; architecture; crafts; advertising; fashion clothing; film; video; graphic design; live and recorded music; performing arts and entertainment; visual arts; writing and publishing. According to Adorno in the chapter of “The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception” the term is used critically so as to represent the commercial marketing of culture in field that directly deals with the production of culture. Yet, the term is used, according to him, by capitalism to monopoly individualism to become “industrialized” and commodified, “Under monopoly all mass culture is identical, and the lines of its artificial framework begin to show through. The people at the top are no longer so interested in concealing monopoly: as its violence becomes more open, so its power grows”; moreover, it is regarded as a “system of domination”. To demonstrate, the individuals are like products, and take for instance famous singers as Rihanna or Shakira, those possesses some distinctive attributes being attracted to and, therefore, they make by disseminating those singers many Rihannas and Shakiras. It is somehow like an advertisement of certain elements, including fashion, accessories, cultural codes, hairstyle…etc. Cultural industries, in other words, lead to the passivity of individuals, and it is deemed as mass deceit of those individuals which make him/her all the more subservient to his adversary, “…but industry robs the individual of his function”. “In the culture industry the individual is an illusion not merely because of the standardization of the means of production. He is tolerated only so long as his complete identification with the generality is unquestioned”. Henceforth, it affects the capacity of individuals. Also, cultural industries contrast the “authentic culture”, because it delivers “goods” plunder individuals imagination and make them fall into consuming and imitating. Mass media or those industries are intently functioned to vehicle message about products and services to consumers in order to convince these individuals to purchase or digest the commodity they advertise psychologically through those industries.

The critical view of Frankfurt School in person of Adorno and Horkheimer reveals that cultural industries are apparatuses of capital rulers to manipulate individuals, and the lead to passivity[4]. Nevertheless the culture industry remains the entertainment, its influence over the consumers is established by entertainment. Aside of cultural production being occasioned by globalization and “new world order”, a world of one “culture”, of one way of life, Production of culture is a strengthening of capitalism outright decree, by means of Americanizing the world functioning industries, or I can name it cultural-transmitting channels.

The Author: Ilyass Ainanass

---

[1] Dr. Justin, the Definition of ‘Cultural Industries’

[2] Keith Nurse, Article: the cultural industries and sustainable development in small island developing states

[3] Adorno and Horkheimer, The dialectical enlightenment

[4] Adorno and Horkheimer, The dialectical enlightenment, chapter: The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception, page (120-167)

Read More

Reproduction of The Western Culture and The Assimilation of The Orient, a superficial study

Reproduction of The Western Culture and The Assimilation of The Orient, a superficial study

 

·      A brief terminology/chronology of the western culture

Western culture/ western civilization or the European culture broadly stands for any cultural aspect, ethics, moral values, believes, traditions, customs that are associated with European/northern American culture. It has started with the very beginning of the ancient Greece and the Roman civilization, afterward.

In the medieval epoch the western culture emerged toward a radical development and reforms initiated by the renaissance, enlightenment era, Industrial revolution and the geo-discoveries. The amendments and the formation have been so pivotal connecting Europe with other nations and spreading the culture of Europe, therefore an ultimate impact on other nations.

·      The prevalence of Western culture in the world.

All the major reformations that Europe have witnessed between 16th and 19th century has uplifted, what we consider now, "the modern European" culture, a “sophisticated” and “advanced” culture in all levels of sciences, industry and humanities.  The geo-discoveries settled the European boats in different areas all over the world, mainly South/North America and Australia, bringing migrants with all the patterns of European life.

·      The prevalence from the colonial/post-colonial perspective.

As a result, western countries colonized the east countries under the umbrella that “we bring sophistication and modernization”. This method is vehemently a tricky stratagem by the westerns so as to monopoly the wealth of the targets, “We bring you clothes, life style, food, cetera” that a human should live/be like. The process of spreading this culture has been described by Edward as following, the westerns used Knowledge such as anthropology, geography, literature…to describe the stat of people in the East by such making a stereotype/negative depiction of those countries. This process, moreover, is based on a process of Othering in which “We” and “Them” are different generating an inferior image about the orient.

·      The 20th/21th century method of spreading western culture (Neo-colonialism)

In the post modern society the dissemination of the western culture took another form. It is the geo-political practices employing globalization as a flag of cultural imperialism instead of military or political control (direct control).

The appearance of the neo-influencers blossomed with the rise of capitalism and the new world order after the fall of the Soviet Union in the World War Two. The collapse of Berlin wall resulted the germination of U.S as a world power considering globalization and world hegemony.

Globalization is not only about economy but also about culture, to advancing the world toward cultural standardization. The capitalists and its patrons have encouraged globalization by merely elevating the sense of cultural diversity, cultural tolerance and cultural co-existence. In contrast, Francis Fukuyama claims in his book “The End of History And The Last Man” that globalization is the exclusivity of power and the dominance of technological means by US. He explains the influence of USA has over pop-culture and other domains through functioning technological means, in other words, the Americanization of cultures.

In same framework, Edward Said examines globalization -from the perspective of post-colonial theory in his book “Orientalism”-, has shaped to restructuring and having authority over the orients.

Needless to say, through cultural industries (the tools, apparatuses of relocating cultures such as Mass Media, Literature, Festivals, paints, Cinema, etc.) the cultures currently are speedily exchanged, influenced and influencing. Every body has got a Facebook or a Twitter or at least watching TV or listening to Radio. Those canals strongly promote cultural production/reproduction of western civilization toward the East. The technological means, furthermore, have been playing an outstanding role to brightening the depiction of the WC.

·      The assimilation of the East

The WC has become a station of admiration for people as a protocol of “modernity”. Most of the living standards have been altered; etiquettes and relationships can shape an adequate example. Why?

Ibn Khaldoon stressed on that the defeater permanently pursues the defeater, psychologically, when you admire something you endeavor to imitate it. Coupled with, the vigorous monopolization of Western Culture of all domains, like education whereby the East becomes to adopt and apply upon their particularities. The infestation of Western Culture is more touchable, nowadays, in all aspects of life!

written by: Ilyass Ainanass 

Read More

the simple future

the simple future

We can use the simple future tense to talk about :

-       What we think will happen in the future

-       Plans we are making while we speak

Ø  Form :

Affirmative	Negative	interogative
S + Will + Vinf+ O S+ am/is/are + goingto + O She will visit spain  She is going to visit spain	S + will not + Vinf + O S+ am/is/are + not + goingto + O She will not visit spain She is not going to visit spain	will + S + Vinf +O ? am/is/are +S+ going to +Vinf +O Will she visit Spain?   Is she going to visit spain ?

Ø  Signal words:

-       Tomorrow

-       Next week/month/year/April...

-       The comming year/summer...

Ø  Examples

-       John will buy a computer next year.

-    I'm going to buy a laptop

-       will we paticipate in the compitition ?

-       next summer, my family will spend the vacation in Turky.

Read More

The simple past

  The simple past

We use the past perfect tense when we express an idea or action started and finished at a specific time in the past.

Ø  Form :

Affirmative	Negative	interogative
S+ [VERB+ed] or irregular verbs+ O You called Yassine.	S + did not + Vinf + o You did not call Yassine.	Did + S + Vinf + o ? Did you call Yassine ?

Ø  Signal words: 

-       Yesterday   

-       Last week / month / year / June ...etc

-       Few years ago

Ø  Examples

-       I saw a movie yesterday.

-       Last year, I traveled to Japan.

-       Last year, I didn't travel to Korea.

            -   Did you have dinner last night?

Read More

The Past perfect tense

The Past perfect Tense

we use the past perfect tense when describing an event had happened before an other action in the past. The first action takes the past perfect and, then the second action takes the simple past.

-       The past is before now - one step back.

-       The past perfect is before a time in the past - two steps back.

Ø  Form :

Affirmative	Negative	interrogative
S + had + Vpast participle + O Hamid had cleaned the room	S+Had not + Past participle + O. Hamid Had not cleaned the room	had + S + Past participle +O ? Had Hamid cleaned the room ?

Ø  Signal words:

-       Before / after

-       As soon as

-       When

-       By the time

-       Already / never / ever

Ø  Examples

-       I had lived in Spain before I moved to USA

-       When  I woke up, my mom had already prepared my breakfast.

Read More