Categories: uncategorized
Date: 17 March 2009 06:54:17
A recent conversation involved me revealing that I don't personally like classical music and as such have no knowledge of it. As a result it was decided I wasn't very cultured. This has made me smile and think.
Classic Marxist theory would tell us that there is a dominant culture belonging to the middle class which gives you cultural capital, if this is your culture. Anybody not sharing the same tastes is suffering cultural deprevation. According to this model being a pleb who doesn't like classical music would mean I am suffering cultural deprevation.
However, dig a little deeper and you will find that actually, according to this model I actually have a lot of cultural capital: seen lots of Shakespeare and like the theatre - tick, was a member of the Tate for several years and like to wander around art galleries - tick, like films that aren't just Disney (tick sort of), reading books by dead people - tick and like to wander around really old places - English Heritage membership (tick)
So as you see I have to admit that I am one of the middle classes after all. I do possess my cultural capital. However, in modern society it's not that simple. Whilst you might be uncultured if you don't like "the posh" stuff, the culture of those we would say are suffering cultural deprivation is actually more important. I think we have now reached a point, in post-modern society, where those who don't engage with pop culture are those suffering cultural deprivation. Most people who would claim cultural capital also engage with the more contemporary stuff aswell. The distinctions between different types of culture have lost their edge.
Yet, this idea of what is and isn't cultured still exists. I had to hold my tounge and not call my friend posh, because I know she isn't and equally I know I'm not exactly a Chav. I actually agree I'm not cultured because: I like cheesy music but don't do classical, my idea of a fine wine is a bottle of Jacob's Creek, I don't really get conceptial art, but do see album covers as art and so I could go on.
In the end I take the view it's about what your own personal tastes are. People should be free to like / not like whatever. It's cool some people do like classical and stuff, equally it's fine some don't. If we all liked exactly the same things most of us would never be able to get tickets for anything and we's all be left feeling disappointed. The important thing is even if we don't like it we appreciate the creativity that has been invested in it.