Cultural Theory And Popular Culture - 1578 Words

PART TWO After reading chapters 1 through 4 of Cultural Theory and Popular Culture, my understanding of the core ideas presented by John Storey begin with his attempt to map â€Å"out the general conceptual landscape of popular culture† (Storey, pg. 1). He does this by breaking down the term â€Å"popular culture† with other surrounding key terms. I know that popular culture cannot be easily defined or explained, since it is â€Å"a melting pot of confused and contradictory meanings capable of misdirecting inquiry up any number of theoretical blind alley† (Storey, pg. 1) as Tony Bennett states. In order for me to grasp the idea behind popular culture, I must look at culture as a whole by formulating what I think are the core ideas presented in each†¦show more content†¦Upon further reflection, I came to believe Storey’s claim as I see my favourite genre of music, â€Å"hip-hop,† which is a form of popular culture, as a site of rebellion and criticism of the dominant ideology within capitalist society. For the most part, hip-hop has been requested and watered down in terms of lyrics by mainstream society. However, in its earlier years, many of the rappers were vilified for the highly confrontational and political statements in their music. What I do know about this reading is that, despite popular culture’s counter-hegemonic capabilities, it all too frequently plays a role of democratic propaganda. As a reader, I am able explore the landscape of popular culture where I can analyze with my own theories and explanations through the observations of other theorists and their ideologies regarding what popular culture means. I also agree with Karl Marx’s formulation of ideology and society in which he suggests, â€Å"the way a society organizes the means of its economic production will have a determining effect on the type of culture that society produces or makes possible† (Storey, pg. 4). This statemen t was evident in the documentary I watched in class, â€Å"Soul Food Junkies† (Hurt, 2012), which explores how the conditions of black people shaped the ideologies that eventually became their cultural identity. This is also relevant in chapter 2 that focuses on powerful minorities and the hegemonic attempts â€Å"to