Types of Culture in Sociology

Culture is among the most intricate terms in the English language. This article Socjournal will highlight four of the most common ways the term is used.

• Folk culture
• Mass or Popular culture
• High culture
• Low culture

Folk Culture

Folk culture pertains to the daily activities of everyday local communities, typically grounded in enduring traditions that trace back to the pre-industrial period.

Folk cultures typically originate from a particular location and are specific to that area.

Around the globe, thousands of distinct folk cultures have developed from the everyday lives of regular people. These cultures have been transmitted over time, often through verbal storytelling, from one generation to the next.

The folk culture definition encompasses both particular cultural activities and entire cultures. It includes examples like Morris dancing in England, Mongolian throat singing, storytelling traditions of the Choctaw Native Americans, and the Amish community as a whole is also categorized as a “folk culture.”

Folk culture relates to personal experiences and is typically rooted in a specific location rather than being worldwide.

Folk cultures are often viewed as genuine expressions of real people’s lived experiences. However, there are frequently ‘staged’ representations of traditional folk culture designed for tourists. In these cases, many elements of the original folk culture may have been altered over time to enhance their entertainment value (which may have occurred with Morris Dancing, for instance!).

Popular Culture

Popular culture encompasses cultural products created by entrepreneurs and media companies in contemporary capitalist societies, designed for mass consumption. The goal is to appeal to a broad audience, primarily to generate profit.

Popular culture items are not naturally occurring like folk cultures; they do not arise from everyday interactions among regular individuals. Instead, they are created by professionals with a specific objective: to entertain and generate profit.

Examples of popular culture encompass television shows (consider the top titles on Netflix), blockbuster movies, pop music, and well-known literature (like Harry Potter), as well as newer formats that blend these elements together, such as X FACTOR.

Critics of popular culture often label it as ‘mass culture.’ In the context of A-level sociology, you can consider ‘mass culture’ to be a negative term for ‘popular culture.’

Critics often view what they refer to as ‘mass culture’ as predictable and oversimplified, making it easy for people to consume large amounts of it. This can lead to a sense of complacency, as it distracts them from engaging with more intricate high culture or critical content. Instead, the continuous flow of popular cultural products keeps audiences entertained and uninformed, resembling a contemporary version of an ‘opiate for the masses.’

High Culture

So what is high culture? High Culture refers to cultural works that are considered by some to represent the peak of artistic achievement, resulting in a higher standing in society.

Examples of high culture encompass classical music, opera, ballet, classical literature, as well as historical artworks and sculptures.

A performance of the opera La Boheme—an illustration of high culture…?

Appreciation of such works is integral to the identity of the political and economic elite in numerous European societies. Those in the elite who support these forms of ‘high’ culture often regard them as superior to the more commonly enjoyed leisure and cultural activities among the general population.

The concept of elitism and superiority is a key element of High Culture—it suggests that these cultural expressions demand a considerable level of skill to create, making them quite rare. Additionally, it posits that appreciating them necessitates a certain degree of refinement and sophistication.

In fact, simply having ‘enjoyment’ is not enough to grasp the standards that define the ‘experience’ of ‘high culture.’ Instead, the term ‘appreciation’ may be more fitting, as genuinely enjoying these works necessitates a level of understanding that is typically acquired over many years of experience.

For instance, opera is often performed in a different language, classical literature demands advanced reading abilities, and appreciating music is enhanced if you have personal experience playing a classical instrument.

Consequently, a significant aspect of high culture involves the elite setting themselves apart from those who are not part of the elite.

Organizations like the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera House have been working for many years to make opera and ballet more accessible to a broader audience, which may be leading to a gradual merging of elite and popular culture.

Low Culture

Low culture is a pejorative term used to describe cultures that are perceived as inferior or lacking in value.

For instance, the elite groups may label popular culture as ‘low culture’ to indicate that they consider it less valuable than ‘high culture.’ They perceive high culture as being more sophisticated, subtle, or intricate, demanding greater knowledge and effort to truly appreciate, which they believe elevates it above the more easily accessible popular culture.

In the past, various folk cultures were often regarded as ‘low cultures’ by colonialists and modernity proponents who believed the main goal of modernism was to utilize science and rationality to foster social advancement. This perspective aimed to eliminate so-called inferior traditional cultures that were based on customs and superstitions.

Conclusion

The study of culture in sociology reveals the rich diversity of human expression and the ways in which cultural practices shape societies and individuals alike. Folk culture offers a window into the lived traditions and unique identities of specific communities, often preserved over generations. Popular culture, on the other hand, reflects the pulse of modern capitalist societies, serving as both a mirror of societal trends and a product crafted for mass appeal. High culture stands as a symbol of artistic excellence and exclusivity, while low culture often carries the weight of social judgment and elitist perspectives.

Understanding these different types of culture—folk, popular, high, and low—not only helps us appreciate the complexity of cultural dynamics but also challenges us to see how societal hierarchies and economic systems influence cultural value. As the boundaries between these types of culture continue to blur in an increasingly interconnected world, we are reminded of the fluidity and evolving nature of culture itself. By embracing this diversity, we can better understand the shared human experience and the forces that shape our collective identity.