At the end of the forties of the last century, the term “Mass culture” appeared, that is, culture designed for large masses of people. Mass culture includes tabloid newspapers, pop music, and soap operas. Something that usually exists for the purpose of “relaxing”, for example after a long day of work. Mass culture is intended for many, but not for everyone. And here's why.
Let's imagine a welder, Vasily, who received a secondary specialized education. How would he prefer to spend his leisure time? What will he choose, watching some talk show on TV or reading a volume of Dostoevsky? Obviously the first one. Now let’s imagine Nikolai Petrovich teaching philosophy at one of the universities. Would you think that in the evenings he watches Malakhov’s show? Thus, we can come to the conclusion that the need for mass culture exists, first of all, among poorly educated people. These include the working class and people employed in the service sector. Popular culture is most common in industrial countries such as Russia, as the working class predominates there. I’m not saying that it doesn’t exist in post-industrial countries; it exists, but it’s of a higher quality.
It would seem that this mass culture exists, and okay. But, unfortunately, its spread leads to the most negative consequences for society. Since its task is to satisfy the needs of a huge number of people, it should be simple and understandable to everyone. Therefore, its main characteristic is primitiveness. This primitiveness is destructive for society. Maybe the welder Vasily will no longer be convinced that the Beatles better group“Lesopoval”, but he has a daughter who is being raised in thieves.
Mass culture shapes the younger generation. And the problem is that it basically doesn’t make you think. This leads to degradation. As a result, we have a weak-willed, unthinking society, suitable only for the service sector. If that frantic dynamics of increasing popularity popular culture, which exists now, will remain, then in a few decades we may find ourselves in the world described famous science fiction writer Ray Bradbury. In a world without books, in a world where a huge TV is enough to satisfy all spiritual needs.
Of course, the direction in which society develops largely depends on the state. But it, in particular ours, does not seem to be deliberately trying to restrain the spread of mass culture. There is only one answer to this - it is not profitable. After all, it is much easier to manage people whose thoughts are occupied with who slept with whom in show business than those people who think about freedom and social justice.
A philosophical question arises: “What to do?” Firstly, no matter how trivial it may sound, you need to start with yourself. It is necessary to restrain your primitive needs in mass culture, not to follow their lead, not to give in to the temptation to watch an evening reality show, not to buy yellow newspapers with the next sensation from the world of show business, not to fill your player with albums of one-day stars.
Instead, read as much as possible, engage in self-development, reflect on real issues, not pressing ones. Secondly, try, if not directly indicate, then at least hint to the people around you that everything popular is bad, because the understanding of this should come to them on their own. I think this is the duty of every person who, to use a metaphor, does not float on the surface, but looks deeper. We must ensure that all people show interest in traditional and elite culture, regardless of their level of education or social status. What our society will be like in the future depends on us. It depends on us whether we can move to a new, truly civil society, or whether we will continue to mark time, inventing new idols for ourselves and living someone else’s life, the life of the heroes of TV series for housewives, a festive life, but deceptive and false.
- , adapted to the tastes of the broad masses of people, is technically replicated in the form of many copies and distributed using modern communication technologies.
The emergence and development of mass culture is associated with the rapid development of mass media, capable of exerting a powerful influence on the audience. IN media There are usually three components:
- funds mass media (newspapers, magazines, radio, television, Internet blogs, etc.) - replicate information, have a regular impact on the audience and are aimed at certain groups of people;
- means of mass influence(advertising, fashion, cinema, popular literature) - do not always regularly influence the audience, are focused on the average consumer;
- technical means of communication(Internet, telephone) - determine the possibility of direct communication between a person and a person and can be used to transmit personal information.
Let us note that not only the media have an impact on society, but society also seriously influences the nature of the information transmitted in the media. Unfortunately, the demands of the public often turn out to be low culturally, which reduces the level television programs, newspaper articles, variety shows, etc.
IN last decades in the context of the development of means of communication they talk about a special computer culture. If previously the main source of information was the book page, now it is the computer screen. A modern computer allows you to instantly obtain information over the network and supplement text graphic images, video films, sound, which provides a holistic and multi-level perception of information. In this case, text on the Internet (for example, a web page) can be represented as hypertext. those. contain a system of references to other texts, fragments, non-textual information. The flexibility and versatility of computer information display tools greatly enhance the degree of its impact on humans.
At the end of XX - beginning of XXI V. popular culture began to play important role in ideology and economics. However, this role is ambiguous. On the one hand, mass culture made it possible to reach wide sections of the population and introduce them to cultural achievements, presenting them in simple, democratic and understandable images and concepts, but on the other hand, it created powerful mechanisms for manipulating public opinion and forming an average taste.
The main components of mass culture include:
- information industry- the press, television news, talk shows, etc., explaining current events in understandable language. Mass culture was initially formed in the sphere of the information industry - the “yellow press” of the 19th - early 20th centuries. Time has shown the high efficiency of mass communication in the process of manipulating public opinion;
- leisure industry- films, entertaining literature, pop humor with the most simplified content, pop music, etc.;
- formation system mass consumption, which centers on advertising and fashion. Consumption here is presented as a non-stop process and the most important goal of human existence;
- replicated mythology - from the myth of " American dream”, where beggars turn into millionaires, to myths about “national exceptionalism” and the special virtues of one or another people compared to others.
The risks of the negative influence of mass culture on children are directly related to the intensive development of new information and communication technologies. The socializing influence on the worldview, socio-ethical values, and ways of spending children’s free time occurs today to a large extent outside cultural and educational institutions and is mostly due to the influence of such influential institutional sources as television, the Internet, and in the near future will be closely connected with mobile telephony, integrated with the Internet.
Approximately the same number of talented children are born in each generation, but it is obvious that conditions may arise in which their potential will manifest itself to a greater or lesser extent. There must be certain social prerequisites for the transformation of children into individuals, to overcome their existing simplified ideas about the world, immature emotionality, etc. To identify these prerequisites, it is necessary to reveal trends in change sociocultural sphere, predict the impact of technological innovations on it, andfurther apply the acquired knowledge for managementsociocultural processes. The question of the paradigm for the development of the sociocultural sphere arises especially acutely in the context of the global spread of mass culture andcrisis traditional institutions cultures that cannot operate effectively, operate with meanings in modern contexts and generatevalues that would change people's consciousness and contribute to socio-economic development.
A number of conclusions about the prospects of social cultural development are contained in the forecasts of the Russian civilizational school, which in the last three years has done a lot of work on long-term global forecasting. Based on the study of the dynamics of global and local civilizations, researchers have recorded important trends in the cyclical change of the sociocultural system. The image of the sociocultural future in the developments of scientists of the civilizational school appears as the completion of an unstable, crisis, chaotic fluctuation of civilizational systems associated with the formation of a post-industrial world civilization. These processes will soon manifest themselves in Russia. Already today, the foundations are being laid for the harmonious development of culture, education, ethics and religion, which will mark the emerging integral sociocultural system. However, there are different scenarios for the development of the sociocultural sphere, which differ from each other in the degree of proximity to the optimal trajectory. Implementation of the inertial scenario in the first half XXI century may entail an increase in negative trends in the spheres of culture, education, and loss of creativity in conditions when the need for a radical innovative breakthrough is brewing. In particular, society’s fears about the harmful consequences of consuming mass culture may come true, associated with the negative impact of media violence, sexually explicit content, fear and anxiety caused by media products, the influence of mass media on health, and the ambiguous impact of entertainment works.
In another, optimistic, innovative-breakthrough scenario, the prospects and role of Russia in the formation of an integral type of culture in the coming large cycle of world culture are associated with the predominant effect of such factors as the possession of a rich cultural heritage, the protection of Russia for most of the last century from the negative influence of mass anticulture, the development dialogue with other cultures, active use of modern information technologies for cultural development. The innovation-breakthrough scenario assumes significant changes in the sociocultural sphere. He reflects with formation of humanitarian type of culture, the formation of a person as a free creative subject. In this scenario, society takes care of its younger generation, not only protecting it from the consumption of pseudoculture and harmful information and exercising public control over changes in the field of culture and social media, but also creating mechanisms for the formation of spiritual health, to overcome the main contradiction modern era– a growing gap between the depth and speed of change and the outdated knowledge and skills of the people called upon to implement these changes. In this scenario, the development of culture and morality is associated with the establishment of harmonious relations between generations, with an increase in the role of the family in raising children, and filling the upbringing and education system with values that meet the foundations of an integral sociocultural system. In general, the qualitative characteristics of the sociocultural activity and spiritual and moral values of children are important.
The risks of the negative influence of mass culture on children are directly related to the intensive development of new information and communication technologies. The socializing influence on the worldview, socio-ethical values, and ways of spending children’s free time occurs today to a large extent outside cultural and educational institutions and is mostly due to the influence of such influential institutional sources as television, the Internet, and in the near future will be closely connected with mobile telephony, integrated with the Internet. These technologies are significantly changing the way cultural goods are delivered to consumers. They become available everywhere and at any time. Against this background, further individualization of the consumption of cultural products will occur. The risks lie in a fairly powerful tendency to ignore sociocultural criteria for the development of new information technologies, which does not result in the growth of highly intellectual, creativity, but by the growth of the sphere of entertainment, leisure, the manifestation of hedonistic tendencies, as well as permissiveness, desocializing principles, the intensification of the process of formation of a consumer society, consumer orientations in culture.
Global competition does not allow national governments to use traditional prohibitive methods of control over images; it requires freedom of speech, openness and the development of democratic foundations for the functioning of the symbolic sphere. Therefore, mass culture is spreading everywhere and evenmost cultural heritage which the individual acquires now has its origins in mass cultural production.
In the context of a tangible threat emanating from mass culture, the task of the authorities is to protect public morality from the dissemination of printed, audio and video products that promote violence and cruelty, pornography, drug addiction, substance abuse, antisocial behavior, harmful to health, moral and spiritual development children. It is important to have appropriate legislation and judicial practice with particularly strict requirements in the case of the production and distribution of pornography involving minors, whose rights are protected by a special UN convention. Nevertheless, the problem of regulating cultural and moral values is predominantly non-legal in nature, and can only be partially solved by legal means. The key is the formation of the intellectual interests of the consumer of cultural products, increasing the general level of literacy and education of the population, aesthetic taste, which should be carried out with childhood in forms that are acceptable and understandable to the child.
To implement a positive scenario for sociocultural development, it is necessary to conduct extensive educational activities in the educational system and in the media, focusing on the positive values that unite society. In this process there is a great role media education for children and youth.
When implementing targeted sociocultural projects that create the preconditions for an optimistic future scenario, special attention attention should be paid to the development of new forms of cultural institutions, including those that support the development of artistic movements based on modern technologies, contribute to the emergence of creativity at the intersection of creative fields, and open up network opportunities for access to cultural experience. The “points” of application of forces are important for the formation of effective value configurations in the younger generation and the independence of children. Based on leading educational institutions The country needs to develop and implement innovative programs for retraining and advanced training of personnel for innovative and breakthrough development of the socio-cultural sphere, since the world in which the next generation of people will operate will be completely different from the one in which previous generations are accustomed to living.
Preparation for the Unified State Exam in social studies, mini-essay on the topic: “Mass culture: a symptom of the degeneration of society or a condition of its health?”
A symptom of the degeneration of society or a condition of its health are two extreme points in the assessment of mass culture.
On the one hand, mass culture is various cultural products, as well as the system of their distribution and creation. Along with low-grade products, it has its peaks, works that meet high ethical and aesthetic criteria. The masses themselves can appreciate works of art and perform collective pleasure. In the accessibility of this culture one can see a manifestation of democracy, that is, an appeal to all layers of society. Mass culture creates a high emotional atmosphere and has a great unique influence on a person, including psychologically. Through the media he imposes his idols, way of thinking and way of life.
On the other hand, mass culture aggressively penetrates into layers of society and narrows the audience of “quality” cultures and, in general, sharply reduces the cultural level of development of society. Instillation of false life values, assessing a person by the level of wealth, etc.: leads to the degeneration of society - i.e. to simplify his system. Sometimes to irreparable consequences: deviation from normal activity in the form of underdeveloped or perverted mental and volitional processes or their disharmonious combination.
Being a constant component of a person’s mental make-up throughout life, mass culture is an integral element of life, which has its pros and cons.
Natalya Parygina, 11th grade student, Pervomaiskaya secondary school No. 5
Mass culture is a symptom of the degeneration of society or
condition of his health?
There are two points of view regarding mass culture. According to critics, mass culture reduces the cultural level of society. And according to supporters, such a culture is accessible to all people and in this accessibility one can see manifestations of true democracy.
I adhere to the second point of view. In my opinion, popular culture has many advantages. Firstly, it allows a large group of society to interact closely, which improves the quality of their communication. Secondly, mass culture helps a person to perceive a large flow of information. Thirdly, thanks to modern technical devices, many people gain access to any sphere of culture, including highly professional ones.
Thus, I believe that mass culture is a condition of health, and not a degeneration of society. “Mass culture is a modern phenomenon that performs a number of important functions. Despite the low level of its products and assessment of the quality of works, mass culture provides a person with an abundance of symbolic forms, images and information, makes the perception of the world diverse, leaving the consumer the right to choose.”
Volkov Roman, 11th grade student, Municipal Educational Institution Pervomaiskaya Secondary School No. 5
Mass culture is a complex of spiritual values that correspond to the tastes and level of development of a mass consumer society. The influence of popular culture on development modern society is extremely controversial.
On the one hand, mass culture is a positive phenomenon, since its works are characterized by a clear division of good and evil, a happy ending, and attractive images of heroes. Consumers of mass culture are people of low and middle income who may have moral or material problems.
But on the other hand, mass culture has a lot of shortcomings and many negative consequences. Very often it influences human behavior. Many bad habits spread through popular culture. In addition, mass culture is a source of intellectual degradation, imposing a simplified vision of the world.
Mass culture is not something abstract, far from us, it is in front of us every day, every minute. We are not only objects of mass culture, but also its subject. Works of mass culture contribute to the satisfaction of many spiritual and social human needs without requiring large material costs.
Mass culture has its pros and cons.
Despite differences in points of view on its meaning, it has become an integral element of life, influencing the everyday life of millions of people, shaping their needs, ideals, standards of behavior and activity.
Elmanova Ksenia, 11th grade student, Municipal Educational Institution Pervomaiskaya Secondary School No. 5
A symptom of the degeneration of society or a condition for its health?
What is mass culture: “a symptom of the degeneration of society” or “a condition of its health”? This question opens up an amazing scope for thought.
Mass culture is a culture adapted in the form of many copies and distributed with the help of modern communication technologies.
Mass culture, as a “symptom of the degeneration of society,” is understood as “bad culture.” But at the same time, mass culture is also a condition for the development of society; it contributes to its spiritual evolution. Now let’s try to figure it out: is mass culture good or bad? Let's consider two approaches.
On the one hand, thanks to the media, mass culture has become too accessible; it aims the audience at spiritual consumerism, passive perception of a cultural product. Also, she spreads false life values, namely, material ones. Material culture promotes the desire for accidental enrichment. This is due to the emergence of various television shows with cash prizes. The modern film industry dictates to us false human values. This is not kindness, intelligence, honesty, selflessness, spirituality, but flattery, lies, material wealth, consumerism. The basis of mass culture is the ideology of commercial success. Production is aimed not at the quality of products, but at their quantity. The masses of our time demand such films, music, literature, fine arts, which awaken base feelings, primitive desires and vicious inclinations.
On the other hand, mass culture contributes to the cultural and spiritual development of society. Thanks to it, the masses can appreciate works of art and receive collective pleasure.
I believe that mass culture is a “health condition” of society, because this concept is still not equivalent to the concept of “bad culture.” Outstanding artists worked within the framework of mass culture: C. Chaplin, J. Gabin, F. Aster, E. Piaf, P. Tchaikovsky, W. Mozart, I. Levitan, V. Vasnetsov and others. Can it really be considered that their creativity contributes to the spiritual degradation of the individual? Of course not. Yes, modern culture, and not only the mass one, is vulgarized, but what films and performances to watch, what books to read, what music to listen to, completely depends on the person himself, on his spiritual upbringing. It is he who chooses: to develop spiritually or to degrade. And if everyone chooses exactly the kind of mass culture products that will develop him as a person and instill in him the correct spiritual values, then subsequently there will be no place left for “bad culture”, it will simply become unclaimed.
So, what mass culture will become for you: a “symptom of degeneration” or a “condition of health” is up to you to choose.
Kraeva Ksenia, 11th grade student, Municipal Educational Institution Pervomaiskaya Secondary School No. 5
Modern musical styles and trends
Contemporary music includes huge amount directions, each of which has its own unique features. Moreover, some are more attractive from a commercial point of view, while others have greater cultural value. Currently, it is customary to identify several main musical styles , which include:
- Pop music characterized not only as musical direction , but also as a type of modern mass culture. Music belonging to this category is distinguished by its ease of perception and melody. Great attention is paid to the arrangement and vocal skill of the performer, while the instrumental component is relegated to the background. Despite the apparent lightness and transience, it is pop music that has the greatest influence on world musical culture. The most popular artists and musicians in in this direction determined at the annual Grammy Awards held in the USA;
- Rock music originated in the mid-50s of the last century and immediately received the status of a unique philosophy. It is in this modern style A huge role is assigned to musicians, who very often perform their own compositions. A characteristic feature of rock music is the use of electric musical instruments. In addition to the vocalist, the group usually includes a guitarist and bass player, drummer and keyboard player. Modern rock music has many directions, among which there are both lighter styles and heavier, aggressive directions;
- Rhythm and blues (R&B)- a direction given to the world by African-American musicians. This current has absorbed characteristic features"racial" music: jazz, soul and blues. In the late 90s, a new trend of hip-hop soul appeared, which gained the greatest popularity. It retains the features classic styles, which received a completely new arrangement.
As a rule, most children intuitively experience an attraction to music, which was formed in early age, when your baby fell asleep to his mother's lullabies. Children's galleries Kids Art Gallery will help your child understand and love modern music and, perhaps, join the world of amazing melodies created by real geniuses!
This is the danger and harm of mass culture: a person’s criteria for beauty and understanding of true art are blurred, a person seeks only entertainment in art and literature.
Great works of art, revealing and affirming the beautiful and sublime in the surrounding life and man, his thoughts and actions, carry a powerful charge of beauty, spirituality, perfection, faith in the creative powers of man, and to reveal this charge, prepare students to perceive the specific language of art, introduce them into the extraordinary world of emotional empathy - the task curricula television.
Emotional literacy and emotional maturity are the sisters of creativity and the antipodes of lack of spirituality, social injustice, parasitism, petty-bourgeois attitude towards the riches of culture.
This turn, this quality of aesthetic education is especially important for the youth television audience. But its artistic needs are clearly not satisfied enough by television, mainly due to music programs, and even more precisely - the stage. Of course, youth audiences can satisfy their interests with a wide panorama of artistic broadcasting for other age groups- from cartoons to “Masters of the Opera Stage”, but directed work on artistic education for this category of the population remains a reserve of television.
For the artistic education of the adult population, television offers dozens of sections and hundreds of programs: theatrical and musical performances, “ Literary almanac" and "Poetry Anthology", "Reading Circle" and "Dialogues about Literature", "Stories about Artists" and the review "Across Museums and exhibition halls", "Music kiosk" and a wide variety of classical, folk, modern musical culture, hundreds of movies, including concert films, and much more.
The perception of the spiritual content of artistic programs, without a doubt, is capable of exerting an ideological and aesthetic influence on television viewers. But this happens thanks to the television viewer himself, who independently catches the work that interests him in the ocean of television artistic production. Television has virtually no conceptuality or systematicity in artistic broadcasting aimed at adult audiences.
The main way to develop and improve television broadcasting in the aesthetic education of the adult population is new approach: from the random to the system, from the imposition of works of art to persuasion by them, from the shaft to the development of programs based on interests, to the formation by television of certain emotions, assessments, tastes, to a conscious understanding of the specific nature of works of art.
When developing the concept of artistic television broadcasting, broadcasting to children and students can serve as a good example. Most children's television programs are constructed with the participation of presenters who help their young viewers better navigate what is happening and lay down the simplest aesthetic concepts accessible to them (“ Good night, kids!").
It is important to note that programs for children also stimulate the development of their own creativity, covering all levels artistic activity: perception - enjoyment - understanding - evaluation - independence (creativity). Children's programs well prepare the child for the next, more complex stage of his aesthetic education, where he also, with the help of presenters, learns to understand a work of art, evaluate it according to the laws of beauty, and develop his aesthetic taste.
The most important feature of artistic television programs for children and youth, which allows us to talk about the actual aesthetic education of students, is their systematic and conceptual approach. And therefore, it may not be accidental that the facts noted by modern sociologists indicate that in a number of cases it is television that stimulates aesthetic types of extracurricular hobbies and activities. These classes are associated with the direct participation of the student in such forms creative activity which involve communication with peers and friends (classes in clubs and sections, spending time in the company of friends); popularity increases and individual lessons, such as reading books, collecting, listening to tape recordings. The systematic nature of contacts between school audiences and television, established by researchers, and the fact that television for children is by no means a way to “pass time”, but an opportunity to expand and deepen artistic needs and interests, make it possible to judge the fruitfulness of the programs’ efforts in the aesthetic education of adolescents and the prospects further improvement of this work.
