The Definition and Contention of Culture
The term culture has been used interchangeably with ethnicity, identity, race, and nation, yet it is neither (Williams, 2018). There has been contention on the definition of high and low culture. One school of thought argues that the high culture is in danger or that it is already lost in the wake of widespread popular communication systems, education, and mass society while another domain holds that the difference between high and low culture is still there as represented by the ruling class in the contemporary society or the elite in the form of a modern popular culture (Williams, 2018). The implication of this contention has been practically depicted in the modern society in the form of social policies while allocating resources and shaping cultural institutions. Culture is not easy to define. The confusion emanates back from history. For example, in the year 1952, Kroeber and Kluckhohn tried to define culture and came up with a whopping 164 total definitions, all of which were different (Harvey, L., & Stensaker, 2008). Another scholar, Apte, later contended that despite the struggle to define culture over centuries by different anthropologists, there had never been a singular agreement arrived at (Williams, 2008). As such, the definition of culture has been contentious even in the modern society and has implied confusion in policy implementations, with people attempting to distinguish between low and high culture as well as authentic and inauthentic culture because of individualistic inclinations, external influence such as politics and the education system and time contexts.
Historical Background
Schippers (2006) notes that in the 19th Century, culture was used distinctively. The scholar Matthew Arnolds observed that only a little portion of folks had "culture" per se because of the definition in that culture meant a special artistic as well as intellectual endeavors or products in what is defined as popular culture by the modern society. Edward Taylor posits that culture is a complex whole that entailed law, belief, art, custom, and knowledge as well as any other capabilities which human beings acquired as members of the society (Cranton & Taylor, 2012). Another usage of the term culture emanates from Franz Boaz, albeit rooted deeply in Johann von Herder's writings of the 18th Century (Bennett, 2015). He criticized Arnold for not coming up with a scientific but rather establishing an aesthetic definition. Boaz contended for a differentiated form of culture and not universal one as put forward by the evolutionists. He also contended that neither high nor low cultures should be distinguished and equally should the definition not be categorized into savage or civilized.
High Culture versus Low Culture in the Contemporary Western Society
No single society defines its members as a whole as bearing high culture but is rather differentiated amongst people variably (Gans, 2008). Simply, high culture has no particular single social structure. Conflict arises between variant cultural traditions and honest recognition of alternatives, bringing about the concept of high culture and popular culture. The contemporary western society attempts to separate high from low culture, even though the distinction will never come out clearly (Williams, 2008). In the contemporary society, pop and classical music are examples of aspects that have been rivaled based on high culture and low culture. Most institutions mistakenly take time to mean that one form of music belongs to the high culture and another to the low. However, as mentioned previously, no particular individual or society is associated with high culture which has no specified social structure. As such, there should not be a distinction between high and low culture based on timing because both are considered as high in their historical periods of existence. The implication has led to a constant revision of school curriculums since there are different views on high and low cultures amongst policymakers (Trompenaars, F., & Hampden-Turner, 2011). Political ideologies emanating from individual politicians are some of the bases for the establishment of cultural variances. The influential scenario determines whether a particular region develops a democratic or republican culture in terms of, for example, views on world-class health principles.
High and Low Culture in the Western Society
High and low culture are also relative to one's individualistic thinking (Gans, 2008). The western society has got spectrums of the definition of high and low culture within its realms. It cannot be claimed that the society in general has a way of distinguishing the two. For example, the emergence of touch-screen cell phones which are regarded by some as highly valuable is shunned by another group that values antique and associates it with premium quality.
Culture is influenced in the contemporary western society (Gans, 2008). Gans (2008) notes that the media and technology have both eroded the original distinction between high and low culture. Advertisements change the minds of people. Today, a high level of education will be viewed as adept and of high culture and at the same time, monetary value will be associated with high culture in the same western context. Low culture does not exist per se but is only relative to the existence of a high culture which is variable and inconsistent or dynamic. Low culture is viewed as the opposite of high culture, and the latter is variably dependent on individuals, influence of politics and media, time, and situations.
Authentic and Inauthentic Cultural Practices
There are highly significant reasons for people in the western society to attempt to separate the 'authentic' from the 'inauthentic' in cultural practices (Schippers, 2006). The idea has majorly been depicted in music education, especially in the United States and Britain (Schippers, 2006). As dictionaries provide different meanings of authenticity, so does the western society. A number of social stratifications use historical contexts to define what is authentic. The scenario still raises the question of whether authenticity lies in musical instruments, notes, or setting. As such, authentic and inauthentic are also relative and not specific (Schippers, 2006). Charles Taylor defines authenticity as being true to one's own identity (Levy, 2011). Schipper (2006) notes that spectrums of the Western society take this to be true and use it as the reason behind their beliefs, for example, hip hop music which tries to preach loyalty to one's identity. However, a cross-cultural examination reveals that authenticity is not as clear as it appears to be. It is also relative. In fact, Dean MacCannell describes staged authenticity and points out that a tourist audience is the main reason for the portrayal of a local culture as singular (MacCannell, 2008). In the real sense, there is no particular authentic cultural practice. In essence, only collections or spectrums of the society consider common authentic cultures, yet within these groups also lie the relative factors of influence and relativism.
Conclusion
Culture is relative, as posited by Franz Boaz. Individualistic inclinations, external influence such as politics and the education system, and time contexts are some of the reasons the Western culture tries to separate high from low culture, but the attempt has only led to more confusion and disagreement, as described by Apte. Educational systems, political policies, and music are amongst the areas of implication of the confusion with policies constantly being revised to bring about cultural understanding. Against this backdrop, the Western society should realize that the attempt to separate authentic from inauthentic and high from low culture in terms of policy formulation can never be achieved and will always remain contested, and as such, constant policy revisions will always exist.
References
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Schippers, H. (2006). Tradition, authenticity and context: The case for a dynamic approach. British Journal of Music Education, 23(3), 333-349.
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Williams, R. (2018). On High and Popular Culture. The New Republic. Retrieved 24 March 2018, from https://newrepublic.com/article/79269/high-and-popular-culture
