Time: Cultural studies
Cultural studies always deals with the contemporary culture which means the culture of today that is also known as "consumerist culture".
It also deals with the changes and fluidity that took place in culture. It didn't believe in strict categorization of the time like present, past and future.
It looks at the history as well as past in order to analyse how history or past serve in the contemporary world.
Post modernism can be one of the best ways to address the present that is a kind of continuation of past.
The Past: Cultural History
Cultural studies emphasized on contemporary culture, but also explain the present state of things in which readers are going to be tell stories about the past which might reveal how the contemporary came to be in existence.
Cultural studies is a global concept , it has no single history. It focuses on the relevance of history in contemporary world. It attempts to show how past is consumed or make available in today's world.
People look for the past because they think it is more stable and secure than present. They want to introduce past or history to the new generation but the people who belongs to contemporary world always want to live in leisure that is present for them.
According to During,
"Every action carries a trace of the past- an unconscious memory of it."
For example:
- "A recipe is handed over across generations and generations, can be associated with a grandmother."
Cultural History:
It represents the records and narrative descriptions of past knowledge, customs, believe and arts of a specific group of people. It involves past cultural activity, such as class in practices, and the interaction with locals.
"Modernity" that defines cultural studies is "the transformation of society and the consequent embrace of commerce and technological development." as explained by Simon During.
The past can help us understand the present through the use of stories and exploration.
For some people history is a hobby or a form of entertainment. For example the presence of TV channels that focus mainly on history such as the history channel.People use to watch these types of channel for passive entertainment.
Also, the past functions as a ground for identity. At the level of the family (and) genealogy. For examples family trees and archives that help people uncover their family lines.Not only on family level, it provides identity to the person at national and international level as well.
Cultural memory and heritage industry:
-Both refer to those elements that means past that we remember is and that organized interests present for us to be remembered.
- for example historical entertainment such as museum created for tourists purpose.
The Present
Cultural studies as we know is contemporary and modern
Contemporary:
- At one level the contemporary refers to the present as mentioned in Simon During's work written on culture studies. And the present is the time that is associated with the events happening currently.
• The present can be divided into 3 parts:
1- The residual: "traces from the past but had little future"
2- The dominant: "currently dominant ides that control the present"
3- The emergent: "those which had not yet prodced but developing to be dominant in future".
Modernism:
The Postmodern
- "It is modern thought or practice. The term describes both a set of cultural tendencies and an array of related cultural movements, originally arising from large-scale changes to Western society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries."
"The term encompasses the activities who felt the "traditional" forms of art, architecture, literature, religious faith and daily life were becoming outdated in the new economic, social, and political conditions of today's leisure centre.
Postmodernism:
- - "It is a movement away from the viewpoint of modernism. Mainly, it is a trend in contemporary culture.
Also,it attacks the use of classifications such as male vs female, white vs black, and imperial vs colonial. Rather, it holds realities to be relative, on who the interested parties are and what their interests consist in.
Postmodern "emerged as a concept after some intellectuals argued that it was no longer possible to tell grand narrative stories about society."
"It is the notion that all cultures, people, faiths are equal, none being more superior than other." - "Postmodernism is a concept that means to compels us to pay attention to the way in which the present world has changed."
The Future: Policies and Prophesies - Progressivism: "is a political attitude advocating changes through governmental action."
"There has been the great project of developing the full potentialities of individuals so as to help secure a more civilized society for the next generation."
- "What is the place of the future in cultural studies?
- The future "relies on the information about both past and present to beyond them." It totally depends upon the action of present.
"Futuristic images of the future are reflections of the present in which they were created." It can be utopian or dystopian as represented through the movies especially those are related to the science and tech.
- Cultural Policy
Cultural policy is "public policy-making process that governs activities related to the arts and culture. This involves fostering processes that will promote cultural differences.
History of the development of cultural policy:
1)Social control: culture was supported by the state to correct the disorder of democracy.
2- national prestige: promotion of the state and developing a reputation.
3- social access: "emphasized the need for neglected communities to participate in the wider culture.
4- Present/ Market-Oriented Policies: Policies made to help with economic growth.
- Cultural Policy Studies
• It is a strand of cultural studies that is more like cultural studies, began as a part of analysis.
• It makes the point that cultural studies does not spell out how questioning culture might lead to practical outcomes. - "In order to achieve practical results one needs to influence the actual governance and organization of culture that means power does not need to be seen as an instrument of oppression and control, but rather as a force through which people are empowered by the use of government.
* Cultural policy supports the development of culture because of social and cultural acceptance as well as the development of industry. - It also focuss on cultural activities with market potential. For example fashion shows, dance companies, and so on.
One of the target of cultural policy is to provide "cultural rights." "Cultural rights" means "an individual's right to participate in a culture of their choosing. It includes the right to cultural respect from others."
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