Anu N Govind             British Cultural Studies

                 Culture, The term culture has many different meanings. Precisely, we can say that culture is a way of life of class of people- the behavior, belief, value and symbol that they accept and they are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to generation. The word ‘culture’ derives from the Latin term called ‘colere’ which means, ‘to tend to earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture.  The word culture had occur a transition from the tending of crops and animals and by the extension the growth and tending of human faculties after that the term culture equated with civilization in the eighteenth century.

                      The meaning of ‘Culture’ has changed from the traditional meaning by the arrival of cultural studies. Cultural study is an advanced interdisciplinary field of research and teaching which investigates the ways that culture transforms individual experiences, everyday life, social relations and power. In cultural studies the meaning of culture has transformed into mode of generating meaning and ideas but the in the control of the meaning are done by the elite class. The meanings are governed by power relations. In cultural studies, the meaning of culture is depends upon the society or community generates. Cultural Studies mainly focus on the study of cultural process and especially of popular culture. Culture studies are always conscious about the mass culture and everyday life. The works that written by the Raymond Williams, Richard Hoggart, and Stuart Hall in particular Brmingham centre for cultural studies has established the consideration of popular culture.  

                          British Cultural Criticism emerged from at the centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, aninter disciplinary research that Richard Hoggart and Stuart Hall started at the University Of Brimingham in 1964. Richard Hoggart, Stuart Hall, Raymond Williams were the key figures of the British cultural criticism. Richard Hoggart was one of the first ‘Culturalist’ writers. The important work that he contributed was ‘use of literacy’ (1957) and other main thing was, he was the person who laid the foundation of Brimingham centre for contemporary culture studies. This is one of the institutions that stand as an aid to establish the Cultural Studies in Britain. The work ‘use of literacy’ is well discussed on the media, popular culture, meaning and value of working class.  Williams, Hoggart and Hall all worked as adult education tutors early in their carriers. The use of literacy was a persona experience of author, through this he gave an inside view of working class life of pre- war period.  Richard Hoggart was concerned about creating the mass culture which replaced other values with those of consumerism and mass consumption. Hogart was more anxious about the working class because they are threatened by the ‘Competitive commerce’ the term called by Richard Hoggart. The work ‘ Use of literacy’ has give a profound influence on the Cultural Studies at the centre.  He also criticized the culture of contemporary society in the work; he is not believed high culture was the standard culture. Hoggart believes in traditional culture of working class. Through this work Brimngham became the centre for Cultural Studies.

            Cultural Studies were also shaped by the Raymond Williams, who come after Richard Hoggart. The place theoretical pioneer was hand over to the Raymond Williams.  Raymond Williams also came from the working class background. He spends most of his time in career as a adult education. The important work that wrote was ‘Culture and Society’(1966) came out as an education on the basis of culture. In this work Raymond Williams look upon ‘culture’ as new term that completely torn apart from the traditional meaning. Raymond Williams look upon culture as ‘whole way of life, material, intellectual and spiritual.’ Through the work ‘culture and society’ Williams developed a concept about culture that went beyond the literary conception dominant in the British academy. In the essay he also discuss about the ‘high culture’ and ‘low culture’. The aim of this essay was to gave an adequate definition of culture, through this he gave an understanding about culture by emplacing the term in social and political changes brought about under industrial capitalism. Raymond Williams moves away from the traditional Marxism and he approach the Marxism in a new perspective. Williams another important book was ‘Long Revolution’ which was published in 1961. The book ‘Long Revolution’ mainly focusing on cultural institutions, their ideologies and discourse. This book is all about progressive change, revolution that happened in Britain through industrialization, democratization and cultural transformation. The book ‘Long Revolution’ laid down a strong theoretical foundation to the Cultural studies. 

   E. M Thompson also has a role in shaping the cultural studies. Thompson was also influenced by the Marxist background and he is historian. The work that he wrote, ‘the making of English working class’ has big impact on the Cultural Studies and its have a profound influence on the British social history and also have influence on the popular culture, class and sub cultures. In the book ‘ the making of English working class’ contain the formation of working class between the years 1780 and 1832. In this book they also add the rise of industrial revolution and the moment in the 19^th century. According to Thompson culture was a lived network of practices and relationship that constituted everyday life within which role of the individual subject had to be fore grounded.

Stuart Hall is one of the most important and influential figures in British cultural studies because he laid a strong foundation to the British cultural studies centre in Brimingham University. He was the founding member new left in Britain. Stuart Hall first book was ‘Popular arts’ was deeply indebted to Hoggart and Williams. He remains as a major figure in the British cultural studies. Stuart Hall was the one who presents the circuiting model of culture. A culture gathers meaning through different ‘moments’- he tabled it as production, circulation, distribution, consumption, and reproduction. He redefined the linear model of communication instead he suggested the circular model. The researchers in the Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies are very much interested in the relation between media and culture; this is very much reflected in his essays.

British cultural studies laid the foundation for a new discipline and academic studies. British cultural studies gave a new definition to the culture that differs from the traditional definition. The cultural studies became a global phenomenon of great importance. From the beginning itself British cultural studies rejected the low culture and high culture. These are the main studies that British cultural studies had done.

                 

  Bibliography

Lewis, J. (2008). Cultural Studies. New Delhi: Saga Publications.

Nayaar, P. k. (2008). An introduction to the cultural studies. New Delhi: Viva Books.

Turner, G. (2003). British Cultural Studies an Introduction. New York: Routledge.