Popular Culture and High Culture: An Analysis and Evaluation of Taste

By Herbert J. Gans

Book Overview

Is NYPD Blue a less valid form of artistic expression than a Shakespearean drama? Who is to judge and by what standards?In this new edition of Herbert Gans's brilliantly conceived and clearly argued landmark work, he builds on his critique of the universality of high cultural standards. While conceding that popular and high culture have converged to some extent over the twenty-five years since he wrote the book, Gans holds that the choices of typical Ivy League graduates, not to mention Ph.D.'s in literature, are still very different from those of high school graduates, as are the movie houses, television channels, museums, and other cultural institutions they frequent.This new edition benefits greatly from Gans's discussion of the "politicization" of culture over the last quarter-century. Popular Culture and High Culture is a must read for anyone interested in the vicissitudes of taste in American society.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0465026095
• ISBN13: 9780465026098
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 266 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

A propos Gans and Swirski

I just want to say that i agree with the review above. I read both of these books, Gans' Popular Culture and High Culture and Swirski's From lowbrow to Nobrow and i think both are great, they explore the same subjects, the are both easy and entertaining to read, and both pay a great deal of attention to sociological issues in contemporary culture. Naturally Swirski is more up to date and his perspective is a little broader, because he deals with aesthetics as well, but these two books are quite related, almost like two chapters of a much bigger book.

Highbrow or Lowbrow, its all Good

Gans makes the general argument that in a pluralistic, democratic country we all deserve the culture we want whether it be high or low. Some parts of the book are pretty dated, but overall this is an excellent analysis of American cultural stratification and the creators and users of that culture.

Gans and Swirski

I dont want to belabour here the greatness of Gans's study: it's an acknowledged classic and needs no further recommendation. But I would like to draw attention to a slightly less known study by Peter Swirski, called "From Lowbrow to Nobrow" (published about a year ago) which in many ways continues the line of inquiry spearheaded by Gans. As a matter of fact, Chapter 2 in "From Lowbrow to Nobrow" leans on Gans's book when it provides a thorough review (and a wonderful debunking) of a multitude of accusations raised against popular culture and popular fiction over the decades. Swirski tends to be more humorous and colloquial, and focuses mainly on literature and film, whereas Gans takes a more "wholistic" and sociological approach to popular culture. Otherwise, it is hard for me to decide which book I learned more from.