1
,INHOUD
INTRODUCTION
1. High Culture versus Popular Culture ..............................................................................................12
1.1 Intro: What is culture? Sociological roots .................................................................................................... 12
1.2 High culture (HC) vs. popular culture (PC) .................................................................................................. 13
1.3 High culture vs. ‘mass (media) culture’ .........................................................................................................14
1.4 The relevance of studying media culture .................................................................................................... 16
1.5 The societal relevance of studying media culture - Sociological background .......................... 17
TEXT AND CULTURAL MEANING
2. Ideology and hegemony.................................................................................................................... 18
2.1. Intro: The four dimensions of media sociology ....................................................................................... 18
2.2 Media and Inequality in Neo-Marxism & Neo-Liberalization ............................................................ 19
2.3 Case study: Reality Shows .................................................................................................................................. 22
2.4 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................. 25
3. Fantasy Fiction ...................................................................................................................................... 26
3.1 Intro: The popularity of the fantasy genre ................................................................................................. 26
3.2 Romanticism and the Roots of Fantasy Fiction........................................................................................ 26
3.3 Tolkien and the Romantic Spirit in Fantasy (+LoTR) .............................................................................. 29
3.4 (Modern Discontent and Romanticism) ........................................................................................................30
3.5 MMORPG’s: World of Warcraft (2004)........................................................................................................... 31
3.6 The globalization of the fantasy genre......................................................................................................... 31
3.7 Secularization: from Churched religion to fiction-based spirituality… ........................................... 32
4. Science-Fiction ...................................................................................................................................... 33
4.1 Intro: Science fiction ............................................................................................................................................. 33
4.2 Evolution of Science-Fiction ..............................................................................................................................34
4.3 Between science fiction and science faction: 3 central topics in sci-fi reflecting and
shaping society ...............................................................................................................................................................34
4.4 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................................... 40
2
,5. Paranoia .................................................................................................................................................. 41
5.1 Intro: Conspiracy theories and famous examples ..................................................................................41
5.2 Conspiracy narratives in media texts .......................................................................................................... 42
5.3 Conspiracy theories and 3 classical/normative perspectives ...........................................................43
5.3 The 3 assumptions of conspiracy theories: Popularization, Normalization &
Transformation............................................................................................................................................................... 44
5.4 Why are there more conspiracy theories in media texts over the last decades? ................... 46
5.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................. 49
6. Horror ....................................................................................................................................................... 50
6.1 Intro: Horror as a genre and the appeal..................................................................................................... 50
6.2 The ideological theory (Robin Wood) ........................................................................................................... 50
6.2.1 Repression, oppression, horror ................................................................................................................ 50
6.2.2 Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) ............................................................................................................ 52
6.2.3 The female monster........................................................................................................................................ 52
6.3 The civilization theory (Julian Hanich) ......................................................................................................... 53
6.3.1 (Dis-)embodiment (body) ........................................................................................................................... 54
6.3.2 Acceleration (time) .........................................................................................................................................55
7. Postmodern texts.................................................................................................................................. 56
7.1 Intro: The substance (2024) - a postmodern movie ................................................................................56
7.2 What is postmodernism? .....................................................................................................................................56
7.3 Postmodernity, the end of (innovative) art ................................................................................................ 57
7.4 Postmodernism and media texts.....................................................................................................................58
AUDIENCE AND CULTURAL CONSUMPTION
8. Consumption and Cultural Inequality ........................................................................................... 61
8.1 Intro: Cultural consumption ............................................................................................................................... 61
8.2 3 sociological assumptions about consumptions:.................................................................................... 62
8.3 The sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) – Cultural capital........................................................ 64
3
, 9. Consumption and Subculture ........................................................................................................... 68
9.1 Intro: From ‘cultural capital’ to ‘subcultural capital ...............................................................................68
9.2 Youth culture and the rise of subcultures....................................................................................................68
9.3 Studying subcultures ............................................................................................................................................. 69
9.4 The social logic of subcultural capital (Sarah Thornton, 1995): Case-study ‘club- and rave
culture’ in the UK, 1990s ..............................................................................................................................................70
9.5 Beyond subcultures: Symbolic Boundary work (Michèle Lamont et al, 2015) ............................ 72
10. Consumption and Counterculture .............................................................................................. 74
10.1. Intro: Authenticity in Contemporary - Consumer Culture ............................................................... 74
10.2. Product Authenticity .......................................................................................................................................... 75
10.3. Counterculture, 1960s: Frankfurt-school Critiques of Capitalist Manipulation ....................... 77
10.4. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................... 77
11. Celebrity Culture .............................................................................................................................. 78
11.1. Intro: Audience and cultural consumption ...............................................................................................78
11.2 Celebrity culture – what is a celebrity? .......................................................................................................78
11.3 A sociological perspective on ‘celebrities’, A new ‘status group’ ................................................... 79
11.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................82
MEDIA AND CULTURAL CHANGE
12. Social media & Post-truth ............................................................................................................ 83
12.1 Intro: Postmodernism: the end of objective truth ................................................................................. 83
12.2 Modern enlightenment: the imperative (demand) of objectivism ................................................. 83
12.3 From modernism to postmodernism........................................................................................................... 84
12.4 Postmodernism and post-truth society ......................................................................................................86
12.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................... 90
13. Games & Post-reality ..................................................................................................................... 91
13.1 Intro: Media, Games, AI ..................................................................................................................................... 91
13.2 Postmodernist Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007) ..................................................................................... 92
13.3 Games: a paradigm example of hyper-reality ........................................................................................95
13.4 From virtual reality to AI-enhanced deep fakes: what makes the difference? ...................... 97
13.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................ 97
4
,INHOUD
INTRODUCTION
1. High Culture versus Popular Culture ..............................................................................................12
1.1 Intro: What is culture? Sociological roots .................................................................................................... 12
1.2 High culture (HC) vs. popular culture (PC) .................................................................................................. 13
1.3 High culture vs. ‘mass (media) culture’ .........................................................................................................14
1.4 The relevance of studying media culture .................................................................................................... 16
1.5 The societal relevance of studying media culture - Sociological background .......................... 17
TEXT AND CULTURAL MEANING
2. Ideology and hegemony.................................................................................................................... 18
2.1. Intro: The four dimensions of media sociology ....................................................................................... 18
2.2 Media and Inequality in Neo-Marxism & Neo-Liberalization ............................................................ 19
2.3 Case study: Reality Shows .................................................................................................................................. 22
2.4 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................. 25
3. Fantasy Fiction ...................................................................................................................................... 26
3.1 Intro: The popularity of the fantasy genre ................................................................................................. 26
3.2 Romanticism and the Roots of Fantasy Fiction........................................................................................ 26
3.3 Tolkien and the Romantic Spirit in Fantasy (+LoTR) .............................................................................. 29
3.4 (Modern Discontent and Romanticism) ........................................................................................................30
3.5 MMORPG’s: World of Warcraft (2004)........................................................................................................... 31
3.6 The globalization of the fantasy genre......................................................................................................... 31
3.7 Secularization: from Churched religion to fiction-based spirituality… ........................................... 32
4. Science-Fiction ...................................................................................................................................... 33
4.1 Intro: Science fiction ............................................................................................................................................. 33
4.2 Evolution of Science-Fiction ..............................................................................................................................34
4.3 Between science fiction and science faction: 3 central topics in sci-fi reflecting and
shaping society ...............................................................................................................................................................34
4.4 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................................... 40
2
,5. Paranoia .................................................................................................................................................. 41
5.1 Intro: Conspiracy theories and famous examples ..................................................................................41
5.2 Conspiracy narratives in media texts .......................................................................................................... 42
5.3 Conspiracy theories and 3 classical/normative perspectives ...........................................................43
5.3 The 3 assumptions of conspiracy theories: Popularization, Normalization &
Transformation............................................................................................................................................................... 44
5.4 Why are there more conspiracy theories in media texts over the last decades? ................... 46
5.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................. 49
6. Horror ....................................................................................................................................................... 50
6.1 Intro: Horror as a genre and the appeal..................................................................................................... 50
6.2 The ideological theory (Robin Wood) ........................................................................................................... 50
6.2.1 Repression, oppression, horror ................................................................................................................ 50
6.2.2 Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) ............................................................................................................ 52
6.2.3 The female monster........................................................................................................................................ 52
6.3 The civilization theory (Julian Hanich) ......................................................................................................... 53
6.3.1 (Dis-)embodiment (body) ........................................................................................................................... 54
6.3.2 Acceleration (time) .........................................................................................................................................55
7. Postmodern texts.................................................................................................................................. 56
7.1 Intro: The substance (2024) - a postmodern movie ................................................................................56
7.2 What is postmodernism? .....................................................................................................................................56
7.3 Postmodernity, the end of (innovative) art ................................................................................................ 57
7.4 Postmodernism and media texts.....................................................................................................................58
AUDIENCE AND CULTURAL CONSUMPTION
8. Consumption and Cultural Inequality ........................................................................................... 61
8.1 Intro: Cultural consumption ............................................................................................................................... 61
8.2 3 sociological assumptions about consumptions:.................................................................................... 62
8.3 The sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) – Cultural capital........................................................ 64
3
, 9. Consumption and Subculture ........................................................................................................... 68
9.1 Intro: From ‘cultural capital’ to ‘subcultural capital ...............................................................................68
9.2 Youth culture and the rise of subcultures....................................................................................................68
9.3 Studying subcultures ............................................................................................................................................. 69
9.4 The social logic of subcultural capital (Sarah Thornton, 1995): Case-study ‘club- and rave
culture’ in the UK, 1990s ..............................................................................................................................................70
9.5 Beyond subcultures: Symbolic Boundary work (Michèle Lamont et al, 2015) ............................ 72
10. Consumption and Counterculture .............................................................................................. 74
10.1. Intro: Authenticity in Contemporary - Consumer Culture ............................................................... 74
10.2. Product Authenticity .......................................................................................................................................... 75
10.3. Counterculture, 1960s: Frankfurt-school Critiques of Capitalist Manipulation ....................... 77
10.4. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................... 77
11. Celebrity Culture .............................................................................................................................. 78
11.1. Intro: Audience and cultural consumption ...............................................................................................78
11.2 Celebrity culture – what is a celebrity? .......................................................................................................78
11.3 A sociological perspective on ‘celebrities’, A new ‘status group’ ................................................... 79
11.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................82
MEDIA AND CULTURAL CHANGE
12. Social media & Post-truth ............................................................................................................ 83
12.1 Intro: Postmodernism: the end of objective truth ................................................................................. 83
12.2 Modern enlightenment: the imperative (demand) of objectivism ................................................. 83
12.3 From modernism to postmodernism........................................................................................................... 84
12.4 Postmodernism and post-truth society ......................................................................................................86
12.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................... 90
13. Games & Post-reality ..................................................................................................................... 91
13.1 Intro: Media, Games, AI ..................................................................................................................................... 91
13.2 Postmodernist Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007) ..................................................................................... 92
13.3 Games: a paradigm example of hyper-reality ........................................................................................95
13.4 From virtual reality to AI-enhanced deep fakes: what makes the difference? ...................... 97
13.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................ 97
4
