Gender and Sex
“One is not born, but rather becomes, woman”, said Simone De Beauvoir. Our gender, ambitions, and confidence are all constructed by standards established by society. What is expected from us, what we should be aiming for in our lives. De Beauvoir ends her book The Second Sex with a chapter entitled “The Independent Woman” (...)
Policing the Body - Michel Foucault
What is a society? “A particular large group of people who share laws, organizations, customs, etc.” (Longman) What exactly is an individual? According to twentieth-century French philosopher Michel Foucault, an individual is composed of a soul and a body, yet it is the body that often first seems to define individuals in society. In that line of thought, how can a society be controlled? That is where Foucault’s theory about the policing of the body comes in (...)
Popular Culture
Popular culture is a collection of ideas, perspectives, attitudes and images that are within the mainstream of culture. The term popular culture was created during the 19th century. Traditionally, this kind of culture was associated with poor education in lower classes. This perception changed by the end of the World War 2; popular culture began to be associated with mass culture and culture for mass consumption. (...)
High Culture
The word “culture” is vastly used in everyday life, but its meaning tends to be somewhat vague to certain people. Depending on the source, definitions tend to differ, but one that seems to be on point is that it is “the sum of attitudes, customs, and beliefs that distinguishes one group of people from another. Culture is transmitted, through language, material objects, ritual, institutions, and art, from one generation to the next.” (Boundless) There are many different types of culture, such as (...)
Celebrity
The study of celebrity culture is still limited. Celebrities are people who are in the media therefore known by the public. It can seem not interesting studying celebrity, but celebrity is not only about gossip, talent or who is the sexiest man or woman of the year. We underestimate too much the power of celebrity because it reflects the society where they live. Therefore, they can tell us a lot about our culture and our values (...)