Społeczne aspekty kultury masowej. Studia europeistyczne

Abstract

This article discusses one of fundamental problems in the contemporary world: post–industrial crisis and its result the crisis of democratic liberal order. The author attempts to reveal two principal processes behind the reality of that crisis: technological “revolution” and globalisation, being– admittedly – one of the effects of technological changes. Practice and ideology of “freed” market that created new free space for new social unbalance and new
class fighting are seen as significant factors of these changes. However, we do not need to resurrect Marx – the Author says. It is suggested that this situation causes serious crises in many spheres of social life. Along with economic, political and civilisational factors also social and cultural causes should be considered. Of special importance here is the development of mass culture. Beside well-known shortcomings and dangers it also tends to deepen social divisions and petrify them, including the privileged position of well–educated elite and homogenisation of the rest of the society on the lowest cultural level possible. The article supposes that this may contribute to creation of mass society and to degradation of increasing parts of society to the status of participants
of a social “mass” (as opposed to true society). Another possible effect is that new social structure would soon consist of a very narrow elite (in terms of education, while other status factors would probably be convergent), narrow transitional layers and a vast majority of mass society. Author proposes to redefine the notion of mass culture and understand it as quasi-culture of social masses and as an important factor in the society degradation down to the level of a mass.