Lowenthal’s Popular Culture Theory Research

Leo Lowenthal is an important member of the Frankfurt School.For a long time,very few scholars study Lowenthal’s thoughts.Researchers generally believe Lowenthal is a follower of Frankfurt mainstream,Whose thought is not unique.This is a huge misunderstanding for Lowenthal.In fact,Lowenthal,as the most extensive analysis scholar for popular culture in the Frankfurt School,he studies popular culture as a lifelong pursuit of career,who aslo developed a complete theory and research methods of popular culture.His dialectical attitude for popular culture formed his unique popular culture concept,this points of view and research methods provide a very good reference for the construction of the prosperous popular culture and the development of the research of the contemporary literature.This paper is divided into three parts to explain Lowenthal Popular Culture Theory:The first chapter analyzes the positive and negative discourse of the Lowenthal Popular Culture Theory,points out dialectical and objective attitude towards Lowenthal Popular Culture.In the negative discourse,the author sums up Lowenthal’ s critique for popular culture in three aspects.From a political point of view,popular culture cultivates the public obedience awareness.From an economic point of view,popular culture is a commodity.From an artistic point of view,popular culture is a false type of satisfaction and an entertaining pattern of recreation.In the affirmative discourse,the author divide Lowenthal affirmation of popular culture into four aspects.Firstly,Lowenthal acknowledges the legitimacy of the existence of popular culture.Secondly,Lowenthal query the criticism for popular culture and media products.Thirdly,Lowenthal query the dichotomy.Fourthly,using the neutral term refer to popular culture.The second chapter discusses the research methods of Lowenthal Popular Culture Theory.Lowenthal takes the mass media for the research perspective,combings the process of the generation and evolution of popular culture.At the same time,he analyzes and researches popular culture phenomenon by using the methods of combine the critical theory and empirical sociological literature.According to Lowenthal,this methodology includes two dimensions: go deep into history and face the reality.When refers to the in-depth historical aspects,he using the methods of empirical sociological literature,discovers the history and evolution of popular culture,thereby generating the affirmation of popular culture.But in facing the reality level,because of the critical theory position which forces him makes a negative judgment for popular culture.Thus,formation of a conflict between the theory and method.At last,analyzes Lowenthal’ ways to solve the conflict.The third chapter analyzes the uniqueness of Lowenthal Popular Culture Theory.Comparing his viewpoints with the points of view from Adorno,Horkheimer,Marcuse and other members.This article summarizes the uniqueness of Lowenthal Popular Culture Theory from the following seven aspects respectively,such as from a perspective of critical theory,populist stance,open theoretical attitude,dynamic middle-class public,mass media of objective knowledge,the nature of the research object,broad view of language.we can understand Lowenthal Popular Theory more accurately and completely by horizontal comparison his view with other members of Frankfurt School.At the end of paper,the author briefly summarizes the theoretical value Lowenthal Popular Culture Theory.His theoretical views fall somewhere between the Frankfurt School and the Birmingham School,can be seen as a transition from Frankfurt Popuar Culture Theory to the United Kingdom Birmingham School Popular Culture Theory.Lowenthal also discusses the relationship between literature and society,his study about popular culture can be seen as a transition from literary studies to cultural studies.What’s more,the author briefly summarizes the revelation of Lowenthal Popular Culture Theory for cultural construction of the Chinese popular culture.We ’d like to pay attention to the distinguish between popular culture and the mass media.In a highly market-oriented today,we should also concern the relationship between the media and literature,as well as to the attention and research on the public.