The Study Of Raymond Williams’ Theory Of Mass Culture

Raymond Williams,a leading figure in British cultural studies,is also a "flag bearer" of the British "New Left".Williams’ working-class political background has led to his cultural studies consistently embodying a deep concern and hope for the lower classes,replete with criticism and dissatisfaction towards capitalist culture and elite culture.Thus,Williams’ theory of mass culture inherently contains profound political implications from its inception.Chapter One of this paper reveals the core of Williams’ ideology from the origins of Cultural Studies and his personal growth.In the process of solving theoretical and practical problems,Williams spontaneously integrates Marxist theory into the critique and study of capitalist mass culture,consciously seeking cultural holistic clues from the theoretical connotations of Marxism and the social reality of Britain.Williams deconstructs the proposition of "base determines superstructure" and reconstructs the "base/superstructure" with holistic culture.He constructs cultural materialism,proposes the concept of cultural practice,attempts to converge culture with society,and aligns cultural revolution with social revolution,laying the foundation for the development of Williams’ theory of mass culture.Chapter Two elaborates on this theoretical construction process by Williams.Williams’ theory of mass culture is not merely an aesthetic evaluation or moral judgment of capitalist mass commercial culture,nor does it lament in the same vein as the Frankfurt School did after exposing the comprehensive paralysis of "cultural industry" on mass consciousness.Instead,it critically explores the subjectivity of the working class and emphasizes the intrinsic practical dimension of mass culture.In other words,Williams’ theory of mass culture positions mass culture as the core arena of cultural practice,revealing the ruling class’ s biased observation of the "masses",manifested as a form of "cultural exploitation and political exploitation".Capitalist mass culture is not actually a cultural form created by laborers but profit-oriented products under the dominance of commercial culture.However,Williams observes that with the integrative development of culture,mass culture has manifested as a "new popular commercial culture" that coordinates different cultural forms.In aesthetic value or political significance,mass culture has become a new arena for different class struggles and integrations.Here,the masses,led by the working class,can seize "cultural hegemony" through diverse cultural and political practices,transform society,and thus achieve the victory of cultural revolution.This constitutes the main content discussed in Chapter Three.Therefore,Williams’ theory of mass culture is a comprehensive socialist practical theory.Its focus is not only on mass culture itself but also on the aspiration to construct a common culture based on the integrative nature of mass culture.The society transformed by the reconstruction of common culture is Williams’ ideal democratic social form,marking the completion of Williams’ cultural revolution,which can be said to signify the completion in the sense of Marx’s social revolution.Chapter Four of this paper emphasizes the elaboration of Williams’ cultural ideal.Chapter Five of this paper focuses on elucidating the values and limitations of Williams’ theory of mass culture.It discusses the theoretical value of Williams’ theory of mass culture in improving Marxist cultural theory and the development of praxis philosophy,and considers its important practical significance for the construction and development of Chinese cultural undertakings.At the same time,it points out the exaggeration and idealization of the cultural functions in Williams’ theory of mass culture and the political compliance implied by his holistic cultural perspective.