The Theoretical Studies Of Theodore Adorno And Raymond Williams' Cultural Industry

As there has been growing investment in the development of the industry of culture in recent years, it has also become a crucial mission for the academic world to learn about the industry further. This paper sets to discuss the basic theory of culture industry and the research done in that area. The concept of culture industry, originally brought up by Theodor Adorno, refers to the cultural product system that relates to television and TV programs, films, magazines and advertisements after the industrial revolution. Two entirely opposite opinions, however, were proposed when it comes to the discussion of the use of such industrial way of production being imposed on culture. Theodor Adorno criticized the culture industry to be evil, saying that advances in industrial technologies were making people alienated and manipulated by ideology, while Raymond Williams believed the culture industry was bringing benefits to people since it could help to develop a democratic " common culture " for all.This shows that there has been a dialectical transitional process of the academia in understanding the issue of culture industry. This paper, therefore, tries to explore answers to questions related to such transition, and what influence it may bring to the theoretical development of culture industry. To be more specific, the paper first reasons the logs and eros behind the two opposite opinions on culture industry. Then the writer unveils the difference of the two critics in understanding the fundamental concepts of people and technology, which led to the opposition of theory. Then from the opposition of theory the writer extracts a framework of "supply side-need side", through which a more in-depth research has been carried out regarding the culture industry in modern times.In today’s world it is without doubt that China needs to be more supportive in developing its own culture industry. And understanding the two theories of the culture industry is the first step to embrace the opportunities and challenges brought to the industry.