week 6

Please bring your visual diary
Tutorial: on cultures from around the world; subcultures versus countercultures.
Surfing culture on YouTube

how_art_gives_shape_to_cultural_change.html

Studio: Students work on class projects with Lecturer supervision.
Tutorial: on the question: what is culture?
Task: Today we will look at some special interest magazines and  try to discern signals and their meanings

 

Goths: A sub culture

Hippies: A counter culture

Chinese New Year: Another culture altogether

Today I want to begin with you attempting to answer one question:
What is the definition of culture?  Write it into your visual diary.

cul·ture

 /ˈkʌltʃər/ Show Spellkuhl-cher] Show IPA noun, verb,-tured, -tur·ing. noun

the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.

1. that which is excellent in the arts, manners, etc.
2. a particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period: Greek culture.
3.  development or improvement of the mind by education or training.
4. the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group: the youth culture; the drug culture. 
5. Anthropology. the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/culture

Mass Culture 

Counter Culture 

Sub Culture 

Counter Culture

Pop Culture

Christian Culture

Arts Culture

Music Culture

Surfing Culture

Hot Rod Culture

Racing Culture

Ancient Culture

Primitive Culture

Island Culture

Aboriginal Culture

Youth Culture

Graffiti Culture

Skating Culture
Football Culture
Cricket Culture
Japanese Culture
Greek Culture etc etc etc..................................

The word gets a lot of use these days and some abuse. Points numbers 1and 3 in the dictionary definition above is quite an old fashioned elitist use of the world. The perceived upper classes were said to be "cultured" when only a minority could afford an education in the arts and humanities. One was said to be "cultivating the mind".

There is even a "culture of violence" within our culture, just ask the police on Friday night. The members of that culture pour out of the bars at closing time or are simply motivated by racial hatred or some other distorted phobia.

It is basic human nature to want to belong to a group. Shared enthusiasms like that of the hot-rodding fraternity bind groups together. The signals people send to each other are often visual. Clothing, interior design, motor cars, hairstyles even dog ownership signal a set of values. It is the business of branding to tap into this need to enhance profits. Exclusive or expensive brands of motor cars like BMW rely on wealthy people wishing to demonstrate their status by joining the club. At the other end of the scale Graffiti artists belong to their own culture and with that further smaller clubs with varying levels of expertise and values. Their secret signals, signs and tags are known only to members of the culture and their closest friends. It's this secrecy that makes it an exclusive club. As we have seen an industry of "Cool Hunting" has sprung up to keep abreast of the most recent in street culture.

Sub Culture Vs Counter-Culture:
The Hippies were a counter-culture because they at tempted to introduce and very different set of values into the society they lived in. Their beliefs were more intellectually based and their objections to society were rational.

Subcultures on the other hand are a culture within a culture and are highly ritualised and participants are recognised through their clothes


Consumption and The Role of Graphic Design:This brings us to needs and desires. It's the desires side of this equation that keeps the capitalist model running