Popular culture and high culture : an analysis and evaluation of taste / Herbert J. Gans.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-234) and index .

New introduction. The popular culture, high culture distinction : still relevant? -- Some definitions -- The distinction updated -- Of supply and demand sides -- The demand side -- New media -- 1. The critique of mass culture -- Popular culture's defects as a commercial enterprise -- Popular culture's danger to high culture -- Popular culture's impact on its audience -- Popular culture's harmfulness to society -- The sources and biases of the mass culture critique -- Postscript -- 2. A comparative analysis of high and popular culture -- Taste cultures and publics -- The five taste publics and cultures -- "Youth," Black, and ethnic cultures -- The social structure of taste publics and cultures -- Postscript -- 3. The evaluation of taste cultures and publics -- Two value judgments about taste cultures and publics -- Cultural mobility -- Cultural pluralism and subcultural programming -- The pros and cons of subcultural programming -- Implementing subcultural programming -- The outlook for more cultural pluralism -- Postscript.

In this brilliantly conceived and clearly argued discussion of the relationship between high and popular culture, Herbert Gans, outspoken advocate of cultural pluralism, questions the universality of high culture standards. . Is NYPD Blue a less valid form of artistic expression than a Shakespearean drama? Who is to judge and by what standards?In this new edition of Herbert Ganss brilliantly conceived and clearly argued landmark work, he builds on his critique of the universality of high cultural standards. While conceding that popular and high culture have converged to some extent over the twenty-five years since he wrote the book, Gans holds that the choices of typical Ivy League graduates, not to mention Ph. D. s in literature, are still very different from those of high school graduates, as are the movie houses, television channels, museums, and other cultural institutions they frequent. This new edition benefits greatly from Ganss discussion of the politicization of culture over the last quarter-century. Popular Culture and High Culture is a must read for anyone interested in the vicissitudes of taste in American society.

"In this revised and updated edition, Herbert Gans extends his classic study of the roles popular culture and high culture play in American society. Gans argues in favor of all peoples' right to the culture they choose. He also looks at "dumbing down" and other examples of the new mass culture critique and lays out changes in America's taste cultures. Gans has added a new introduction and new postscripts to each chapter updating the original analysis to incorporate recent trends. The book concludes with a concerned discussion of the fate of marginal, deviant and innovative cultures in a society in which increasing inequality makes it harder to pursue the cultural aspects of the American dream."--BOOK JACKET.