Culture

Rather than seeking to establish a definite and discrete terrain that can be named as ‘culture’ Ben Highmore demonstrates how the cultural is much better understood as an approach to phenomena rather than an adequate description of the phenomena itself. The book provides a clear and robust defense of the productivity of cultural analysis in a media saturated world; offering a workable understanding of the category ‘culture’ and the ‘cultural’ as well as a clear sense of the practical possibilities involved in cultural approaches to understanding the world.

What are the qualities and properties that make something cultural? What does claiming something as cultural allow us to do?

Culture offers students a workable understanding of the category ‘culture’ and explores how the realm of the ‘cultural’ can be practically explored as a way of understanding the world.

Ben Highmore provides a clear and robust defence of the productivity of cultural analysis in a media saturated world, while also instilling a sense of modesty in qualifying what can and can’t be accomplished in the name of cultural analysis.

With extensive examples and case studies throughout, the book demonstrates both the productivity and the limitations in orientating analysis to the cultural.

A thought-provoking and engaging examination, Culture is an ideal introductory text for students of media and cultural studies.