Sociology of culture (2012-2013)

Saint-Louis University - Bruxelles

SOCA1210 - Sociology of culture

[2 Q. • 30 Th. • 3 ECTS - credits]

Lecturer :		Delchambre Jean-Pierre

Language of instruction :		French and possibly some readings in English.

Learning outcomes :		This course is the continuation of the two introductory course in sociology (Sociology, Bac1/Q1 & Analysis of sociological theories, Bac2/Q2). It focuses on a specific field, that of “culture”, as an established field of sociology. 1) problematisation of the concept of culture, from the consideration of the different meanings of the term and the debates around its definition. 2) culture as plural - even controversial - category marked by social logics (i.e. refusal of aestheticised or “purified” approaches of culture, highlighting a unilateral, even exclusive conception of culture, based on a celebration of “high” culture, that is to say legitimate, with most of the time a “denial of social” as underside...). 3) Challenge the notion of cultural field and provide intellectual tools that allow the analysis of the functioning of the field on different levels: individual practices (tastes, consumption, experiences), cultural institutions and policies, devices and mediation... The conceptual resources are generally considered in relation to empirical research or landmark studies. 4) Provide an overview of the major sociological approaches to culture and distribute them according to the assumptions they adopt and the issues they allow to identify (see synoptic and typological table proposed in conclusion of this course). 5) Although this course, as its title indicates, focuses on the perspective of sociology of culture, it also takes a multidisciplinary and decompartmentalised approach, open to contributions from other disciplines in human and social sciences (starting with social and cultural anthropology, but also aesthetic philosophy and art history, literary studies, media and cinema studies, etc.). 6) Epistemological / methodological reflection: why a sociology “of” culture rather than a cultural sociology (by analogy with cultural anthropology or cultural history)? On what terms can “culture” (through cultural creations, practices and experiences) become a vehicle - and not just an object - of knowledge?

Prerequisites :		A fundamental training in social sciences, and more specifically in sociology is desirable but not a formal prerequisite.

Course contents :		(Indicative outline) - Starting observation: culture is a plurivocal concept. See literate culture (written or scholarly) vs. traditional (oral) cultures, “noble culture” (aristocratic or bourgeois) vs. “common culture” (plebeian, popular), cultivated culture (“high” culture) vs. the ordinary culture (habits and customs, ways of doing and ways of seeing...), fine arts vs. minor arts, etc. - Preliminary thoughts on a conventional double distinction: culture vs. civilisation in the German context (cf. N. Elias, L. Dumont...), the sociological definition of culture vs. the anthropological definition of culture (cf. Tylor, culturalism...). - A common thread: the distinction between legitimate and popular culture, the latter itself divided between “rooted” local cultures (traditions, folklore...) and “standardised” mass culture (globalised and “deterritorialised” cultural industries...). This input enables us to analyse and investigate the issue of culture as a plural and controversial category. - The concept of empowered cultural field, the condition of possibility of a culture or a formal aesthetic, “purified” and “autotelic” (art for art), self-reflexive (becoming aware of itself) and claiming to be “superior” compared to other manifestations of culture (popular or ordinary). Historical perspective (the emergence of the modern artist figure in the Renaissance...), anthropological questioning (cf. M. Leiris...) and sociological contributions (cf. L. Levine, P. Bourdieu, N. Heinich...). - From popular culture (cf. M. Bakhtine, R. Hoggart, M. de Certeau...) to cultural industries (see Th. Adorno, S. Hall, Cultural Studies...). - Cultural practices and social logics (cultural inequalities, symbolic domination...). Look back at Pierre Bourdieu's “La Distinction”. Issues, contributions, limitations, updates. See also B. Lahire, Ph. Coulangeon etc. - The cultural policies of modern states and contemporary investigations of cultural practices: the case of France and Belgium. - Some major approaches to culture. The stance that goes beyond “subjectivist” (see romanticism, authenticity...) and “objectivist” (see Marxism, structuralism, critical sociology...) approaches in favour of an approach focused on mediation (see H. Becker , A. Hennion, B. Lahire, the Cultural Studies ...).

Mode of delivery :		Lecture. Oral presentations + written materials (available on iFUSL). Interactivity with students (questions / answers, discussions...) is encouraged.

Assessment methods and criteria :		Oral examination. The list of examination questions is provided at the end of the course.

Recommended or required reading :		Selection of indicative references: Howard Becker, Les mondes de l'art, Paris, Flammarion, coll. Champs, 2006 (traduit de l'américain; éd. orig. : 1982). - Pierre Bourdieu, La distinction. Critique sociale du jugement, Paris, Minuit, 1979. - Pierre Bourdieu, Les règles de l'art. Genèse et structure du champ littéraire, Paris, Seuil, 1992. - Philippe Coulangeon, Sociologie des pratiques culturelles, Paris, La Découverte, coll. Repères, 2005. - Philippe Coulangeon, Les métamorphoses de la distinction. Inégalités culturelles dans la France d'aujourd'hui, Paris, Grasset, 2011. - Nathalie Heinich, L'élite artiste. Excellence et singularité en régime démocratique, Paris, Gallimard, 2005. - Antoine Hennion, La passion musicale. Une sociologie de la médiation, Paris, Métailié, 1993. - Bernard Lahire, La culture des individus. Dissonances culturelles et distinction de soi, Paris, La Découverte, 2004. - Lawrence W. Levine, Culture d'en haut, culture d'en bas. L'émergence des hiérarchies culturelles aux Etats-Unis, Paris, La Découverte, 2010 (traduit de l'américain; éd. orig. : 1988). - Armand Mattelart, Erik Neveu, Introduction aux Cultural Studies, Paris, La Découverte, coll. Repères, 2003.

Other information :		Course notes (non exhaustive). Selection of texts (reading these texts is optional, unless it is specifically mentioned in class that a text is considered “examination material”). Illustrations.