High culture
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High culture is the set of cultural products held in the highest esteem by a culture.
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[edit] History
High culture is traditionally the milieu of arts and sciences fostered under the European Renaissance. Its ideal is the Renaissance man, whose knowledge leads him to a broad and deep understanding of life. Pierre Bourdieu's book: La Distinction- English translation: Distinction - A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste (1979) is a key study into high culture.
The following fields of experience and study were considered parts of high culture:
- Appreciation for good design, whether decorative or minimalist
- Etiquette
- Fine arts and patronage of museums
- Government, especially public speaking and informed debate
- Haute cuisine and fine wine
- International travel, especially the Grand Tour of Europe
- Life sciences such as botany
- Literature, and the ability to write elegantly as learned from Classical literature and poetry
- Military service (as an officer) was once a central part of high culture. As war has become more impersonal and technology-driven since World War I, this aspect has waned.
- The more financially expensive sports, such as equestrianism, fencing, sailing, and sculling
- Musical discipline, especially in classical music and particularly in fields such as grand opera
- Philosophy, especially of the European tradition
- Refined grooming and haute couture
- Religion, specifically the more early modern forms of Christianity
- Theatre, especially ballet
[edit] High culture and Public Education
Much of the public education system in Europe and its former colonies was based on high culture. The idea behind this was that exposing all members of society to its most noble examples would lead to a communal sense of pride and purpose. However, the emphasis on the virtues and tastes of high culture, and the desire to pass them on to new generations, has waned. By many people they are perceived - not least of all by liberal academics since the 1960's - as too demanding and elitist. High culture has also come under attack from modern capitalism, which tends to favor practical mathematics and scientific technology in education. However, some forms of conservatism (though by no means all forms) believe that high culture is imperative to the maintenance of a dignified social order. As such, these proponents view contemporary society as lax and degenerate, and they argue that high culture is not incompatible with many of the newer ideas which Western society has come to enjoy, such as sexual equality. Often, conservatives who adhere to these beliefs advocate the reintroduction of cultural depth to modern educational systems, claiming that education as it has become only succeeds in producing idiots (in the classical sense of that word).
[edit] Criticism of High Culture
Critics of high culture see its focus on the European tradition as narrow and possibly even racist. In addition, the education and talent required for much of high culture is seen as elitist, with time wasted that could be spent on more practical improvements to material society. Many critics of high culture hold up popular culture as a more easily understood and enjoyable lifestyle, though this has been disputed by more refined elements of society, who see popular culture as a less noble pursuit.
[edit] Supporters of High Culture
In most nations with a dominant Euroethnic population, high culture is held in high regard, even by those who do not understand it. And in many non-Euroethnic nations, notably Japan, high culture has a devoted following. Proponents of high culture see it as a force for compassion, dignity, and discipline in the face of modern selfishness and transience.
