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Although David Riesman wrote over half a century ago, his concept
of autonomy as presented in The Lonely Crowd (1950) speaks directly
to the intellectual and emotional disarrangements of the
twenty-first century. The current malaise produced by the excesses
of commodity culture, information technology, the hyperreal, and
"fake news" militate against our ability to think critically about
contemporary society. And while postmodern authors insist that this
bewildering situation weakens and assails our critical thinking
skills, Riesman's notion of autonomy refuses to capitulate to such
a somber interpretation. Rather, he is convinced that individuals
have the intellectual and emotional mettle to think for themselves
and not be drawn into the demands of a commercialized culture and a
commodity-driven lifestyle. As we pick and choose the terms of our
engagement, we can remain aloof from society's engulfing influence
and preserve the oppositional thinking needed for democracy. To
illustrate this point most clearly, this book puts Riesman into
conversation with the writings of Theodor Adorno, whose evaluation
of the critical faculty's ability to withstand "the culture
industry" is famously pessimistic.
Although David Riesman wrote over half a century ago, his concept
of autonomy as presented in The Lonely Crowd (1950) speaks directly
to the intellectual and emotional disarrangements of the
twenty-first century. The current malaise produced by the excesses
of commodity culture, information technology, the hyperreal, and
"fake news" militate against our ability to think critically about
contemporary society. And while postmodern authors insist that this
bewildering situation weakens and assails our critical thinking
skills, Riesman's notion of autonomy refuses to capitulate to such
a somber interpretation. Rather, he is convinced that individuals
have the intellectual and emotional mettle to think for themselves
and not be drawn into the demands of a commercialized culture and a
commodity-driven lifestyle. As we pick and choose the terms of our
engagement, we can remain aloof from society's engulfing influence
and preserve the oppositional thinking needed for democracy. To
illustrate this point most clearly, this book puts Riesman into
conversation with the writings of Theodor Adorno, whose evaluation
of the critical faculty's ability to withstand "the culture
industry" is famously pessimistic.
This book argues for the importance of the theory of the culture
industry in today's world. It begins by considering the neglect of
the culture industry in the second and third generation of the
Frankfurt School, presenting historical background information and
criticisms on the theories of Habermas and Honneth. In our age, the
culture industry is something quite different from what Adorno and
Horkheimer described or could even imagine in the twentieth
century. Today, the masses can not only access the media but can
also respond to the messages they receive. A key question that
arises, then, is why the masses, even after gaining access to their
own media, still adhere to the values of the capitalist system? Why
haven't they achieved a class consciousness? This work seeks to
answer those questions. Drawing on Jean Baudrillard's work, it
reveals the semiotic aspects of the culture industry and describes
the industry in the age of simulation and hyperreality. The book
argues that the culture industry has now entered the micro level of
our everyday life through shopping centers, the image of profusion
and more. Further, it explores new aspects of the culture industry,
such as a passion for participating in the media, the consumed
vertigo of catastrophe, and masking the absence of a profound
reality. As such, the book will particularly appeal to graduates
and researchers in sociology and sociological theory, and all those
with an interest in the Frankfurt School and the works of Jean
Baudrillard.
This book argues for the importance of the theory of the culture
industry in today's world. It begins by considering the neglect of
the culture industry in the second and third generation of the
Frankfurt School, presenting historical background information and
criticisms on the theories of Habermas and Honneth. In our age, the
culture industry is something quite different from what Adorno and
Horkheimer described or could even imagine in the twentieth
century. Today, the masses can not only access the media but can
also respond to the messages they receive. A key question that
arises, then, is why the masses, even after gaining access to their
own media, still adhere to the values of the capitalist system? Why
haven't they achieved a class consciousness? This work seeks to
answer those questions. Drawing on Jean Baudrillard's work, it
reveals the semiotic aspects of the culture industry and describes
the industry in the age of simulation and hyperreality. The book
argues that the culture industry has now entered the micro level of
our everyday life through shopping centers, the image of profusion
and more. Further, it explores new aspects of the culture industry,
such as a passion for participating in the media, the consumed
vertigo of catastrophe, and masking the absence of a profound
reality. As such, the book will particularly appeal to graduates
and researchers in sociology and sociological theory, and all those
with an interest in the Frankfurt School and the works of Jean
Baudrillard.
This book draws on core concepts coined by Adorno, such as identity
thinking, the culture industry, and his critique of the autonomous
and rational subject, to address the ills that plague neoliberal
capitalist societies today. These ills range from the risk of a
return to totalitarian tendencies, to the global rise of the
far-right, and anti-feminist conceptions of motherhood. Subsequent
chapters outline the ways in which Adorno's thought can also be
seen to redress the challenges of modern societies, such as the
critical function of artworks, and the subversive potential of
slow-food and popular music. The important underlying concern of
the book is to highlight the continuing relevance of Adorno, both
in dealing with the failures of neo-liberal capitalist societies,
and in his applicability to a wide range of disciplines.
This book draws on core concepts coined by Adorno, such as identity
thinking, the culture industry, and his critique of the autonomous
and rational subject, to address the ills that plague neoliberal
capitalist societies today. These ills range from the risk of a
return to totalitarian tendencies, to the global rise of the
far-right, and anti-feminist conceptions of motherhood. Subsequent
chapters outline the ways in which Adorno's thought can also be
seen to redress the challenges of modern societies, such as the
critical function of artworks, and the subversive potential of
slow-food and popular music. The important underlying concern of
the book is to highlight the continuing relevance of Adorno, both
in dealing with the failures of neo-liberal capitalist societies,
and in his applicability to a wide range of disciplines.
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