Cultural Studies – What does “culture” even mean?

We talk about “cultural differences”, and say that we like arts and “culture”. There are also terms such as “cancel culture” and “company culture”. “Culture” is thus one word that represents many ideas. What does it signify in relation to cultural studies?

The American cultural anthropologist Renato Rosaldo summarises it quite aptly: culture is “flexible in its usage and defined in a number of different ways” (2006). Which is true. But perhaps not very helpful to you if you want to find out what cultural studies are all about.

Thanks for sharing your perspective – perhaps you’ll be talking about it in one of your courses on cultural studies, too …

Culture as a way of life

It was cultural theorist and socialist Raymond Williams who perhaps most sweepingly criticised a long-prevailing perspective on culture, namely that it only “belongs” to an elite, that it comprises solely what is considered intellectual and artistic activity. This definition would be in line with the statement that we like arts and “culture”.

But Williams disagrees. He argues that “culture” is much more than that because it is a way of life of an entire society, expressing meanings and values in institutions and ordinary behavior, too. As such, “culture” encompasses language, music, and literature, but also food, clothes, common beliefs, religion, traditions and much more.

Cultural studies are as broad as the term “culture” itself – and can get as specific as a particular series or a certain work of art. To understand these cultural products, however, it’s essential to know the socio-historical contexts they belong to. That’s why you will learn a great deal about British and American history and society in the course of your studies, too.

And by the way: the list above is by no means complete – we could add gender and sexuality, identity politics, the power structures of space and much more!
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