Culture as an Expression of Identity - Essay Example

? Identity, literature, art and politics Lecturer Culture as an expression of identity According to Castells , culture is learnt and it includes various aspects including the skills, language, roles, knowledge, customs, values and all the other things that shape the way of life for a society. Culture is sustained thorough the socialization process for instance patriarchal and unequal concepts. The views the society has are supported to be valuable and worthwhile in relation to others giving a certain culture a higher status than another. A small group of people, particularly the intellectual elites forming the middle-class and upper-class groups generally use these aspects of culture with lasting literary or artistic value to create sustain new ideas. This paper offers a discussion of the ways in which literature and art can be used to shape an identity for political purposes. It will argue on the purpose that is played by literature and art on one hand and politician on the other as well as how both relate in the support for political viewpoints, assumptions, policy and agendas. As Fearon (1999) points out, identity is a way in which a certain group in the society sees and defines itself and the way the other groups and individuals in the society see and define them. The group forms its identity through a socialization process which eventually influences the prevailing social institutions like the mass media, education system and the family. Identity is very important since it marks the similarities and differences that exist in the society. Identity is used to bring about a factor like social class with its own lifestyle, clothes, income level, shopping places, TV programmes and movies, leisure, sport, music, food, accent and many other activities that emphasizes a certain class. Eventually, when individuals and groups identify themselves through such kind of life, it becomes a way of life or a culture of its own. The alleged characteristics and behaviors are hence used to place individuals in a certain social category. Social identity in the first instance is a label that groups a number of people by their shared features. However, beyond labeling, it has a number of implications that reflect in cognitive beliefs, emotional association or behavioral consequences Castells (2011). The feeling of inclusion to a cultural group is important to individuals’ sense of self and their relationship with others. Cultural identity is expressed through certain ways of dressing, earning, participation in rituals and sharing certain types of information. Pieces of literature and art work are progressively produced and consumed by the society. Both artists and political groups represent a future reality that must be communicated to the society. On one hand, a dominant class that has assumed or wishes to assume power educate themselves with books, photographs, making trips to cultural homeland, videos and those knowledge materials passed down from elders. By arming themselves with accurate information about a culture, they are able to express it fully. As Castells (2011) observed, in most society today, a high culture that is seen as superior to other culture can be identified. There are aspects that high culture uses as a way to be set apart from day-to-day life. The culture is presented as something special and one to be treated with reverence and respect. To sustain that supremacy, there are things that are part of the heritage and with lasting value that are taken as worth preserving. Literature and art consist of major products and are often found in special places including museums, concert hall, galleries and theatres. High culture uses products like serious news, documentaries, programmes and classical music to hold privilege and great power in society. These products are used to assert or make the other forms of cultures to see, accept and recognize that identity. These products are used as socially distinguished features that allow a person to have special pride in, honor, dignity which is implicitly linked to those social categories. Fearon (1999) further observes that, identity is perhaps linked to two senses that can be termed as personal and social. Social identity is a forceful tool that comprise of characteristic attributes that are present use to mark or label a category of people. Social identity assumes commonalities with other people and particular the major one where a meaningful definition can be derived from the aspects defined from individual group memberships. In actual sense, one may not know or interact with the members in a certain group but share the numerous features with the other members of the category. The type of identity becomes a source of an individual’s dignity and respect. Certainly, socialization is a major force that maintains identity and the upper-class and the middle-class must constantly search for the means to advance their identity by use of dominant institutions in the society. Literature and art for political purposes According to Fearon (1999), identities can originate from dominant institutions. Identities organize meaning which becomes a symbolic identification by the social actors towards the purpose of their actions. In the network of a society, a meaning is organized around some products of literature and art that becomes self-sustaining across time. Identities are constructed from history, geography, institutions, personal fantasies, collective memory and power apparatuses. Individuals, social groups as well as other form s of cultures processes all these materials, arrange and rearrange their meanings according to the social determinations in their space and time framework and prevailing social structure. In general, the person who constructs a collective identity and for a certain reasons largely determines the meaning for those people who identifies with it. Demirel & Altintas (2012) pointed out that, literature can be used in identity-building process and lead to different outcomes in a constituting society. Literature promotes some new ideas and ethical standpoints that in turn enable individual actors to be regarded as educated or respected members in a society. Certain literature used by a particular group enable them to develop understanding of philosophies, increase their vocabularies and become cultured. The books preferred by a certain class and for that matter the predominant upper-class and middle-class can possibly cause the readers to experience something that opens up critical discussion as well as analysis that is regarded challenging. Legitimizing identity uses literature to generate civil society. The society comprises of a set of institutions, organizations and structured social actors that reproduce the identity which in turn rationalizes the structural domination. The type of information and statements held by the group promote an identity that suggests a positive connotation within the general society and which can be used a basis for democratic social change. The group can publish or support political pamphlets, books and periodicals in order to make their policy and programs known. Over time, the group wins the support for their policy, provide an understanding of political and social development and rouse people to act. The class-conscious people are formed by apparatuses like churches, parties, unions, cooperatives, civic associations and many others. The group prolongs the political dynamics that are rooted deeply in people through literature. Precisely, literature can be used as a privileged terrain for political change and make it possible for a certain group to dominate or seize political power without direct assault (Shaw 2008). Literature as an apparatus that a certain social category uses is organized around similar themes and identity like citizenship, democracy, politicized social change and the like. Identities that are clearly defined make it easier to raise a collective resistance against other ideologies that may resurface in a state. Historical and contemporary literature in support of nationalism, self affirmation, oppressive discourse and unfair exclusion can build defensive identity and reinforce the legitimacy of a certain dominant group of people. Certain promising themes can be used to bring together fragment of communities into a renamed community in support to certain party or a group. There are subjects that act as collective social actors who represent the supporters of certain ideologies. The kind of literature they support represents a holistic meaning and the experiences of their groups. In this case, a project of building an identity through literature may expand toward transformation of a society, realization of gender identity, reconciliation of people as believers. To understand the way literature is used, it is good to understand how, by whom and with what outcomes is these literary products used. Political contexts can lead to rise of network society that passes on distinctive knowledge that is understood by significant others and powerfully allows them to share and reach the wider masses. The other groups, particularly less influential ones indeed knows and understands the group that is supporting certain themes and the context that lead to massive support. The building up and circulation of certain literature is of special importance as it generates political discourses in meetings and different social categories. News in certain literature deals with particular issues and questions that are necessary for campaigns and support. Literature passed through the pamphlets, broadsheets and newspapers are major weapons that are collectively used by a class-conscious and working people that are members of a party (Shaw 2008). Class-conscious memberships direct and organize the distribution of literature that is intended to serve as a political weapon to certain people who are influential at different social, economic, cultural and political levels. A publication like “Comrade Politt’s” in 1954 is an example of a pamphlet that was used to support peace and defeat the Americans and Nazis war plans. The effectiveness of literature as political weapons depends on how active the members of a group are and the extent to which they are put in the hands of people around them. Daily Worker is a good example of literature that has offered public statements and arguments for steady development of opposition to Labour movement policy. The support by tens of thousands has greatly changed the outlook of Labour movement. On the other hand, artistic materials have been used and not only for interpreting stories or historical recording but also for various purposes like supporting a political dimension. Art has become increasingly superficial and particularly as democracy spread to masses. Art often focus on meaning and make statement about a group or the world in general. The dominant group, predominantly the group that assumes the political power uses art to influence people and control them. The movies, paintings, music and press can spread differing viewpoints and in turn influence the open debate in the public. The Nazi party was effective in censoring the arts and clamping down the debates created by art. That way, they controlled the population as they ensured they had just one way of thinking (Russell 2013). Demirel & Altintas (2012) argued that, artists do not create their work in a vacuum. They are integral members of a society and their work in most cases express viewpoints about a society including its government and politics. Art and politics have had a complex relationship. Through their work, artists express their political and social views. The artist themselves being affiliated to a certain group or social class, they use art to make statements and highlight certain issues. Some prominent performing artists have successfully used their ‘celebrity’ status to call supporters and influence them vote in a particular manner or endorsing a preferred presidential candidate. Though the most artistic successes are determined by commercial rather than political forces, the political factor in the capitalist system automatically make art part of political process. Upper-class and middle-class use artists or their works in political and social events. The gestures of these artists and their work then play a major role of influencing the masses. Popular music is a good example that have provided virtual soundtrack for political rallies. As Demirel & Altintas (2012) discusses, considerations of class is important to critically understand the relationship between art and politics. A certain work of art attributed to a political stand point promotes a prolonged concentration on it. The politician behind a policy is thus able to use the art to fit men into groups. The artist may emphasize the aspects that a politician can use at certain times hence the two groups of men may at times find themselves driving towards a similar direction and committed to a similar vision. Artists have been regarded as architects of future reality and they can use their creativity to steer the society toward new realities (Russell 2013). In capitalist society, artist has used their work to get into middle-class and upper-class. The artists lean to the right political party and seek support from political patrons in turn. Demirel & Altintas (2012) further observed that, a totalitarian society controlled by the dominant culture can suppress certain artists and their work. The idea behind suppression of such artists is to subjugate them to state will. Much effort in control of art is a proof that art is a powerful tool that communicates to the society. A totalitarian government can therefore attempt to harness art for their own purposes. One way that the dominant culture harnesses the art is to demoralize it and since they comprise of the most influential group in the society, they garner the support through art to generate positive feelings towards their policy. A wild attack develops on a piece of art that compose of extremely arrogant and independent verses or thoughts. Nowadays, as artists focus to benefits from their efforts, they skillfully manage their activities around the thoughts of a certain class that promote popularity by its status in the society. An art work of any kind, be it a logo, drawing, music and so on dealing with an issue gains a massive sales during political meetings. The group supported by certain work refers to them regularly by quoting a passage based on how it favors their context. In addition, the dominant group can dress in a certain culture’s clothing as an outward show of their ideology and support to a party and policies. The dress becomes a code to identify with others in specific class and group. The culture that promotes a certain identity can be enhanced through dance, music and other forms of expression. As art plays its important place in the society by informing it about the communal, economic and social problems, it therefore contributes politics in wide-range of areas such as aesthetic, critical thinking, providing peace and order and directing societies. The group that critically makes use of art work is able to use pervasive methods of reaching out to masses, promote their position, targets and expectations. In conclusion, high culture comprising of small intellectual elites is generally seen as superior to other culture. The aspects of their culture are seen to have lasting literally and artistic value and the new ideas, critical discussion and analysis is often regarded as superior. The respect and the reverence they garner from the society allow them to hold a great privilege and power in the society. Their identity is emphasized through dominant institutions like mass media. Literature and art are purest and highest form of communication that promotes a future reality to the society as they have been used by the society for many centuries. The fact that artist and politicians are always creating a future reality allows the politically positioned group to harness art and literature to their purposes and particularly political one. Through literature and art, they seek support as they are able to align their statements and arguments based on the prevailing social, economic and cultural needs. References Castells, M 2011, The power of identity: The information age: Economy, society, and culture (Vol. 2). John Wiley & Sons. Demirel, I N & Altintas, O 2012, Relationship between Art and Politics. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 51, 444-448. Fearon, J D 1999, What is identity (as we now use the word). Unpublished manuscript, Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. Russell, W 2013, Educating Rita. Bloomsbury Methuen Drama. Shaw, G B 2008, Pygmalion: By George Bernard Shaw. MobileReference. Read More