Asian study: Popular China - Essay Example

Furthermore, due to the type of environment in which the Chinese children are brought up, collectivism or staying with groups are the most prevalent characteristic of Chinese society (Shapiro, 2001). The discussion will focus on the reviews and comments of three authors, namely, Raymond Williams, Stuart Hall and Frederic Jameson in respect of the culture prevailing in Asia, especially in China. Furthermore, it will help to identify the similarities and the differences of views concerning the element of culture.

Discussion Williams (1995) in his article focussed on analysing the aspects of culture into three major elements, namely, ideal, social and documentary. Ideal refers to lives, values and works; social is the portrayal of a specific style of life; and documentary is the authentic facts related to culture. He further emphasised that a few elements of culture are in particular to certain groups living in the society. He further explained with an example that the structure of a family depends upon the variant characteristics and value adopted by different cultures.

Thus, the author described the theory of culture as a study of interactions between the factors with respect to culture possessed during the life span of individuals (Williams, 1995). While addressing the ‘complex organisation’ of culture in a specific way related to life, the reason of culture analysis is to evaluate the aspects that culture is expressing. Furthermore, the structure of feeling is described as the conscious and unconscious working out in imaginary texts that differed from the nineteenth century societies.

Williams further identified that culture exists in three levels which are distinguished among them. Lived culture is considered as lively and is experienced by individuals in their day-to-day activities in a specified place and at a particular moment of time. Recorded culture is the culture that is accessed though documentaries. However, the documentary is likely to diminish under the procedures of selective tradition. The last level is the factors linking lived culture and recorded culture. Thus, the author concludes that the traditional culture of a society has the tendency of relating to the modern values and system of interests which are not the actual body of work but interpretations (Williams, 1995).

Similarly, Hall (2005) identified that continuous struggle existed between the poor, labour class and working class people. It is due to this fact that the relations of social forces are struggling over the various forms of culture, traditions and habits of life in particular of the popular classes. The author emphasised that the study of popular culture focuses on the fluctuations between the two alternative elements namely, containment and resistance. The factors of culture not only pressed on the society but also connected with the social cultures and traditions by the various practices (Hall, 2005).

Moreover, the author identified that in order to evaluate the relationships of culture, other aspects such as work politics, social and moral beliefs and relation with the family among others are to be included. However, the author is distinct from Williams by stating that pop music culture, magazines, festivals and songs among others should be considered as other aspects that establish cultural identities among the younger generation. He further stated that commercial