What is “culture”? One approach: Matthew Arnold, Culture and Anarchy, 1867 “the best that has been thought and said in the world” breakdown in authority brought about by working class culture

Cultural Studies Approach: Culture is how we live nature. Culture is the practices and processes of making meanings with and from the “texts” we encounter in our everyday lives Example: South Texas “culture”

Culture and Power “Cultures” are made from the production, circulation and consumption of meanings. Because texts can mean different things, there is often struggle over what they mean.

What is popular culture? John Fiske: Two economies of cultural production INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY: produced by industry POPULAR ECONOMY: produced by people Popular culture is made useful, meaningful, “popular” by the people, not industry.

Books and Magazines History of Printing Gutenberg's (re)invention of movable type and mechanical printing (1450) "Chapbooks" books of poetry, ballads, or prose

Early American Book Publishing Bay Psalm Book, 1640 Poor Richard's Almanac by Ben Franklin Political pamphlets: Common Sense by Thomas Paine

Early Magazines UK in 1700s "miscellanies" After American Revolution means for political expression Copyright Act of 1790: copyright for 14 years + 14 years renewable

Growth of American magazines is slow in 19C: Low literacy Expensive to mail Civil War Illustrations and photos In-depth coverage Mathew Brady

19th Century Books Popularization of content Uncle Tom’s Cabin sold 300,000 copies Dime novels Horatio Alger books Pulp Fiction in early 20th century

19th Century Magazines Specialized genres: women’s magazines Postal Act of 1879: magazines paid lower third class postage, but treated as first class Muckrakers: sift through unpleasant aspects of public life, crusaded for various causes

20th Century Magazine Genres Newsmagazines: summarize and interpret Photojournalism magazines Women's magazines Traditional joined by targeted magazines Hobbies

Magazine Economics Income from: Subscriptions Newsstand sales Advertising Magazine industry consolidation & market segmentation niche market mass market still successful Distribution Retailers often take what wholesaler sends

Legal Issues: Copying can be a crime Copyright protects author, but conglomerates likely beneficiaries of extensions. Fair Use If you buy it, you can make a copy of it so that you may use it