1. Phenomenology, Linguistics, and Popular Literature Janice A. Radway

2. Main Question How and why can two creators employ similar generic conventions and yet produce different products, one which is lauded as a ‘work of art’ while the other is dismissed as ‘popular culture’? (p. 88-89)

3. Content Summary of Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology Distinction between popular en elite literature Answer to the main question

4. Merleau-Ponty (1) Main principles of phenomenology: -Phenomenology is a philosophical method for the investigation of reality. -Phenomenology attempts to offer a description of space, time and the world as we live them. -‘Consciousness is always consciousness of something.’

5. Merleau-Ponty (2) How you perceive…What you perceive… subject object Human perception is always influenced by past experiences. Perception of the world also influences our perception in the future.

6. Merleau-Ponty (3) Language is a medium to give definite forms to experiences and meanings. -Language as a system (rules) -Language as an event (use) (  same interaction as we saw between body and world.)

7. Language Linguistic competence Distinction between: Empirical use of language: following the rules Creative use of language: make new meanings

8. Example Creative use of language: (metaphor) - He drives a wreck. - Drugs made of Billy Holiday a wreck. Empirical use of language: - He drives a old car that is ready for the breaker’s yard. - Drugs made of Billy Holiday a person with a bad health.

9. Radway What is the link between Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological principles and Radway’s theory about popular literature? -Literature system -Literature competence -Empirical use of language = popular culture -Creative use of language = elite culture

10. Answer How and why can two creators employ similar generic conventions and yet produce different products, one which is lauded as a ‘work of art’ while the other is dismissed as ‘popular culture’? Although two creators are using the same language system and the same literature system, they can produce two different kinds of art, because they’re using the language and literature system in a different way.