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Brooks Grigson Final Cultural Studies Tuesday, May 12, 1998

1. Cultural Change

As I read "Inside the Islamic Reformation" by Dale F. Eickelman I tried to keep the ideas of F.R. Leavis in my mind and think about what he might have to say in response to the changes happening in the Middle East and in particular the Nation of Islam. Leavis, in my opinion, would be surprised that it has taken so long for the change to happen. In his writings Leavis spent a great deal of his time cursing the machine. The machine in the Eickelman article is not mass industry or machine driven but technology driven, in particular information technology. The amount of information that is exchanged and the guardians of that information are not revered or held in such high regard as when information was limited and controlled (willingly or geographically). F.R. Leavis was not supportive of the effects of the industrial revolution. He longed to re-live the times when communities were group oriented and work and recreation revolved around the community. These events and activities died with the influence of the machine. Class no longer divided people because things were being made for everyone to enjoy and purchase. That meant that the rich were not as exclusive as they were before the Industrial Revolution. Similarly the Nation of Islam has been changing in a similar way but the agent of change is different. Information and the technology that allows access to information have motivated change in Islam. In the article Eickelman describes how the religious leaders and the wealthy rulers in remote towns and villages were the source of authority and the controllers of cultural affairs. The power these leaders had was diminished by communications technology leveling the

playing field. Now others in these remote towns and villages had access to broadcast technology and could interpret and determine on their own opinions based on information provided through technology. Eickelman credits the growing number of people that are being educated and able to read and critically analyze what they see and hear as the basis of this revolution. Leavis would take issue with the educational system in some respects. He would disagree with education being the driving force of these changes but I think that he would credit education for showing people that they can and need to be critical of what they hear and read and not just accept what a religious leader says as being the only truth. Leavis being an educator believed very firmly on educators being responsible to their pupils and showing them how they can discern what is good, culturally, and what is bad. Eickleman notes in his article that in Islam more and more people are being educated every year. As long as these educators are teaching the moral criticism that Leavis clings to, I think he would not have a problem with the way information has become more available and discussed. Religion is central to the changes in the Eickelman article, but F.R. Leavis isnt interested in politics or religion so much, so the challenges and changes that are taking place in that regard are not of in keeping with Leavis or his ideas. Perhaps Leavis would find that the challenges would be based on the quality of education that those challenging the foundations of the religion received in their past. The fact that people want to read and learn would encourage Leavis because, especially in his earlier writings, he noted that people were spending

less and less time reading. On top of that, the quality of the literature being read was less than desirable, according to a literary critic lick Leavis. In conclusion I think in Leavis mind the power of the society is moving from the high society (religious leaders and community leaders) to the masses. So the legitimate source of authority is becoming muttled and not as clear as more and more people become capable of challenging the authority that leaders posses. As far as the media itself Leavis would lean toward books as being more important. But I think that would lean more towards his background as a literary critic. The process of change I think would be consistent with Leavis opinions on the way the machine changed western society in the early part of our century. Leavis points to the leveling down of society and with information becoming available and understandable Islamic society is becoming more equal.

2. Cultural Policy

When it comes to cultural policy I am not sure that I would offer up a very good solution. I havent had the forethought to contemplate the consequences of any of the situation I have managed to think of. However, I would pursue the current system for lack of a better solution to the national policy in place now. I would make some changes. So the basis I would use is similar to the current set up here in the United States. What I think is important to change is the interest government has. To a degree I think it is important that they influence or at least make certain High Society decision visible and accessible (if applicable). The

subsidization is not important to me and perhaps that is my lack of knowledge on the full effects of the government subsidization, but I dont think that certain things that are paid for by the government can be considered good. Also, my lack of knowledge of certain disciplines may add to my generalizations. Private funding should be the main support for High Society. It they want the power then they can pay for it. I think that if there is a limit on the amount of money available then I think that the quality of work being done artistically and culturally will improve, there will be fewer dollars to go around. The downside of this of course is that there will be some people missing the opportunities to expand their artistic abilities. But sometimes sacrifices must be made to encourage growth in a society. Leavis dreaded the leveling down of society and this would hold to his ideas. Increasing the distance from the high society to the low society. Ironically many of the media sources we are influenced by consider the high society control as evil. God forbid I mention Titanic in any thing I have ever written but the high society on board the ship is portrayed as pompous and out of touch. That is because they have to be. I personally dont think that that sort of lifestyle is for me but if they choose to spend their energy in such pursuits so be it. Since it is for the betterment of culture then I think it is okay. Sure that energy could be spent on more immediate issues that would help level society but that is not what I am after. I would want the poor to stay poor the rich to stay rich and those that achieve some success would be considered outsiders. Perhaps I am a little extreme, I certainly wouldnt defend this with all my might but for the sake of the final it will suffice.

The goals of this society would be to make sure that the poor stay in their condition. By this I dont mean barely capable to afford food but the lack of expendable income in things not needed. So long as needs are met. This would be accomplished by poor not having the ability to shape and form the culture but that high society dominate the norms in culture. John Tomlinson would disagree with my thinking. Particularly from a practical standpoint. There isnt much room for an idealistic society like the one I suggested. I agree. There is an argument to be made for the Cultural Imperialism that Tomlinson holds to. He argues that commerce is the most significant agent of change in cultures and that it is useless to deny the effects of commerce in a culture. He contends that mass media is the means for informing a society on what needs to change (Thompson pg. 133). Tomlinson points out that economy is more efficient, profit driven, and is more apart of everyday life than my suggestion. I have to agree that there are going to be influences. The high society is all about making money so they will be influenced by this economic influence but, that change will have to trickle down to everyone else. Whether that would happen is unclear. The economy driven society could very well be the exclusive to the high society. That way they could use their power to decide what is right and best for their culture. There is so much power involved they would love it.

3. Breaking the Threads

In the Hobsbawm quote regarding the threads the first thing to come to mind was that they represent the structures high society places on the culture to keep the society in check with itself. Meaning that high society places certain structures in a culture to remind the culture that it is lower in class and not able to understand what is good and should people should strive for. An example of this might be that school children from different social classes take field trips to fine arts museums. When they attend they are either interested in the art or they will not understand what they are looking at and become frustrated by the lack of knowledge they posses. I can relate to the later more than the first situation. When I was in sixth grade I was fortunate to have a teacher that excited several of my classmates as well as myself in the Greek and Roman history. Due mainly to the graphic war stories he told, but regardless we were very interested in this piece of history. While at the museum our teacher pulled several of us aside and gave us a quick side tour that covered that area of the museum. My interest was peaked and I felt at home in that museum. On the other hand, I have felt my share of inadequate education when visiting museums. A couple of years ago I had the privilege of visiting Chicago and took that opportunity to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Beautiful museum and many types of art. One of the sections featured Picasso. I am not educated in art and all I could do is stare and wonder what the big deal was. True I dont think I could recreate his art but I had a hard time understanding the reason so many people around the world were interested in his work. After Picasso I ventured down the stairs to the photography exhibits. Feeling much

more comfortable with the style and my level of education in photography I could look at the images with a critical eye, so I liked others I didnt and all for different reasons. This is an example of a thread according to Hobsbawm. High society makes sure that students have the opportunity to learn (if fortunate enough to have a solid educational background) or realize that they know so little about high society that they dont strive to achieve a higher status. In response to this question I have chosen to look at the Catherine Hall and her chapter, Missionary Stories: Gender and Ethnicity in England in the 1830s and 1840s. In her writing she notes some points that are in accordance with the Hobsbawm idea of threads. The English missionaries established themselves and attempted to convert the native islander to being more English. Personally this approach seems pretentious and egotistical but that was nearly 170 years ago. Hall focuses her attention in the essay on the, dependencies, inequalities, and oppressions which it hid in its celebration of national identity. Since Hall is contemplating a time that has happened an does not go into the future of our society. But I think she would comment on the threads in our society that are still present and those that are missing in comparison to the 1830s. Ethnicity is still being controlled, Hall notes that white people do not know their ethnicity. Why is this true today? Shouldnt enough time have passed to discover that ethnicity? Hall also questions what it is that determines race. Genetics or socialization. High society would rather it be understood that it is genetic, but Cultural Studies academics would argue that socialization is more influential to race than genetic make-up. She goes on to make other

comparisons but I think that she would agree that these changes are inevitable as people become more aware of who they are and what they mean in making up the identity of the culture.

Bibliography Hall, Catherine Missionary Stories: Gender and Ethnicity in England in the 1830s and 1840s Cultural Studies edited by Lawrence Grossberg, Cary Nelson, Paula Treichler: Routledge, 1992 pp. 240-276 Tomlinson, John Internationalism, Globalization and Cultural Imperialism Media Culture and Regulation by Kenneth Thompson SAGE Publications: 1997 Glasgow pp. 118-159

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