WHAT IS HIGH CULTURE

The term 'high culture' was introduced in English by the Victorian poet-critic, Matthew Arnold through his work Culture and Anarchy (1869). For him, 'high culture' was a force that encouraged moral and political good. He said that this meant to "know the best that has been said and thought in the world" and he defined 'high culture' as the "study of perfection". The poet T. S. Eliot, in his Notes towards the definition of Culture (1948) felt that both high culture and popular culture were essential for there to be a complete culture. Much of 'high culture' pertains to the appreciation of 'high art', a term that includes Literature, Performing Arts, Music and the Visual Arts. What was regarded as being a part of this 'high culture' was that which had mostly been created during a time when the artist had the patronage of wealthy, sophisticated and aesthetically inclined people and was thus able to produce works of art in an atmosphere that was free of financial or other tensions. Hence, the Western concept of 'high art' flows from the Graeco-Roman period and through the Renaissance. Of course, it existed in other societies as well, notably the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, Byzantium, Persia and China etc.

'High Culture' refers to paintings or cinema by the acknowledged masters, classical music or dance and writing that has been established as canons. Although it has been criticized as being elitist and catering only to the educated, urban, affluent class, efforts have frequently been made to involve the general public in exhibitions or concerts that featured 'high culture'. Governments of various countries also promote it by funding museums and libraries and subsidizing theatre or music groups. As access to books and education gradually opened up, academicians took up the study of all aspects of high culture and courses that focus on liberal arts promote this concept although they do not nowadays, use this specific term.

 In the fields of Cultural Studies, Media Studies, Critical Theory, Sociology, Marxist thought and Postmodernism, the issue of high culture vis-a-vis popular or mass culture has been focused on in a variety of ways. It has also been an important concern in the field of political theory on Nationalism. For instance, Ernest Gellner viewed it as an essential feature in the formation of a composite national identity and he defined high culture as"...a literate codified culture which permits context free communication". He distinguishes between various cultures rather than on the differences within a particular culture and contrasts 'high culture' with less complicated, agriculture-based 'low cultures'. Yet another Sociology related, broader, class based concept of 'high culture' defines it as, "taste", under which can be found etiquette, appreciation of fine food and wine etc. It also refers to certain social rules that are meant for the upper class and which are not accessible to the lower classes.

Wilbert Masamba.