Introduction to Cultural Studies – Professor Bennis

First Session:

Exploring the Dynamics of Culture: Tradition, Identity, and Power

Culture is traditionally defined as 'a way of life,' a set/bunch of values, beliefs, traditions, habits, and
mindset… Culture provides members of the same group with a sense of belonging, which is manifested in
people’s affiliation to their own cultural values and identity. Through culture, we practice and share the
same set of values and social practices; the more people practice their cultures, the more they
empower/enhance their identity.

One of the major strengths of culture is the act or process of socialization. When people socialize, they
become social beings and cherish their cultural identities. By definition, culture is acquired and learned
through the act of socialization. Cultural practices are not natural; they are constructed by humans, they
are social constructs or artifacts. But individuals are born with the potential or propensity to become social
beings.

Cultures are diverse and multiple; each group is identified by its own culture. As a result, culture is unique,
which means each community develops its own unique culture (Amazigh cultures, Arabic cultures, Jewish
culture, Afro-American culture, WASP culture, Hispanic cultures, Chinese culture).

Culture and religious rituals are static and changing, passed down between generations, such as Ramadan,
prayers, and religious events. These are not prone to change, although they can take on different forms or
shapes, but the core remains the same, such as Ramadan, where spirituality and holiness have been
overshadowed by entertainment, but cultural artifacts and practices are engaged in a continuous process
of changes in mobility, especially among generations.

Each generation develops different needs, wishes, and aspirations, hence new cultures. As plain evidence,
today’s generation is identified by new technologies or Cyber culture (digital natives, millennials,
generation Z). For all these generations, new technology is their cultural identity. This is why cultures are
always in a state of fluidity.

In the light of cultural studies, cultures are determined by power relations: the gist of cultural studies is
power relations. That is the examination of how societies, cultures, races, genders, and public spaces
reflect a relation of power, dominance, or hegemony. Cultures which possess power spread their values,
habits, languages, and lifestyles (English language, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Microsoft, Amazon, Adidas,
Nike, Ford).

Second Session:

Culture is diffused everywhere; it is not limited to a specific space or area. All that we do, practice,
experience, and how we behave partake of culture. Culture has the power to shape us; it is a shaping force.
Through culture, people create values, norms, behaviors, habits, manners, artifacts, dress codes, and food.
Religion (faith) is a divine message; it is something holy or sacred; the ways we practice religion pertain to
culture. Religious rituals are also cultural. Religious practices and rituals are diverse. For example, in Islam,
there are Shia ‫ الشيعة‬and Sunna ‫ ; السنة‬they both embrace Islam, but the practice is different.

The widespread of new/digital/electronic technologies has participated in the transformation of culture.

New concepts have been coined/invented, namely cyberculture, cyberspace, online identities, electronic
societies/ virtual communities, social networks, and cyber society.

In conclusion, culture is by essence/nature/definition transformative, changing, dynamic, flexible, and

malleable.

Academic definition of culture:

Among the first scholars to provide/lay down an academic definition of culture is E.B. Tylor. In his book
"Primitive Culture", "culture... is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals,
customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by a human as a member of society." Culture is
holistic, consisting of multiple elements/components. By nature, humans are capable of learning or
acquiring the culture of their environment/community/context. This is why culture is not
innate/inborn/natural. Culture is learned through socialization. Through socialization, individuals become
members of society, hence they are social beings. Another scholarly/academic definition/theory of culture
was given by Raymond Williams in his book "Culture and Society", "Culture is ordinary... every human
society has its own shape, its own purposes, its own meanings...", "we use the word culture... to mean a
whole way of life." Culture is common to all humans whatever their space, race, ethnicity, language.

In principle, in theory, culture must not be based on discrimination, racism, hierarchy, segmentation,
gender bias, that is power relations. Every society develops its own unique culture. Culture provides
society with a shape, identity, specificities, characteristics.

Examples:
Mourning color in Moroccan society is white for a widow, whereas in the US, it is black.
Also, proverbs are different from one society to another.
In the West, it is normal for parents to speak about sexual subjects with their children, which is prohibited
in Moroccan society.
Good news in Morocco is symbolized by snow “‫ ”يثلج صدري‬, conversely, in Western societies, it is
symbolized by warmth "it warms my heart".
In terms of language, in French, they say "le petit fils", in English "grandson".
Pets are more valued in the West than in Moroccan society.
There is much more freedom in Western public spaces than in conservative societies.

This is the implication/meaning of societies shaping/constructing their own unique cultures. Throughout
generations and history, humanity has often experienced multiple forms of inequality, stratification,
discrimination, leading to stereotypes, misconceptions, prejudices, which all reflect that cultures are also
based on power relations, which is the core of cultural studies as an academic discipline.

Third Session:

Cultures are not always democratic or equitable; they often reflect power relations, which entail
dominance, hegemony, discrimination, and stratification in terms of social classes, races, ethnicities, and
geography (space: center vs. margin; people who live in the margin/periphery/the subaltern are
dominated by those who possess power).

Cultural studies scholars/ theorists/ writers investigate/ examine how power relations shape social
relations. They do not seek to provide answers; they rather attempt to expose/showcase/ problematise/
debate social, cultural, ideological and political issues.

Defining cultural studies:

Cultural studies scholars investigate how power relations shape social relations. They do not seek to
provide answers; instead, they attempt to expose, problematize, and debate social, cultural, ideological,
and political issues.

Cultural studies as a discipline examines the ways cultures are socially constructed. In this context, cultures
are shaped by the society we live in. Every society constructs its own cultural values and artifacts, which
are the main focus of cultural studies scholars.

Cultural studies is concerned with power relations that are manifest/visible in race, gender, public space,
language, class, and colonialism.

Cultural studies investigates the ways power relations determine social life, as in the following:

1.Race is the most expressive of power relations, especially for the black race or black people, who,
because of their skin color, have been systematically subjugated (to bring someone by force) and inflicted
(to cause pain to somebody) with racism, discrimination, deprivation, and above all, dehumanization.

In most cultures, people of color/non-white or stereotyped, such as in the US, they are called Niger, or in
Morocco, ‫الحراطين‬, reflecting how power relations dominate people’s cultures, behaviors, attitudes, and
mindset. Racial prejudices/stereotypes have always been investigated/analyzed/dismantled by cultural
studies scholars to demonstrate that social relations are punctuated/tarnished (to make dirty) by power
relations.

2.Gender is another flagrant (something very visible) sign of power relations; it is an

uncontested/undisputed (something we cannot deny) fact/truth that men have always assumed/claimed
power, leadership, intellect, and rationality. Conversely, women are stereotyped to be weak, dependent,
hypersensitive, irrational, and unreliable. Most cultures discriminate against women or the female other.
Because of gender, women have been victims of misconceptions, especially in public space, language, and
above all in the home, which is represented as women’s private space, confirming that gender roles are
determined by power relations. As a consequence, some women attempted to challenge
mainstream/common culture through the feminist movement, which emerged first in Western societies
and shifted also to Arab culture. Most feminists, being activists, writers, or politicians, have been engaged
in combating gender discrimination, stereotypes, patriarchy, and injustice.

Fourth Session:

Power relations constitute the core of cultural studies. Understanding power relations allows us to gain
clear insights into social and cultural dynamics. Societies are not based on equitable relations; instead,
they often exhibit stratification, discrimination, and hierarchy in various forms:
- In terms of power (Powerful versus powerless): If you are powerful, you dominate and propagate your
ideology.

- In terms of gender (male versus female): Throughout history, males have dictated their policies, while
women have been subjected to male hegemony, leading to patriarchy in most societies.

- In terms of race (white versus non-white): History has been predominantly chronicled by white men,
often leading to the dehistoricization of non-white individuals.

- In terms of colonialism (colonizer versus colonized): This reflects Michel Foucault’s Power Knowledge
theory, where those in power disseminate their knowledge through colonialism. For example, French
colonialism has significantly influenced French language and culture, resulting in a state of hybridization.

- In terms of space (center versus periphery): Space also embodies power relations, as seen in instances
like La Ville Nouvelle in Fez, which symbolizes the division of space between white colonizers and colonized
natives. Space is also distributed in terms of centre (powerful) and margin (powerless); those who
dominate life in the centre and those who are deprived of life in the margin.

- In terms of class (aristocracy versus masses): These are the most examined and the most problematized
/ debated issues by cultural studies scholars.

Key points to remember about cultural studies:

- Cultural studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines culture in the context of power relations.
- It focuses on practices and institutions of classification.
- It explores diverse themes such as gender, race, class, and colonialism.
- Cultural studies as an academic discipline was established by various writers, scholars, activists, and
theorists, including prominent figures such as Michel Foucault, Antonio Gramsci, Frantz Fanon, Homi
Bhabha, Stuart Hall, and E.V. Said (the pioneers of cultural studies).

Fifth Session:

Stuart Hall is one of the most prominent founders of cultural studies through the Birmingham School,
which represents the first trend in cultural studies as an academic discipline. The school was also founded
by another famous British scholar, Raymond Williams. Stuart Hall expanded on the scope of cultural
studies, especially concerning gender, race, and media. His most influential works and theories include
"Encoding and Decoding Television Discourse" and "Cultural Representation."

Stuart Hall advocates Marxism and promotes the concept of power relations. For him, culture is a set of
social actions and interventions where power relations are established. This means that social actions and
practices are not based on justice and equality but on power relations. Stuart Hall has shaped the
trajectory of cultural studies, especially through his theory on media discourse (Encoding and Decoding)
and the concept of Representation.

According to Hall, media texts are mostly constructed by hidden, encoded messages, which include
political agendas, ideologies, stereotypes, and clichés. Advertising is a pertinent example, often encoding
gender stereotypes by targeting women as housewives confined to the household. Similarly, in terms of
race, most beauty products promote white beauty standards, encoding racial stereotypes (white versus
non-white).

Hall proposes three positions or interpretations of media texts:

1. Preferred reading: In this position, receivers are supposed to accept media messages without debate
or objection.

2. Negotiating media messages: Debating and coming up with one’s interpretation.

3. Oppositional reading: In this position, audiences reject or refuse media messages.

Stuart Hall has also theorized one of the most common cultural studies concepts: Representation.