Example of Fourth Goal of Cultural Studies

On 15/4/16, our teacher initiated a discussion on Fourth goal of Cultural studies.

In Cultural Studies, we  studied about four goals of CS. The fourth is about " CS analyses not only the cultural work, but also the means of production".

Marxists critics have long recognized the importance of such 'paraliterary' questions as these:

1) Who supports a given artist?

2) Who publishes his or her books, and how are these books distributed?

3) Who buys these books?

and . . . what is the 'control' of majoritarianism on the production of culture / literary text?

Here is an interesting article.

One TV serial was stopped being aired. Shohini Ghosh who is Professor at the AJK Mass Communication Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia questions something interesting.

The character of Jassi was a bit bold for Inian culture.

We can see how majority of the audience can control and see that some voices can be curbed... some voices can be relegated in the margins from where they are no longer heard.

That's how production of literary text can get affected and hence it is one of the four important goals of CS.

Moreover,

The writer also questions something interesting which is eye-opener. "When the show started to bend under (what appeared to be) the majoritarian will of the viewers, I began to wish that the makers of Aadhe Adhoore had gifted Jassi the habit of reading. She may then have come across a translation of Rabindranath Tagore’s Streer Patra (`The Letter from the Wife’) written in the early decades of the twentieth century."

This observation has two imp points:

1) Are our characters in TV serials and films readers? Do they ever read good books? In the moments of crisis, do they find their answers after reading a paragraphs from some books? We have seen Hamlet reading book on stage? Why, even if our females in TV serials are educated, our characters in popular serials and films do not read?

2) Tagore was very progressive for those early days of India.

"When Streer Patra was published in 1914, Tagore was at the receiving end of scathing attacks for dishonouring the institution of marriage. Tagore was undeterred. I wish the makers of Aadhe Adhoore had also remained undeterred.

Jassi should have lived." (The serial ends with the death of Jassi).

Read full article here. . .  and if you come across any such cultural artefact, please share with insighful critical analysis. (This reading and thinking task is for your summer vacation.)

http://thewire.in/2016/04/15/when-a-bold-plot-finally-succumbs-to-pressures-of-tradition-29709/

We had to give our feedback regarding this article.

Here are my views:-

4th goal of Cultural Studies deal with not only cultural work, but also the means of production. This goal can be observed in many ways.

One of the observations mentioned in the article is... why female characters in T.V and Films do not read on stage or screen? We cannot find any female characters reading in any popular serials or movies. There is politics working behind this also. If the audience will find the female character reading books in popular daily soaps, they might also start reading. Mostly audience copy their favourite characters. If the girls will read then they won’t watch stupid daily soaps. The producer will lose their audience.

We mostly see the female characters as Adarsh Bahu only. If the female character is bold and offbeat the serial won’t get much appreciation or it will go off air.

For Example: - Priyanka Chopra’s character in ‘7 Khoon Maaf’ and other movies. Compare to other movies, ‘7 Khoon Maaf’ was less appreciated.

There are many coming with a social reality, but gains less popularity in comparison to the other Masala movies starring many popular stars. The Masala movies get a high platform for publicity and gain high profit also.

For example: Movies like ‘The Lunchbox’ and ‘Phata Poster Nikla Hero’ were released during the same duration. Not many of us would have gone for the movie ‘The Lunchbox’. Power and politics highlights the story with good source of income not good story.

Power, Money and Politics decides what should be telecast or not. That’s why all daily soaps are similar.

These are some of my views and interpretations. Read the article and share your views