Mass civilization and minority culture- F.R. Leavis

Reading Response (Week 2)

        Leavis seems to have a different approach to culture. He mentions that there exist a small minority, though a significant one, who are capable of presenting an unprompted, intellectual, first hand judgement. He states and believes that culture is at its crisis.

         He makes his point clear that the developments in technology and industrialization has been pulling many families apart from their circle and this also destroys the 'High culture' and also illustrates it with an example how in Middletown families were affected due to the rise in automobile sectors. He feels that it has been accelerating and intensifying in the past. He clearly mentions that Americanization is the only cause which has been destroying the culture in films and also in literature.

         Leavis presents before us the fact that in Shakespeare's time how his texts were not considered as a high-brow culture as they were written for dramas and plays and with this he shows it paralleled to nowadays scenario.

         He concludes by quoting that 'It is vain to console us with the promise of mass culture as it is utterly new'. Even though we can argue that mass culture is better than losing the culture, he refrains it is futile.