A cultural critic is a critic of a given culture, usually as a whole. Cultural criticism has significant overlap with social and cultural theory. While such criticism is simply part of the self-consciousness of the culture, the social positions of the critics and the medium they use vary widely. The conceptual and political grounding of criticism also changes over time.
Contemporary usage has tended to include all types of criticism directed at culture.
The term "cultural criticism" itself has been claimed by Jacques Barzun: No such thing was recognized or in favour when we [i.e. Barzun and Trilling] began—more by intuition than design—in the autumn of 1934.[1][2] It has been argued that in the inter-war period, the language of literary criticism was adequate for the needs of cultural critics; but that later it mainly served academe.[3]Alan Trachtenberg's Critics of Culture (1976) concentrated on American intellectuals of the 1920s who were "nonacademic" (including H. L. Mencken and Lewis Mumford), where the 1995 collection American Cultural Critics covered mainly later figures, such as F. O. Matthiessen and Susan Sontag, involved in debates on American culture as national.[4]
In contrast, a work such as Richard Wolin's 1995 The Terms of Cultural Criticism: The Frankfurt School, Existentialism, Poststructuralism (1995) uses it as a broad-brush description.
Victorian sages as critics
Cultural critics came to the scene in the nineteenth century. Matthew Arnold[5] and Thomas Carlyle are leading examples of a cultural critic of the Victorian age; in Arnold there is also a concern for religion. John Ruskin was another. Because of an equation made between ugliness of material surroundings and an impoverished life, aesthetes and others might be considered implicitly to be engaging in cultural criticism, but the actual articulation is what makes a critic. In France, Charles Baudelaire was a cultural critic, as was Søren Kierkegaard in Denmark and Friedrich Nietzsche in Germany.
In the twentieth century Irving Babbitt on the right, and Walter Benjamin[6] on the left, might be considered major cultural critics. The field of play has changed considerably, in that the humanities have broadened to include cultural studies of all kinds, which are grounded in critical theory. This trend is not without its dissidents, however; James Seaton has written extensively in defense of the continued importance of the Humanistic Tradition Irving Babbitt and his heirs championed, while criticizing the dominance of critical theory in the teaching of literature. Theory's Empire: An Anthology of Dissent features a collection of essays from prominent English professors, writers and critics stating their disagreement with the prominent role given to critical theory in English departments.
^. Archived from the original on 2013-01-20. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
^"Scholar, cultural critic Gates to give Kent Lecture".
External links
Joseph Wood Krutch as a Cultural Critic by John Margolis
January 20, 2023
cultural, critic, cultural, critic, critic, given, culture, usually, whole, significant, overlap, with, social, cultural, theory, while, such, criticism, simply, part, self, consciousness, culture, social, positions, critics, medium, they, vary, widely, concep. A cultural critic is a critic of a given culture usually as a whole Cultural criticism has significant overlap with social and cultural theory While such criticism is simply part of the self consciousness of the culture the social positions of the critics and the medium they use vary widely The conceptual and political grounding of criticism also changes over time Contents 1 Terminology 2 Victorian sages as critics 3 Twentieth century 4 Notable contemporary critics 5 See also 6 Notes 7 External linksTerminology EditContemporary usage has tended to include all types of criticism directed at culture The term cultural criticism itself has been claimed by Jacques Barzun No such thing was recognized or in favour when we i e Barzun and Trilling began more by intuition than design in the autumn of 1934 1 2 It has been argued that in the inter war period the language of literary criticism was adequate for the needs of cultural critics but that later it mainly served academe 3 Alan Trachtenberg s Critics of Culture 1976 concentrated on American intellectuals of the 1920s who were nonacademic including H L Mencken and Lewis Mumford where the 1995 collection American Cultural Critics covered mainly later figures such as F O Matthiessen and Susan Sontag involved in debates on American culture as national 4 In contrast a work such as Richard Wolin s 1995 The Terms of Cultural Criticism The Frankfurt School Existentialism Poststructuralism 1995 uses it as a broad brush description Victorian sages as critics EditCultural critics came to the scene in the nineteenth century Matthew Arnold 5 and Thomas Carlyle are leading examples of a cultural critic of the Victorian age in Arnold there is also a concern for religion John Ruskin was another Because of an equation made between ugliness of material surroundings and an impoverished life aesthetes and others might be considered implicitly to be engaging in cultural criticism but the actual articulation is what makes a critic In France Charles Baudelaire was a cultural critic as was Soren Kierkegaard in Denmark and Friedrich Nietzsche in Germany Twentieth century EditFurther information Critical theory Frankfurt School Theodor W Adorno and Culture industry In the twentieth century Irving Babbitt on the right and Walter Benjamin 6 on the left might be considered major cultural critics The field of play has changed considerably in that the humanities have broadened to include cultural studies of all kinds which are grounded in critical theory This trend is not without its dissidents however James Seaton has written extensively in defense of the continued importance of the Humanistic Tradition Irving Babbitt and his heirs championed while criticizing the dominance of critical theory in the teaching of literature Theory s Empire An Anthology of Dissent features a collection of essays from prominent English professors writers and critics stating their disagreement with the prominent role given to critical theory in English departments Notable contemporary critics EditAllan Bloom 7 Daniel Quinn 8 Guy Debord Henry Louis Gates Jr 9 Mark Kingwell Neil Postman James Seaton Fran LebowitzSee also EditCriticism of multiculturalism Cultural pessimism Counterculture Semiotics of culture Social criticismNotes Edit Remembering Lionel Trilling 1976 reprinted in The Jacques Barzun Reader 2002 Casey Nelson Blake a professor at Columbia University where Barzun and Trilling were uses the term in the 1990 book title Beloved Community The Cultural Criticism of Randolph Bourne Van Wyck Brooks Waldo Frank and Lewis Mumford Bullard Paddy 2019 The Oxford Handbook of Eighteenth Century Satire Oxford University Press p 710 ISBN 9780198727835 Murray David 1995 American Cultural Critics University of Exeter Press pp 1 2 ISBN 9780859894043 His much cited Culture and Anarchy was subtitled An Essay in Political and Social Criticism E g Richard Wolin Walter Benjamin An Aesthetic of Redemption 1994 series Weimar and Now German Cultural Criticism 7 A CULTURAL CRITIC ANSWERS HIS OWN Schooling The Hidden Agenda Archived from the original on 2013 01 20 Retrieved 2008 11 19 Scholar cultural critic Gates to give Kent Lecture External links EditJoseph Wood Krutch as a Cultural Critic by John Margolis Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cultural critic amp oldid 1039651487, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
