Herbert J. Gans Popular Culture and High Culture: An Analysis and Evaluation of Taste

Jul 6, 2026

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This sociological study examines how popular culture and high culture function within American society, arguing against claims that only “high” culture is culture and that popular culture is merely a harmful mass phenomenon. It defends popular culture by treating it as reflecting the aesthetic and other desires of many people. The work also advances cultural democracy, asserting that people have the right to prefer either high or popular culture, regardless of expert gatekeeping. It further translates findings into policy proposals for greater cultural pluralism.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages95

Reading Time3 h 59 min

Preface

Introduction

Mass Culture, Popular Culture, and Taste Culture

The Future of the Mass Culture Critique

Some Definitions

Chapter One: The Critique of Mass Culture

Popular Culture's Defects as a Commercial Enterprise

Popular Culture's Danger to High Culture

Popular Culture's Impact on Its Audience

Popular Culture's Harmfulness to Society

The Sources and Biases of the Mass Culture Critique

Chapter Two: A Comparative Analysis of High and Popular Culture

Taste Cultures and Publics

Chapter Three: The Evaluation of Taste Cultures and Publics

Two Value Judgments about Taste Cultures and Publics

Cultural Mobility

Cultural Pluralism and Subcultural Programming

The Pros and Cons of Subcultural Programming

Implementing Subcultural Programming

The Outlook for More Cultural Pluralism

Notes

Index

POPULARCULTUREANDHIGHCULTUREAn Analysis andEvaluation of TasteHERBERT J.GANSBasic Books,Inc,PublishersNEWRK E For David Riesman Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Gans,Herbert J. Popular culture and high culture;an analysis andevaluation o taste. Includes bibliographical references. 1. United States-Popular culture. 2. UnitedStates-Intellectual life. 1.Title.E169.12.G36 1975301.2'174-79287ISBN 0-465-06021-8 ⑥1974by Basic Books,Inc.Printed in the United States of AmericaDesigned by Vincent Torre7475767778 10987654321 Contents vii Preface INTRODUCTION Mass Culture,Popular Culture,and Taste Culture 1 4 The Future of the Mass Culture CritiqueSome Definitions 9 CHAPTER ONE 17 The Critique of Mass Culture Popular Culture's Defects as a Commercial Enterprise20Popular Culture's Danger to High Culture27Popular Culture's Impact on Its Audience30Popular Culture's Harmfulness to Society43The Sources and Biases of the Mass Culture Critique51 CHAPTER TWO A Comparative Analysis of Highand Popular Culture 65 69 Taste Cultures and Publics V 75 94 103 CHAPTER THREE The Evaluation of Taste Culturesand Publics 119 Two Value Judgments about Taste Cultures and Publics125Cultural Mobility129Cultural Pluralism and Subcultural Programming132The Pros and Cons of Subcultural Programming136Implementing Subcultural Programming146The Outlook for More Cultural Pluralism156 Notes 161 Index 173 # Preface T HIS BOOK is a sociological study of popular cultureand high culture,and of their place in American society.It isalso a critical study,defending popular culture against someof its attackers,particularly those claiming that only highculture is a culture,and that popular culture is a dangerousmass phenomenon.I believe both to be cultures and myanalysis therefore looks at both with the same conceptualapparatus.The apparatus itself is sociological,but it rests ontwo value judgments:(1)that popular culture reflects andexpresses the aesthetic and other wants of many people(thusmaking it culture and not just commercial menace);and(2)that all people have a right to the culture they prefer,regardless of whether it is high or popular.In its conclusions,the book is thus an argument for cultural democracy and anargument against the idea that only the cultural expert knowswhat is good for people and for society.Finally,the book is astudy in cultural policy,for it ends by translating its valuesand findings into some policy proposals for more culturalpluralism. Popular culture is not studied much these days either bysocial scientists or humanists,except in the pages of the newJournal of Popular Culture,although the 1970s have seen arevival of social-science research interest in the mass media,particularly the news and entertainment fare of television.Isuppose one reason for the lack of interest in popular culture is the anticommercial bias with which many scholars look atculture;they often deem it worthy of attention only if it iscreated by unpaid folk and by"serious"artists who do notappear to think about earning a living. In an era in which America is racked by economic,political,and racial crises,the lack of scholarly interest inpopular culture may also be due to the relative lack ofimportance of the topic.How people create and use popularculture is properly of lower priority these days than howpeople deal with society's crises.Still,even though popularculture does not often concern itself with or comment onthese crises,it does so at times,and it ought to be looked atat least from this perspective:to see what it has to say aboutthe various crises,how people use and respond to what it tellsthem,whether this feeds back into public opinion andpolitical decision making,and if so how,when,and whennot. This is only a currently topical and specific version of amore general question that ought to be asked:How impor-tant is popular culture in society?Is it merely a comm

FAQs

What is the book’s central focus on popular culture and high culture?

The book studies popular culture and high culture and their place in American society, treating both as cultures and analyzing them using the same sociological framework.

How does the author justify studying popular culture despite critiques of mass culture?

It defends popular culture by arguing it reflects and expresses the aesthetic and other wants of many people, so it is culture rather than only a commercial threat.

What normative stance and policy direction does the book reach?

The conclusions argue for cultural democracy—people have a right to the culture they prefer—and the book ends by turning values and findings into proposals supporting greater cultural pluralism.

Jul 6, 2026

Upload by Aria