ÇOKULUSLU KAPİTALİZM, POPÜLER KÜLTÜR VE ESTETİK

Abstract

The article primarily handles the historical definitions and various meanings of the word ‘culture,then it studies the origins of popular culture and its evolution through time and different forms untilthe 21st century before it focuses on different definitions of popular culture by a variety of theorists.Among the issues handled is the everlasting debate on popular culture-super culture since the emergence of popular culture, the opposition of academicians to popular culture on the basis of the assumption that it corrupts aesthetic values and the issue that popular culture was only considered as important as super-culture after post-modernism. However, in the 21st century popular culture has devised a brand new appearance. What needs to be questioned is not to which social layer it belongs but what it serves. In an environment ruled by ‘consumption mania’ that emerged as a result of both the neo-liberal economy and post-industrialization capitalism, the ways that popular culture is exploited as a tool for hegemony by multi-national powers, and that, designing of products of popular culture are beefed up by pinpoint focalization of powers of innovative efforts and aesthetic creativity in their entirety to skyrocket sale prices of commodities are emphasized. The sole purpose of multinationals being an ever-increase of gains and as a result of these efforts products of super- culture and aesthetics have plummeted into a period of extermination and products of popular culture started weaving their web around all but different cultures at an equal pace. Hence, popular culture needs new definitions. These are several issues emphasized and defended in this article. Study of popular culture is serious effort and a political one