What is the Difference Between High Culture and Popular Culture?

The main differences between high culture and popular culture can be summarized as follows:

• Definition: High culture is a subculture shared by the upper class of society, while popular culture is a subculture shared by the majority of society.
• Access: High culture is typically experienced by the most elite classes of individuals, while popular culture is accessible to all people.
• Content: High culture includes art, literature, scholarship, and philosophy that establish a shared frame of reference among educated people. Popular culture, on the other hand, focuses on the new and instantaneous, is a leisure activity, appeals to sentimentality, is individualistic, and tends toward relativism.
• Sophistication: High culture is arguably more sophisticated, intellectually challenging, and intrinsically rewarding, while popular culture is often considered easier to understand and entertaining to the majority of people.
• Examples: High culture examples include Renaissance art, classical music, and opera, while popular culture examples include pop music, romantic Hollywood comedies, and soap operas.
• Staying Power: High culture generally has more staying power, as it often remains the same throughout the years, while popular culture tends to change as tastes and opinions change over time.

Comparative Table: High Culture vs Popular Culture

The main difference between high culture and popular culture lies in their accessibility and the social classes that they cater to. Here is a table comparing the two:

In summary, high culture is a subculture shared by the upper class and includes specific consumption patterns, lifestyle, literature, beliefs, and attitudes. On the other hand, popular culture is a subculture shared by the majority of people and consists of a pattern of cultural experiences and attitudes that exist in the majority of people. High culture is often more exclusive and requires training, while popular culture is more accessible and easier to understand.