Overview
In this important new book Rein Raud develops an original theory of culture understood as a loose and internally contradictory system of texts and practices that are shared by intermittent groups of people and used by them to make sense of their life-worlds. This theory views culture simultaneously in two ways: as a world of texts, tangible and shareable products of signifying acts, and as a space of practices, repeatable activities that produce, disseminate and interpret these clusters of meaning. Both approaches are developed into corresponding models of culture which, used together, are able to provide a rich understanding of any meaning in action.
In developing this innovative theory, Raud draws on a wide range of disciplines, from anthropology, sociology and cultural studies to semiotics and philosophy. The theory is illustrated throughout with examples drawn from both �high� and popular culture, and from Western and Asian traditions, dealing with both contemporary and historical topics. The book concludes with two case studies from very different contexts - one dealing with Italian poetry in the 13th century, the other dealing with the art scene in Eastern Europe in the 1990s.
This timely and original work makes a major new contribution to the theory of culture and will be welcomed by students and scholars throughout the social sciences and humanities.
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Details
- ISBN-13: 9781509511242
- ISBN-10: 1509511245
- Publisher: Polity Press
- Publish Date: August 2016
- Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 0.95 pounds
- Page Count: 240
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