Culture

by Chris Jenks

First published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

234 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 1993

About the author

Chris Jenks is a Sociologist, and has previously occupied the positions of Vice Chancellor and Principal of Brunel University London; and Pro-Vice Chancellor and Professor of Sociology at Goldsmiths College University of London, UK.

Reviews

[Roman Valenta · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was assigned this book for my state exam and without a doubt, it was one of the poorest books I have ever read (not only one of the worst "scholarly" publications). It is disorganized, mentions plethora of irrelevant theories and sociologically manipulates them into something they are not meant to be, searches for meaning where is none and as a bonus, virtually no examples are given.

I wish I could have given this 0/5, but sadly - I can't. Neverthless, if there had ever existed "clerisy" (Coleridge's idea Jenks mentions), they would have banned this immediately. Wait, and did I mention that the book simply cannot be read in one piece - you often need to take some time off to get a couple shots to calm yourself down.

Never, ever read this voluntarily - I beg you!

[Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does anyone know what culture really is? This was an interesting book, definitely not a waste of time.
I have been reading about culture the past few weeks, and I have not found a satisfactory introduction to it. (I doubt that there is such thing) I have mostly encountered different perspectives of what culture might be, theoretically speaking. But what is interesting about this book is that it does not only say what this or that philosopher/critic/scholar suggest; rather, it forms a coherence and continuation between theories of culture, and it offers different views on culture (philosophical, anthropological, structuralist, poststructuralist, and so on). It is not tedious to read. I enjoyed how the author rationalizes culture, and this gave me the opportunity to want to read more about culture (at first, culture as a concept seemed confusing and hateful to me).

[Simona · Rating 3 out of 5]

While definitely worth a read, the absence of tangible examples makes whole sections of the text unnecessarily difficult to comprehend. Although it is interesting in its core, the reading experience was hardly enjoyable and while I would recommend this book to those wishing to gain deeper insight into various approaches to the phenomenon of "culture," I would definitely not recommend it to a novice in this area, as looking for explanations "out there" might take up more time than reading the entire book.

[Farrahnanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aku baca versi Indonesianya, yang nerbitin Pustaka Pelajar. Dikasih buku ini dari Lord Dev sebage kado wisuda~
Setelah membaca buku ini kujadi ingin menciptakan gaya bercinta yang adiluhung, tampak intelek, dan elitis; sembari minum analgesik sampai overdosis. Enaa enaa enaa~

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

The worst book I've ever read, thanks.

Genuinely made me cry several times by how contrived and meaningless it was. The author uses a lot of clever words, that's for sure, but they kind of lack substance when put together. Simple thoughts and ideas can be expressed in simple terms, did you know? While the book deals with some concepts that aren't as easily explained, many (let's say most) could have been talked about much more succinctly. The entire time I was reading it, I was just thinking about how good it will feel once I am finally done and able to write down how much I fucking hated it. The author should not know a day of peace for writing this atrocity.

[I. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm glad to have gone through this book. "This short monograph," as Jenks addresses Culture: Key Ideas, is dense with data, all the abstractness and philosophying - how to put it? - terrifying! BUT no, it reads surprisingly well.
Sure, it is easier if you have at least some experience with major philosophers and theories.
And sure, I get this is not a widely enjoyable holiday-read.
Still, it is insightful. It is about us, about now, about how we came to be who we are, what/why/when/how we read/chew/fight/x/y...
It was worth it. Especially the last chapter - 5th star deserved.

[Miroslav Kohut · Rating 4 out of 5]

The topic is fascinating but many of the concepts are so abstract that it is hard to follow. Sadly, the author does not provide any real-life examples whatsoever. The application of the ideas on something palpable for the reader would make this book sooo much better and the issues discussed easier to comprehend.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful tool for exploring Culture from a british sociologist's perspective. heavily relies on functionalism and formalism in his position but offers a very detailed account of superstructure and base in his materialist section....though with a few minor misreads.

[Bookshire Cat]

Pages 6-23, 66-95 read for a class.