Description
Here are the essay instructions:
Critically discuss how the role of cultural intermediaries can be considered as sitting at the intersection between consumption and production, and what impact this relationship has on consumer markets.
You should discuss your essay in relation to ONE of the cultural fields from the module as suggested below.
– Fashion
– Journalism
– Music
-Food
-Public Relations
In your response, you should discuss the following:-
The implications of cultural intermediaries and legitimacy for marketing. The concept of cultural omnivores and how it relates to your chosen cultural field.
The extent to which the concept of cultural intermediaries challenge the traditionalnotion of marketing- The framing devices that are used to legitimize goods and services in the consumer market.
Here are some recommended theories to use:
Key Theories and Suggestions
Pierre Bourdieu 1986 on the Rules of Art
Pierre Bourdieu 1993 on the Economy of Symbolic Goods
Jean Baudrillard 1976 on value: see – Toward a Critique of the Political Economy of the Sign
Karl Marx on Value see: – A contribution to the critique of political economy Warde, et al. 2007
Cultural OmnivoreAmin & Thrift 2004 – Cultural Economy
Introduction
Before you write your essay, work out on paper a detailed outline of your arguments. In the essay introduction, you should clearly signpost your topic, main themes, context, and indicate what you are going to do in the body of your work.
Main Body
Break down your arguments into separate themes/key points of arguments (you may want to use headings and subheadings for each of these themes/key arguments). For each of these sections, develop your arguments point-by-point, section-by-section so that you develop a picture that slowly evolves into a critical and balanced narrative. Do not simply describe the ideas and literature you’re dealing with, provide a critical evaluation. Always try to put yourself in the position of a critical reader, ask yourself how s/he would react to your essay, how s/he would understand it and be persuaded by it. Consider how the key authors develop their theories, what assumptions do they make, how these theories can be applied to the context of your study and what limitations (if any) underpin the theories you reviewed.
You are also expected to demonstrate the application of theories through illustrative examples of your chosen topic.
Conclusion
Provide a summary of your arguments in the concluding section. What are the most significant arguments you have made in the essay? Having considered the different sides of the arguments, reflect on your views in relation to these arguments. Here it would be best if you went beyond providing a summary to teasing out the broader implications of the ideas you have presented.
