Popular and elite culture interlacing in the middle ages
Helmut Birkhan
Norbert Elias’ defines the process of acculturation as an increase in mastery primitive physiological functions such aggression, intake food, excretion, sexuality and like. Higher degrees task specialization also result a refinement social structure. Greater differentiation assignment tasks is accompanied by lower class’ acquisition adaptation cultural achievements higher class it emulates. Folklorists refer to this phenomenon ‘sunken heritage’ (John Meier), thereby denoting element which was originally characteristic classes hence charged with prestige, but descended acquired classes. The tendency adopt culture civilization considered be invariable, assumption justifiable most cases. Only few examples, we can all understand from personal experience, are sufficient illustrate notion. First all, Western democracies primarily defined economically. Not only capitalist, proletarian wishes consume caviar champagne. Going opera, formerly reserved exclusively for upper crust, has, since 18th century, increasingly become form entertainment accessible middle In fact, interesting note that far more knowledgable about quality performance than elite, even today still occupies expensive seats. When asset becomes available classes, often altered. Caviar tends substituted imitation original product so affordable larger groupsthereby creating new distinction status based on ‘genuine’ vs ‘imitation’. One might ask what significance if elite whose passed open or closed per se. An example society Church, member one being baptized its members-at least male members-theoretically (!) have access any function. It absence tendency, general, usurp specifically clerical assets those cases-such
History of European Ideas