ðə lˈɔŋtˈɜːm ˈɔːɹɪdʒˌɪnz ʌvðɪ aɪdˈiəz bᵻhˌaɪnd ðɪs ɪnðə wˈɛstɚn wˈɜːld tɹˈeɪs bˈæk tʊ ˈeɪntʃənt tˈaɪmz wɪððə dɪstˈɪŋkʃən ʌv hˈaɪ kˈʌltʃɚɹ ɐsˈoʊsɪˌeɪɾᵻd wɪð ˌæɹɪstˈɑːkɹəsi æt ðə tˈɑːp ʌvðə sˈoʊʃəl hˈaɪɚɹɑːɹki hˌuː wɜː ɹᵻɡˈɑːɹdᵻd ɪn ɚɹˈɪstəkɹˌætdˈɑːmᵻnˌeɪɾᵻd səsˈaɪəɾi æz kəmpˈɛɹd wɪð lˈoʊ kˈʌltʃɚɹ ɐsˈoʊsɪˌeɪɾᵻd wɪð kˈɑːmənɚz æt ðə bˈɑːɾəm ʌvðə sˈoʊʃəl hˈaɪɚɹɑːɹki ðæt ɪŋklˈuːdᵻd mˈɛni ɪmpˈɑːvɚɹɪʃt pˈiːpəl ɐmˈʌŋ ðˌɛm.
The long-term origins of the ideas behind this in the Western world trace back to ancient times with the distinction of high culture associated with aristocracy at the top of the social hierarchy who were regarded in aristocrat-dominated society as compared with low culture associated with commoners at the bottom of the social hierarchy that included many impoverished people among them.