MDSC01H3 Study Guide - Final Guide: Theodor W. Adorno, Max Horkheimer, Frankfurt School
Document Summary
Practise questions and notes: what are the main characteristics of cultural industries, as presented by max horkheimer and. German american frankfurt school ferris max horkheimer and theodor adorno define culture industry as making popular culture akin to a factory, manipulating mass society into passivity. The three main characteristics of the culture industry or industrialization, commodification, and standardization. It is the process by which a society transforms itself from an agricultural society to one of manufacturing. This begins to produce classified cultural products like radio and tv, music, films, magazines, and other products, which are then commodified. Commodification turns a good into a product to be bought and sold. This relates to karl marx"s from good to commodity principal, we"re used to value is converted to exchange value and a profit is made. Through this, a surplus value is generated when laborers are exploited in order for authoritative figures to gain a profit.
