Mass, folk, high and low culture | AQA A-Level Sociology

For Specification 7192

AQA A-Level Sociology | Free Revision Notes

Estimated study time: 40 minutes

exam questions by topic 👇

Mass culture, folk culture, high culture and low culture are four of the different conceptions of culture specifically identified in AQA A-Level Sociology. This Mass, folk, high and low culture A-Level Sociology revision page examines where these cultural forms fit within Culture and Identity, how they relate to the wider concept of culture, and why cultural differences should be considered alongside social differentiation, power and stratification. It builds on subculture [Subculture] and prepares you for the study of popular and global culture [Popular and global culture].

Learning Objectives 🎯

By the end of this revision page, you should be able to:

• Identify mass culture, folk culture, high culture and low culture as different conceptions of culture specified by AQA.

• Distinguish these four conceptions at the level supported by the specification.

• Explain how sociologists are required to consider different conceptions of culture.

• Examine connections between culture and the AQA core theme of social differentiation, power and stratification.

• Apply the different conceptions of culture to the wider Culture and Identity topic.

Revision Notes 📚

Different conceptions of culture

AQA requires students studying Culture and Identity to be familiar with sociological explanations of different conceptions of culture, including:

• subculture

• mass culture

• folk culture

• high culture

• low culture

• popular culture

• global culture.

This means that the specification does not present culture as one single, uniform phenomenon. Students are required to recognise a range of different ways in which culture can be conceptualised.

This lesson concentrates on four of those required conceptions: mass culture, folk culture, high culture and low culture.

It develops the broader ideas introduced in understanding culture [Understanding culture] and follows the study of subculture [Subculture].

Mass culture

Mass culture is explicitly included by AQA as one of the different conceptions of culture students must study.

Folk culture

Folk culture is another conception of culture specifically identified by AQA.

The supplied specification names folk culture but does not define it or describe the characteristics that distinguish it from other forms of culture.

High culture

AQA also requires students to study high culture as a conception of culture.

Low culture

Low culture is separately identified within AQA's list of conceptions of culture.

Comparing the four conceptions

The specification itself allows one important distinction to be made securely: mass culture, folk culture, high culture and low culture are four separate conceptions of culture that AQA expects students to study.

Conception	What the supplied specification establishes	What the supplied specification does not establish
Mass culture	It is a required conception of culture.	A definition, characteristics, examples or named explanations.
Folk culture	It is a required conception of culture.	A definition, characteristics, examples or named explanations.
High culture	It is a required conception of culture.	A definition, characteristics, examples or named explanations.
Low culture	It is a required conception of culture.	A definition, characteristics, examples or named explanations.

⚠️ Revision warning: Knowing that these four terms appear in the specification is not the same as having enough substantive knowledge to explain them fully. AQA requires familiarity with sociological explanations of the content, but those explanations are not supplied in the specification itself.

Why does Sociology recognise different forms of culture?

The wording of the specification is significant because AQA refers to different conceptions of culture.

At the level supported by the supplied material, students can conclude that the course requires them to recognise that culture may be conceptualised in more than one way.

Culture and social differentiation

AQA identifies two core themes that should run throughout the course:

1. socialisation, culture and identity

2. social differentiation, power and stratification

These themes should be understood broadly and applied to the substantive areas of Sociology rather than treated as completely separate topics.

This is especially relevant to this lesson because the revision plan specifically requires students to examine relationships between culture and social differentiation.

At the level supported by the specification, this means students should recognise that cultural questions can be considered alongside:

• differences between people and social groups

• power

• stratification.

The specification does not, however, provide a particular explanation of how mass, folk, high or low culture relates to specific forms of social differentiation.

Culture and social class

Within Culture and Identity, AQA separately requires students to examine the relationship of identity to social class in contemporary society.

This creates a legitimate connection between the broader study of cultural difference and later study of class identity. You will examine this relationship directly in class and identity [Social class and identity].

⚠️ Do not assume a relationship simply from the labels. If you are explaining connections between class and specific cultural forms, you need accurate sociological material that supports the connection.

Culture and other forms of social difference

AQA also requires the relationship of identity to be examined in relation to:

• age

• disability

• ethnicity

• gender

• nationality

• sexuality

• social class.

These requirements show that questions about identity and social difference are central to the Culture and Identity topic.

The relevant relationships are explored later through age and disability [Age and disability identities], ethnicity and nationality [Ethnicity and nationality] and gender and sexuality [Gender and sexuality].

The specification does not state that these identities map directly onto mass, folk, high or low culture. Students should therefore avoid making unsupported connections.

Culture, socialisation and identity

The first core theme combines socialisation, culture and identity, reinforcing the idea that culture should be considered as part of wider social processes.

After studying different conceptions of culture, AQA requires students to examine:

• the socialisation process

• agencies of socialisation

• the self, identity and difference as socially caused and socially constructed.

This creates a clear progression through the Culture and Identity topic.

Your next steps therefore include understanding the socialisation process [The socialisation process] and then considering how different agencies of socialisation [Agencies of socialisation] operate.

Mass, folk, high and low culture alongside other cultural conceptions

These four forms are only part of AQA's required study of culture.

The full set is:

Required conception	Place in the revision sequence
Subculture	Earlier lesson [Subculture]
Mass culture	This lesson
Folk culture	This lesson
High culture	This lesson
Low culture	This lesson
Popular culture	Next lesson [Popular and global culture]
Global culture	Next lesson [Popular and global culture]

Studying them as part of one broader specification requirement makes it easier to recognise that AQA expects knowledge of different conceptions rather than one universal definition of culture.

Contemporary UK society

AQA states that the central focus of A-Level Sociology should be UK society today, with comparative dimensions considered where relevant. This includes understanding UK society within its globalised context.

Culture should therefore ultimately be applied to contemporary social life.

The global dimension becomes particularly explicit in popular and global culture [Popular and global culture] and later in production, consumption and globalisation [Production, consumption, globalisation and identity].

The supplied specification does not provide contemporary examples of mass, folk, high or low culture, so examples should not be invented as specification content.

How this topic may be used in an examination

AQA assesses three assessment objectives:

• AO1: demonstrate knowledge and understanding of sociological theories, concepts, evidence and research methods

• AO2: apply sociological theories, concepts, evidence and research methods to a range of issues

• AO3: analyse and evaluate sociological theories, concepts, evidence and research methods in order to present arguments, make judgements and draw conclusions.

For this lesson, AO1 would require more than simply remembering the four terms. Students ultimately need secure sociological understanding of the different conceptions.

For AO2, cultural concepts may need to be applied to an issue or source material.

For AO3, students may need to compare, analyse or evaluate sociological explanations.

The supplied specification identifies the required concepts but does not provide sufficient substantive sociological explanations to construct a detailed evaluative response about differences between mass, folk, high and low culture.

Key Words 🔑

Key word	Student-friendly definition	How it may be used in an exam
Mass culture	One of the different conceptions of culture explicitly required by AQA. The specification does not provide a fuller definition.	Identify, explain or compare it using specification-compatible sociological knowledge.
Folk culture	A required conception of culture named in the AQA Culture and Identity specification.	May be compared with other conceptions of culture.
High culture	One of AQA's specified conceptions of culture. The supplied specification does not formally define it.	May feature in questions about different conceptions of culture and social differentiation.
Low culture	A separate conception of culture identified by AQA.	May be distinguished from other cultural conceptions using accurate sociological knowledge.
Culture	Part of AQA's core theme of socialisation, culture and identity.	Used throughout Culture and Identity and as a wider course theme.
Social differentiation	Part of the core theme of social differentiation, power and stratification.	Used when examining relationships between culture and differences within society.
Power	A component of AQA's second core theme.	Can form part of analysis of social relationships where relevant.
Stratification	A component of the second AQA core theme, concerned with differentiation within society.	Relevant when cultural issues connect with wider social divisions.

Common Mistakes ⚠️

Mistake: Treating mass, folk, high and low culture as interchangeable terms

Why this is incorrect: AQA lists them separately as different conceptions of culture.

How to improve: Learn each as a distinct specification concept and make sure you can accurately distinguish them once you have studied appropriate sociological explanations.

Mistake: Inventing definitions from the everyday meaning of the words

Why this is incorrect: Terms such as "high" and "low" may encourage students to make personal value judgements. The specification requires sociological explanations rather than everyday assumptions.

How to improve: Use definitions and explanations from specification-compatible Sociology resources rather than guessing what the terminology means.

Mistake: Assuming high culture is automatically linked to one social class

Why this is incorrect: The supplied specification requires both high culture and social class to be studied but does not itself specify a particular relationship between them.

How to improve: Only make specific connections where you have accurate sociological evidence or explanation to support them.

Mistake: Forgetting the other conceptions of culture

Why this is incorrect: AQA also requires subculture, popular culture and global culture.

How to improve: Revise the full specification list and practise organising the different conceptions rather than learning only the four in this lesson.

Mistake: Discussing culture without making wider sociological connections

Why this is incorrect: Culture belongs to one of the two core themes, and AQA expects links to be drawn between topic areas.

How to improve: Where relevant, connect cultural issues with socialisation, identity and social differentiation, power and stratification.

Exam-Style Questions ✍️

Because the supplied specification names these cultural conceptions without defining them, the questions below remain within the knowledge that can be securely established from the provided material.

Question 1

Identify one conception of culture specified by AQA other than mass culture. [1 mark]

Question 2

State two of the four conceptions of culture studied in this lesson. [2 marks]

Question 3

Outline two ways in which the AQA specification shows that culture should not be studied as a single, uniform concept. [4 marks]

Question 4

Item A

A sociologist is investigating cultural differences in contemporary UK society. The researcher distinguishes between several conceptions of culture and also considers whether cultural differences are connected with wider forms of social differentiation.

Using Item A, explain two ways in which this investigation reflects the requirements of the AQA specification. [6 marks]

Question 5

Explain two ways in which the study of mass, folk, high and low culture connects with wider themes in the Culture and Identity topic. [6 marks]

Question 6

Analyse the significance of AQA identifying mass culture, folk culture, high culture and low culture as different conceptions of culture. [8 marks]

Question 7

Evaluate the view that different conceptions of culture can be studied without considering social differentiation. [10 marks]

Answers and indicative mark scheme

Question 1

Award 1 mark for any valid conception of culture identified by AQA other than mass culture.

Accept:

• subculture

• folk culture

• high culture

• low culture

• popular culture

• global culture.

Question 2

Award 1 mark each, up to 2 marks, for:

• mass culture

• folk culture

• high culture

• low culture.

Question 3

Award up to 2 marks for each developed point.

Possible content includes:

• AQA explicitly refers to different conceptions of culture rather than presenting one conception.

• Seven different conceptions are separately named in the specification.

• Mass, folk, high and low culture are individually identified.

• Subculture, popular culture and global culture are also required.

A simple list without explanation should receive limited credit.

Question 4

Possible developed applications include:

• Item A refers to several different conceptions of culture, reflecting AQA's explicit requirement to study different cultural conceptions.

• Its focus on contemporary UK society reflects the central focus AQA specifies for the course.

• Its consideration of social differentiation connects directly to the second core theme of social differentiation, power and stratification.

• Cultural questions also connect to the first core theme of socialisation, culture and identity.

Higher marks require clear use of Item A rather than a generic description of the specification.

Question 5

Possible answers include:

• Culture forms part of the core theme socialisation, culture and identity, so different cultural conceptions should be understood within this wider sociological theme.

• AQA also requires social differentiation, power and stratification to run through substantive topics.

• Culture and Identity later examines identity in relation to social class and other characteristics.

• Students are expected to draw links between different areas of Sociology.

Award higher marks for explaining the connection rather than merely identifying specification points.

Question 6

A stronger response may analyse:

• the fact that AQA recognises several conceptions of culture

• the implication that culture should not be treated as one completely uniform category

• how mass, folk, high and low culture sit alongside subculture, popular culture and global culture

• connections between culture and the core themes

• the expectation that students examine sociological explanations rather than simply remember terminology.

The supplied material does not support detailed claims about the characteristics of the individual cultural forms.

Question 7

Arguments against the view may include:

• social differentiation, power and stratification is explicitly one of AQA's two core themes

• core themes are intended to run through substantive topic areas

• Culture and Identity includes identity in relation to social class and several other social characteristics

• AQA requires students to draw connections between different aspects of Sociology.

A balanced response could recognise that mass, folk, high and low culture are distinct specification concepts that require focused study. However, the organisation of the specification also requires students to place substantive cultural content within wider sociological themes.

A well-supported conclusion should therefore recognise both the need to understand individual conceptions of culture and the importance of analysing their wider sociological context.