Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture

Download or read book Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture written by Sheila Whiteley and published by Edinburgh University Press. This book was released on 2008-04-26 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do we understand Christmas? What does it mean? This book is a lively introduction to the study of popular culture through one central case study. It explores the cultural, social and historical contexts of Christmas in the UK, USA and Australia, covering such topics as fiction, film, television, art, newspapers and magazines, war, popular music and carols. Chapters explore the ways in which the production of meaning is mediated by the social and cultural activities surrounding Christmas (watching Christmas films, television, listening or engaging with popular music and carols), its relationship to a set of basic values (the idealised construct of the family), social relationships (community), and the ways in which ideological discourses are used and mobilised, not least in times of conflict, terrorism and war.