High culture is a term referring to the cultural milieu and culture consumption of a western society's upper class. Here it is a term referring to the "best of breed" (from some elitist viewpoint) cultural products. What falls in this category is defined by the most powerful sections of society, i.e. its social, political, economic and intellectual elite. To suggest a relevant news story for the main page, refer to the criteria then add your suggestion at the candidates page. ... For alternative meanings for The West in the United States, see the U.S. West and American West. ... The term upper class refers to a group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. ... Elitism is a belief or attitude that an elite — a selected group of persons whose personal abilities, specialized training or other attributes place them at the top of any field (see below) — are the people whose views on a matter are to be taken most seriously, or who are alone... The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... Look up élite and elite in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

History

High culture is traditionally the milieu of arts and sciences fostered under the European Renaissance. Its ideal is the Renaissance man, whose knowledge leads him to a broad and deep understanding of life. Pierre Bourdieu's book: La Distinction- English translation: Distinction - A Social Critique of the Judgement of taste (1979) is a key study into high culture. By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance -French Renaissance -German Renaissance -English Renaissance The Renaissance was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... This article is about the 1994 film. ... Pierre-Félix Bourdieu (August 1, 1930_January 23, 2002) was a French sociologist. ... La Distinction is a sociological book by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) based on his demographic research carried out in 1963 and concluded in 1967-8. ...

The following fields of experience and study were considered parts of high culture:

• Appreciation for good design, whether decorative or minimalist
• Etiquette
• Fine arts and patronage of museums
• Government, especially public speaking and informed debate
• Haute cuisine and fine wine
• International travel, especially the Grand Tour of Europe
• Life sciences such as botany
• Literature, and the ability to write elegantly as learned from Classical literature and poetry
• Military service (as an officer) was once a central part of high culture. As war has become more impersonal and technology-driven since World War I, this aspect has waned.
• The more financially expensive sports, such as equestrianism, fencing, sailing, and sculling
• Musical discipline, especially in classical music such as grand opera
• Philosophy, especially of the European tradition
• Refined grooming and haute couture
• Religion, specifically the more early modern forms of Christianity
• Theatre, especially ballet

Usually considered in the context of the applied arts, engineering, architecture, and other such creative endeavours, design is used as both a noun and a verb. ... This article is about on art and design. ... Etiquette, also known as decorum, is the code that governs the expectations of social behavior, the conventional norm. ... Fine art is a term used to refer to fields traditionally considered to be artistic. ... A museum is a non-profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education and enjoyment, the tangible and intangible evidence of people and their environment. ... Haute cuisine (literally high cooking in French) is a cookery style that originated in Napoleonic France under the influence of the chef Antoine Carême and was elaborated by Auguste Escoffier. ... Wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of grapes and grape juice. ... The interior of the Pantheon in the 18th century, painted by Giovanni Paolo Panini In the 18th century, the Grand Tour was a kind of education for wealthy British noblemen. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... Biology studies the variety of life (clockwise from top-left) E. coli, tree fern, gazelle, Goliath beetle Biology is the science of life (from the Greek words bios = life and logos = word). ... Botany is the scientific study of plantlife. ... Literature is literally acquaintance with letters as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary (from the Latin littera meaning an individual written character (letter)). The term has generally come to identify a collection of texts, which in Western culture are mainly prose, both fiction and non-fiction... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Poetry (from Ancient Greek: (poiéo/poió) = I create) is traditionally a written art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. ... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead:5 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:8 million Military dead:4 million Civilian dead:3 million Total dead:7 million The First World... A junior horse riding event at the Melbourne Show Equestrianism relates to the riding of horses. ... Russian Ivan Tourchine and American Weston Kelsey fence in the second round of the Olympic Mens Individual Épée event at the Helliniko Fencing Hall on Aug. ... Sailing at sunset Wooden sailing boat Sailing is the skillful art of controlling the motion of a sailing ship or smaller boat, across a body of water. ... The GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004. ... Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... Grand Opera is a style of opera mainly characterized by many features on a grandiose scale. ... The Philosopher (detail), by Rembrandt Philosophy is a field of study that includes diverse subfields such as aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, and metaphysics, in which people ask questions such as whether God exists, whether knowledge is possible, and what makes actions right or wrong. ... Grooming refers to removing obvious imperfections in ones appearance, or improving ones hygiene. ... Haute couture (French for high sewing or high dressmaking; IPA: ) refers to the creation of exclusive fashions. ... The early modern period is a term used by historians to refer to the period in Western Europe and its first colonies, between the Middle Ages and modern society. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, known by Christians as Jesus Christ, as recounted in the New Testament. ... It has been suggested that Drama (art form) be merged into this article or section. ... The Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker. ...

High culture and public education

Much of the public education system in Europe and its former colonies was based on high culture. The idea behind this was that exposing all members of society to its most noble examples would lead to a communal sense of pride and purpose. However, the emphasis on the virtues and tastes of high culture, and the desire to pass them on to new generations, has waned. By many people they are perceived - not least of all by liberal academics since the 1960's - as too demanding and elitist. High culture has also come under attack from modern capitalism, which tends to favor practical mathematics and scientific technology in education. However, some forms of conservatism (though by no means all forms) believe that high culture is imperative to the maintenance of a dignified social order. As such, these proponents view contemporary society as lax and degenerate, and they argue that high culture is not incompatible with many of the newer ideas which Western society has come to enjoy, such as sexual equality. Often, conservatives who adhere to these beliefs advocate the reintroduction of cultural depth to modern educational systems, claiming that education as it has become only succeeds in producing idiots (in the classical sense of that word). // Public education is education mandated for the children of the general public by the government, whether national, regional, or local, provided by an institution of civil government, and paid for, in whole or in part, by taxes. ... Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... This article refers to a colony in politics and history. ... Human relationships within an ethnically diverse society. ... Look up Noble in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Noble can refer to: Nobility, a hereditary caste Nobel Prize, awarded to people who have made outstanding contributions to society Noble gas, chemical elements in group 18 (old-style Group 0) of the periodic table Noble metal, metals that are resistant to... Pride refers to a strong sense (or desire) of self-respect, a refusal to be humiliated as well as joy in the accomplishments of oneself or a person, group, or object that one identifies with. ... Euclid, detail from The School of Athens by Raphael. ... } the surface of the planet for the first time and explore space. ... Conservatism [derivative of conserve; from Latin conservare, to keep, guard, observe] is a philosophy defined by Edmund Burke as a disposition to preserve, and an ability to improve. Classical conservatism does not readily avail itself to the ideology of objectives. ... Idiot is a word derived from the Greek ιδιωτης, idiōtēs (layman, person lacking professional skill, a private citizen, individual), from ιδιος, idios (private, ones own). In Latin the word idiota (ordinary person, layman) preceded the Late Latin meaning uneducated or ignorant person. ...

Criticism of high culture

Critics of high culture see its focus on the European tradition as narrow and possibly even racist. In addition, the education and talent required for much of high culture is seen as elitist, with time wasted that could be spent on more practical improvements to material society. Many critics of high culture hold up popular culture as a more easily understood and enjoyable lifestyle. 1. ... Talent refers to a special aptitude, faculty or gift of a person. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Materials are inputs to production or manufacturing. ... Popular culture, or pop culture, is the vernacular (peoples) culture that prevails in any given society. ...

Supporters of high culture

In most nations with a dominant Euroethnic population, high culture is held in high regard, even by those who do not understand it. And in many non-Euroethnic nations, notably Japan, high culture has a devoted following. Proponents of high culture see it is a force for compassion, dignity, and discipline in the face of modern selfishness and transience. Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... Ûæ:For the Doctor Who character, see Compassion (Doctor Who). ... Dignity in humans involves the earning or the expectation of personal respect or of esteem. ... Discipline is any training intended to produce a specific character or pattern of behaviour, especially training that produces moral or mental development in a particular direction. ...

See also

• aristocracy
• superculture
• upper class
• white collar
• highbrow
• elitism

-1... The term superculture has been coined to describe the international lifestyle of billionaires. ... The term upper class refers to a group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. ... White-collar workers perform tasks which are less laborious yet often more highly paid than blue-collar workers, who do manual work. ... Highbrow is a colloquial synonym for intellectual. ... Elitism is a belief or attitude that an elite — a selected group of persons whose personal abilities, specialized training or other attributes place them at the top of any field (see below) — are the people whose views on a matter are to be taken most seriously, or who are alone...

Compare

• working class culture
• blue collar
• low culture
• elitism