| This thesis is to argue that, the research paradigms for literary studies in China should be reformed and oriented toward the complex analysis of literary activities in a mass culture context because the way literary activities take shape and develop has largely evolved under the influences of late capitalism and modern technologies. And it is obvious that traditional literary research methodology that has an emphasis on the aesthetic analysis of literary works is no longer capable of an already evolved research object. In this case, the research object of literary studies should be recognized and redefined and new possible research methodology should be come up with and further criticized. Therefore, it should be of academic value to justify the proposition that mass culture studies could provide more capable approaches and broader perspectives to deal with literary researches in modern and postmodern societies.The author of this thesis points out that, currently, Chinese humanities studies especially literary criticism studies in China are facing entanglements in aspects of both academic theories and research methodologies.Firstly, in the aspect of academic theories, humanities studies hi China have been suffering from awkward aphasia of theories. On one hand, Chinese scholars on humanities studies have produced few capable theories to cope with domestic factual culture problems. On the other hand, being short of domestic theories productions makes it a mission embarrassing for Chinese academics to participate in discussions and communications internationally. As a result, humanities studies as subjects in college curriculums are being marginalized by other courses that are factual, practical and realistic.Secondly, in the aspect of research methodologies, many research projects done and to be done by Chinese critics and academics have shown no initiative to breakaway from banal, collegiate, doctrinaire and etmsm-origmated academic approaches prevailing in Chinese colleges and academic mstrtutions over the years. However, researches of this kind will promise relevant studies neither progress nor prospective development.Hence, it is of obvious necessity and importance for Chinese scholars to locate and criticize possible practical research paradigms targeted on factual culture problems in the effort to help relevant studies out of entanglements mentioned above. From this perspective, the author points out that culture studies especially mass culture analysis can refresh traditional epistemologies and methodologies of Chinese literary studies as well as bring new approaches and topics to literary studies in China.IIIn this part, the thesis begins with the combing and evaluation of existing theories, researches, and academic schools on mass culture, and then proceeds to the definition of mass culture as the literary research object. Upon such a conceptual foundation, discussions over the relationships between mass culture /Uterature, and mass culture /literary studies are brought forth hi details.In the combing and evaluation section, the author points out that culture theories from the Frankfurt School, British Culturist/Culture Critics, and Fridric Jameson are references of important academic value to contemporary literary studies in China. And studies and theories by relevant scholars such as Horkheimer, Adorno, Harbermas, R.Williams, S.Hull are therefore introduced in particular.As the author summarizes, from the overall point of view of Frankfurt School Scholars, the emergence and flooding of mass culture may give rise to massive reproduction of genuine art works, which can be operated mechanically and cheaply in late Capitalism societies. The faked culture commodities bear cultural features of the late capitalism, which harness ideological apparatus to confine mass people to capital reproduction systems where they are needed as labors to create surplus value. So it is academics' responsibility to embark on critical studies on mass culture in order disclose the alienation status... |
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