CULTURE INDUSTRY, SUBJECTIVITY AND DOMINATION: ADORNO AND THE RADIO PROJECT
Resumo
Theodor W. Adorno’s concept of “culture industry” was at the moment of its formulation and continues to be today associated with his assessment of cinema and jazz.1 Culture industry is, thus, commonly understood as an adjective Adorno applied to measure if something is or is not an authentic piece of art.In that sense, one could watch a movie and then ask oneself: is this movie good, or is it “just” culture industry?Even though Adorno’s reflections on cinema and jazz are not exempted from misjudgments, his theory of culture industry could be interpreted as a research program, one which Adorno developed throughout his entire life. This program comprises considerations on art and technology and a theory of how culture undermines subjectivity, helps individuals adapt to capitalist reality, and can eventually prepare the ground for authoritarian propaganda. This article analyses the early developments of this concept and hopes to contribute to its enlargement and to the recognition of its importance to understand the relationship between politics, technology, and culture in current society.
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