Working class culture

Working class culture is a range of cultures created by or popular among working class people. The cultures can be contrasted with high culture and folk culture, and are sometimes equated with popular culture and low culture (the counterpart of high culture). Working class culture developed during the Industrial Revolution. Because most of the newly created working class were former peasants, the cultures took on much of the localised folk culture. This was soon altered by the changed conditions of social relationships and the increased mobility of the workforce, and later by the marketing of mass-produced cultural artefacts such as prints and ornaments, and events such as music hall and cinema.

Many socialists with a class struggle viewpoint see working class culture as a vital element of the proletariat which they champion. There are a variety of ways this is viewed. One organisation which was based on this was Proletkult, which was founded in Russia shortly after the February Revolution. One of its main proponents was Alexander Bogdanov who had been co-leader of the Bolsheviks with Lenin. He was involved in a struggle retain the independence of Proletkult following the Bolshevik coup in October 1917. His erstwhile ally, Anatoly Lunacharsky, had rejoined the Bolsheviks and was appointed Commissar for Education. Proletkult contained both Bolsheviks and their critics.

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