From the culture industry to the society of the spectacle: Critical theory and the situationist international

Gotham, Kevin Fox; Krier, Daniel

doi:10.1016/s0278-1204(08)00005-4

Cited by 32 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…It would be useful here to revisit Debord's formulation of the spectacle, which is defined not primarily by fantastical images as commonly assumed, but essentially by social relationships between people defined by images in capitalist societies (Debord, 1967;Gotham and Krier, 2008;editorial, this issue). As pointed out earlier in the introduction, the 'spectacle city' represented by countless seductive representations of Macau cannot simply be interpreted as a totalizing dream world of consumption, but is rather a contested terrain on which different social actors vie to reshape the urban agenda on their own terms.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…9 The precarious relationship between gaming and heritage suggest that the 'spectacle city' represented by countless seductive images of Macau cannot simply be interpreted as a totalizing, hegemonic dream world of consumption, but is a contested field on which different social actors attempt to define the cultural agenda on their terms. The paradoxical roles of heritage as a moral anchor for local identity and as a resource for generating more fantastical spaces for consumption arguably exemplify what Debord refers to as the dialectic of the spectacle; that is, it is both inscribed with the characteristics of the dominant mode of capitalist social relations and also defines the conditions of possibilities for resistance to it (Debord, 1967;Gotham and Krier, 2008;Leung, 2010). This view points to both the need for alternative practices, but also the difficulties in implementing strategies that can lead to lasting changes in the existing mode of capitalist relations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spectacular Macau: Visioning futures for a World Heritage City

Chu

2015

Geoforum

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a b s t r a c tThis paper examines the conflicting sentiments generated by Macau's recent developments and how these dynamics have helped galvanize particular visions among Macau's residents holding different possessive relationships to the city. More specifically, it explores these processes through the simultaneous construction of two incongruent landscapes: a fantasyland of gaming and leisure propelled by the liberalization of the casino industry, and a 'historic city of culture' exemplified by Macau's newly acquired UNESCO World Heritage City status. Building on Debord's conception of the dialectic of the spectacle, this paper illustrates how the growing support for heritage conservation in Macau has been propelled by a shared anxiety over the phenomenal changes brought by an expanding casino industry and concomitant erosion of Macau's cultural identity. Through extensive interviews with local architects, conservation experts and activists, I elucidate how the designation of Macau as a World Heritage City has helped consolidate particular sets of moral claims around heritage and culture as well as introduced new commodifications of the environment that cannot be easily delinked from other spaces of the 'spectacle city'.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spectacular Macau: Visioning futures for a World Heritage City

Chu

2015

Geoforum

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“…Both Debord and the Frankfurt-schoolers provide important contributions to the critical analysis of modern capitalism, and in many ways, offer complementary reflections. That is not actually accidental; as Gotham and Krier (2008) observe, there is a clear connection that links Debord, Horkheimer and Adorno. Besides their common drawing on Hegel, Marx, and Lukács, Debord was directly inspired by Lefebvre's Critique of Everyday Life (1958), who in turn read very carefully the two German critical thinkers and built on their insights, especially on the integration of economy and dominant representations in late capitalism.…”

Section: Genealogy Of the Spectaclementioning

confidence: 91%

The Spectacle 2.0: Reading Debord in the Context of Digital Capitalism

Armano¹,

Briziarelli²

2017

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AcknowledgementsThe spectacle thus unites what is separate, but it unites it only in its separateness (Thesis 29, 1967) Un ringraziamento particolare va a Christian Fuchs per aver discusso in profondità il progetto editoriale e per averlo sostenuto in quanto editore e revisore. Siamo altresì grati a Kylie Jarrett e Eran Fisher per averci incoraggiato nelle fasi iniziali di ideazione.iv The Spectacle 2.0Alla stesura di questo libro hanno anche collaborato, del tutto involontariamente, Romano Alquati, Tom Bunyard and Jonathan Crary. Non sempre è stato possibile esplicitarlo ma la lettura di alcuni dei loro scritti ha sensibilmente influenzato gli autori. Marco Briziarelli and Emiliana Armano Competing interestsThe editor and contributors declare that they have no competing interests in publishing this book The full text of this book has been peer-reviewed to ensure high academic standards. For full review policies, see:

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“…This paper follows earlier efforts to develop a critical theory of entertainment and spectacle that highlights conflicts, irrationalities and contradictions between images and reality; and points to avenues to overcome these contradictions (see Gotham, 2002Gotham, , 2005Gotham and Krier, 2007). Hurricane Katrina is especially important to study for several reasons.…”

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confidence: 84%

Critical theory and Katrina

Gotham

2007

City

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This paper uses the theoretical and analytical resources of critical theory to explore the processes and conflicts over efforts to present tragic events as spectacles, focusing on a case study of the Hurricane Katrina disaster in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent government response have intensified uncertainty and unpredictability, disclose a new insecurity in US cities, and showed how a predicted disaster could wreck havoc within the US economy and political system. I first examine the ways in which the logic of spectacle and entertainment permeate a major disaster like Katrina. Next, I investigate how media coverage and political commentary on Katrina insinuates its own immanent critique of racial and class divisions in urban America. Finally, I draw attention to how critical tendencies are immanent to the commodification process itself, in the form of disaster tourism and the production of Katrina souvenirs that embrace spectacle to criticize federal policy and build global awareness of New Orleans's plight. Overall, my goal is to show how the category of immanent critique can play an important role in drawing out the implications of disaster-as-spectacle, illustrating the intersection of race and class in US cities, and highlighting the multidimensional, conflictual and contradictory character of spectacles.

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From the culture industry to the society of the spectacle: Critical theory and the situationist international

Cited by 32 publications

References 18 publications

Spectacular Macau: Visioning futures for a World Heritage City

Spectacular Macau: Visioning futures for a World Heritage City

The Spectacle 2.0: Reading Debord in the Context of Digital Capitalism

Critical theory and Katrina

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