Questions for Discussion:

1.  Du Gay states that "The five major cultural processes which the book identifies are:  Representation, Identity, Production, Consumption and Regulation... Taken together, they complete a sort of circuit--what we term the circuit of culture--through which any analysis of a cultural text or artefact must pass if it is to be adequately studied... We have separated these parts of the circuit into distinct sections but in the real world they continually overlap and intertwine in complex and contingent ways" (3-4). 
 
Du Gay acknowledges that this circuit of culture is not, in fact, a circuit at all (because each cultural process does not signify a distinct, separate stop on a circuit).  Assuming that a 'circuit' is not the most accurate way to intertwine these cultural processes, can you think of a better model with which to describe/utilize/combine them?
 
2.  Du Gay claims that "the role of the producer and the so-called consumer of culture are becoming much more interchangeable.  Consumption is becoming more of a personal act of 'production' in its own right" (21).  How does du Gay represent the roles of the producer and consumer?  How does this notion seem to hold true for not only the Sony Walkman, but for its modern equivalents? 
 
3.  How does this book's notion of the active consumer compare to Williamson's more segmented view of producer-->consumer reaction?
 
4.  Du Gay discusses the hybridization and globalization of Sony, destroying the conception of it being a traditional 'Japanese' company.  He presents this as an important consideration for the Sony corporation.  How do you think that Sony's success would have been affected if its name or image had been more 'Japanese'?  Does this matter to worldwide (or American) consumers?  Why?
 
5.  The book describes Sony as "an integral part of a 'culture industry'" (80).  Du Gay goes on to say that, "Since the time Horkheimer and Adorno were writing, the idea of the culture industry has undergone something of a shift" (81).  What shifts have occurred?  What does du Gay find to be outdated weaknesses of Adorno's and Horkheimer's theory (87)?
 
6.  Consider more modern devices than the Sony Walkman (ex: iPod, CD player, etc.).  Are these just an extension of the Sony Walkman, in that the framework for such products has already been layed out and paved by the Walkman?  How do consumers need to be won over/convinced now, as compared to when the Walkman first came out?  Can you think of differences in the way these new, but related, products are produced, advertised, and consumed? 

The evolution of the Sony Walkman...

From this...

To this...

To this...

To this!

What Sony used to look like... http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/walkman/sony/

And here is an advertisement for a contemporary version of the Walkman:  the iPod.  The iPod, and similar modern technologies, utilize the same characteristics that made the Walkman popular (portability, size reduction, convenience, escape, entertainment).  The iPod is the Walkman of today!  http://idisk.mac.com/kellykthompson/Public/iPod.gif 

 The circuit of culture:

How does this fit into our class?

This reading relates to our course because du Gay et al. discuss Sony in terms of a culture industry.  The synchronization of its physical technology, cultural software, and brand identity have securely placed Sony in a top position among global electronics corporations.  Du Gay writes, "...text and technology, hardware and software, production and use are dependent upon each other and are interrelated.  Sony is not simply a hardware company but part of a culture industry.  It is producing both technological products and cultural forms; cultural products are produced via an industrial process and it is also and industrial company with a distinct company culture" (82). 

Comparison to other course readings:

Comparison to Williamson:  Although Judith Williamson (Decoding Advertisements) claims to have an active view of the receiver, she does not allow for as much meaning-making as du Gay.  On page 14, du Gay states that, "Meaning is constructed--given, produced--through cultural practices; it is not simply 'found' in things" (14).  Williamson, however, would assume that the reader/receiver/potential consumer would be more directly affected by an advertisement.  Whereas Williamson assumes that receivers are automatically appellated/interpellated by an ad, du Gay breaks free from this predictable, static model.  Sony's targeted consumers were originally urban, active youth; however, Sony came to enjoy a range of consumers with varying ages and backgrounds.  Williamson's model would be more likely to expect that the intended consumer--he who is appellated--would become the actual consumer.  Sony surpasses this narrow theory, proving that potential consumers can read against intended meaning.

Comparison to Adorno and Horkheimer:  Adorno and Horkheimer originally coined the term 'culture industry' in the 1940s.  They used this phrase to describe the increasing interconnection between commerce and culture.  Adorno and Horkheimer were "connecting the idea of industry to culture to make the point that the growth of cultural production (with the advent of wireless, films, and phonographs) was drawing on methods adopted and used in industrial manufacturing" (81).  However, since this time, the concept of culture is increasingly applied to industry, as opposed to the other way around.  Sony's business strategy is an example of the consideration that contemporary corporations give to culture in terms of industry (in its working practices, production, design, and media synergy).

The views of Adorno and Horkheimer contrast those of du Gay in several important ways.  Adorno's and Horkheimer's conception of the terms 'culture' and 'industry' do not overlap as naturally as du Gay theorizes; they believed 'culture' to signify "refinement, learning and aesthetic contemplation" and 'industry' to connote the "evils of capitalism" which pollute and standardize 'higher' values into a homogeneous mass culture (87).  Adorno and Horkheimer felt that this led to passive, dumbed-down consumerism, where the market trains consumers to feel false wants and 'needs'.  Their notion of the culture industry is far more negative than that of du Gay.  Not only does du Gay believe consumerism to be active, he argues that the relationship of industry and culture is positive for both producers and consumers.  Du Gay criticizes Adorno and Horkheimer for their denial of human agency, as well as for their assertion that mass production leads to inauthentic, superficial desires. 

Applying du Gay's approach to contemporary versions of the Walkman:

Despite obvious technological advances, I propose that the portable music devices of today (CD players, mp3 players, and the like) are very similiar in consumer function to the original 1979 Sony Walkman.  Such products remain popular luxuries to be used in times of solitude and within the 'lonely crowd'.  The most notable difference that I see between the original Sony Walkman and comparable contemporary devices is that the modern consumer is now aware of the functions and connotations of such products... therefore, mere mention of a company or product name will result in automatic correlative meaning for the consumer.  We no longer have to be convinced of the Sony's reputation or of the Walkman's (or iPod's) utility; it has all been sufficiently integrated into the culture industry.

Sony mp3 vs. Apple iPod!:

However, it must be noted that there are two comparable devices as of late:  the Sony mp3 player and the Apple iPod.  I use these two products somewhat interchangeably in this presentation.  When the Sony Walkman first emerged, it was the only product of its kind... now, Sony must deal with stiff competition from other corporations.  I discuss the iPod not as an example of what Sony has become itself, but as an example of what the Sony Walkman has led to:  more advanced products from different companies.  The iPod symbolizes how far the Walkman has expanded, not how far Sony has come.

Examples:

This spoof of the iPod satirizes consumers' growing reliance on technology, poking fun at our obsession with smaller and smaller electronics.  Despite consumers' love for sleek technology, we still may be tempted to purchase any and all desirable ad-ons.  http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2675893 

This commercial supports du Gay's contention that Sony projects a particular image and feel as a corporation.  Sony relies on this familiarity and comfort with their brand in order to maintain global appeal.  Therefore, it is not always necessary to push a particular product, as long as we know it's from our trusted Sony!  http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2682147 

Further questions...

--The Sony Walkman was the first product of its kind, gaining global corporate/consumer support through strategic synergy.  Since Sony paved the way for other such products, would the history of the Sony Walkman have to be considered when applying du Gay's 'circuit of culture' to modern portable music devices?

--Would du Gay's analysis of cultural texts through the circuit of culture be very different for the 1979 Walkman and the 2005 Sony mp3 player?  What about for the Apple iPod? 

--How similar are these artifacts (Walkman, CD players, mp3 players) in relation to the culture industry? 

--Do CD players and mp3 players merely build on the Walkman, or are they entirely separate, distinct cultural entities?

Useful Resources:

http://www.tedfriedman.com/book/2005/02/introduction.php -About technological determinism and culture; specifically discusses the circuit of culture about mid-way down

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7126221/ -Discusses how the Sony mp3 player tries to compete with the popular Apple iPod

http://www.sony-europe.com/staticcontent/hubpages/hubpage_odw_en_EU_walkman.html -The latest European models from Sony

http://www.edst.educ.ubc.ca/aerc/1998/98carter.htm -A different application of the circuit of culture--this time, to the Dilbert comic strip

Du Gay, et al.  Doing Cultural Studies:  The Story of the Sony Walkman.  Sage Publications, London:  1997, reprinted 2000.

Where poster images came from...

Sony mp3 player image from http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/050308/050308_sonymusic_hmed_6a.hmedium.jpg

Old-school Sony image from http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/forsale/stereo.html

Sony CD player image from http://www.compraventa.com/.../ 26/26287_pma_s.jpg

Sony "Bean" image from http://www.travelizmo.com/archives/cat_gadgets.html

Sony mp3 player image (in hands) from http://www.mp3newswire.net/ Graphics/sonynwe100.jpg

Circuit of culture image from http://tigger.uic.edu/~kgbcomm/didact/images/0cultcrct.gif