Why (what) does(n’t) kitsch teach?

Abstract

The aim of the article is to draw attention to kitsch as a category in the field of social sciences and humanities with appropriate implications for the pedagogical discipline I place the problem of kitsch within a specifically understood and cultivated cultural studies reflection. The system of concepts necessary for this embedding is presented in the following order: culture – art – participation in culture (art) – introduction to participation in culture (art). In the adopted perspective, delineating the boundaries between “art”, “bad art”, “anti-art”, “kitsch” is not very attractive. This problem is relieved of unnecessary tensions. The key here is the way of understanding the concept of culture, which implies an appropriate way of understanding art and, consequently, participation in and introduction to culture (art) (which is the primary function of education). The aim of the publication is to familiarize the reader with various ways of thinking about kitsch and to invite him to discuss it.