Cultural Context
Culture context is a broad term. To understand cultural context you need to look at the following:
- Setting
- Family
- Class
- Poverty
- The role of women
- Marriage
- Religion
- Violence
- The powerful/powerless
The setting has an impact on the leading characters in a text. Each characters exists within his or her own cultural context. (Romeo & Juliet).
When we look at the actions of an individual character, we need to consider the world in which they operate.
Society changes all the time. More or fewer opportunities are opened up for people. It depends on where they live and the type of lifestyle afforded them. This is all part of cultural context of a text.
What is the setting of your text?
Picture the world at the time of the text
What are the dominant issues for the characters who live in this culture?
Are they supported by or do they rail against the society in which they live?
What are the social circumstances of the central characters in the text?
What opportunities are opened up for him or her?
How are the most disadvantaged people treated in this text?
Is the culture in any way oppressive for the main characters?