Introduction

            Ardorno and Horkoheimer represented the Frunkfurt School where they came up with a theory explaining culture. They believed that culture is usually as result of high production of cultural objects that influence the society directly. Birmingham on the other hand, is a school where culture is studied and the representative was being called Stuart Hall. It has a greater outlook where consumers are considered as necessary partners in ideological messages decoding. Below are some similarities and differences between the two schools

Differences

1. Adorno and Horkheimer notion about culture is that the society is influenced by the level of production activities brought by cultural objects while Birmingham views the industry of culture as one that is not influenced by the activities done by people. Culture is defined by sharing connotative and denotative meanings through the actions of the people in the society.
2. According to Adorno and Horkheimer, culture is brought about by high production of cultural objects through consumer partnership that influence the society directly and make them junior to capitalist system. The presence of high production of the objects related to culture determines the situation of the society. On the other hand, Birmingham school gives a complex notion where the partnership of consumers and culture is further drawn into structures of culture which leads to ideological messages decoded which later creates a brand new battleground for representation control.
3. Presence of differences in production enables to classify, organize and identify customers. Everyone is usually protected not to escape by provision of something as viewed by Adorno while Birmingham notion is that, basing a linguistic structure and operating from a state of hegemony and dominance, it is possible to see the areas where cultural ideology are forced into world of discourse that is socially constructed. On the other hand, Birmingham school explains that culture is drawn into structures of language. There is a link between cultural values and language as it is the medium of communication where people express their feelings and ideas. Language is viewed as a system of representation as it is used to make reference to events, emotions, real objects or the imagination of the people. For people to be regarded as from common culture, they must be sharing similar language and not the things in the society.
4. Culture is viewed as by product of commodities. This is because the relationship between the customers and partnership is what determines the productivity that in turn influences the culture. On the other hand, Birmingham School views culture as a dynamic and social system of signifiers and codes.
5. Adorno and Horkheimer’s school mostly emphasizes that partnership of customers lead to high production through cultural objects while Birmingham School emphasizes on language structures where it views that there is a connection between culture and language as it is the medium of communication used by people.

Similarities

1. Both schools had been established to bring about clear understanding of culture from different aspects.
2. Both schools had been expounding on culture basing human beings. Adorno and Horkheimer’s notion had been that the partnerships of consumers; who are the human beings, determine the productivity of the culture. The same case applies where Birmingham School emphasizes on the link between culture and language which is used by human beings to communicate.

Conclusion

            The two schools have been in the position of describing culture according to their knowledge. The various ways in which they view culture has enabled them to come with different definitions which have enabled to come up with differences and similarities which have been discussed above.