The Making of a Cultural Icon: The Electric Guitar

Abstract

This article investigates how products of material culture can become cultural icons. Employing ideas from the production of culture perspective, this research traces the historical process by which the electric guitar was created, the role of the media, and the power of gatekeepers and musicians. The article discusses more broadly how this case extends the production of culture perspective by linking it to broader social changes, such as McDonaldization and a throwaway society.