Non-Artistic Kitsch

The book aims to provide a contemporary individual with an extensive but focused set of examples of kitsch in non-artistic spheres to create theoretical and practical backgrounds for conscious recognition of kitsch in fields like psychology, education, politics, law, religion, terrorism, television, or journalism. Two perspectives are underlined: 1) the consciousness of the presence and role of kitsch experience within the philosophy of living and 2) the management of kitsch experience within the philosophy of living (kitsch as a means for achieving goals). Due to the diverse topics covered by particular chapters, no unified methodology is applied in the whole volume. However, due to the kitsch’s complex and metaphysical character, the only fundament is using the “kitsch experience theory” (Szostak and Sułkowski, 2020) to narrate the volume coherently. The authors apply a qualitative methodological approach, extensively using case studies, comparative analyses, and ethnographic focus. 

Michał Szostak is an Associate Professor, Vice-Rector for Scientific Research and Head of the Institute for Management Research at Collegium Civitas, Poland, scientifically intersecting management, art, and aesthetics. He is a business practitioner in international companies and a musician-instrumentalist, conducting lively concert activities and performing dozens of recitals worldwide yearly.