Culture is one of the most frequently used terms in the French vocabulary. It sells not only books, newspapers and magazines, but also consumer products and political parties. But what are the meanings of culture populaire? What do the French understand by it and what is its history? Brian Rigby's study traces changing notions of French popular culture from 1936 - the year of the Popular Front - to the present day. He shows how the post-war democratic project of taking high culture to the people was redefined in the wake of profound social, ideological and cultural change, and how intellectuals and the state came to embrace a pluralist notion of popular culture which recognised the centrality of the mass media. Asking why culture remains a fiercely contested term in French society, Rigby considers the work of major French theorists, including Barthes, Bourdieu and Baudrillard. This book should be of interest to students and teachers of French culture and history.