PPC REVIEWER o Popular culture

includes the cultural

products, beliefs, and
Definition of Popular practices shared by
Culture large groups of people
at a particular time. It
1. Tony Bennett's View
is part of everyday life
(1980):
and represents
o is often seen as common experiences
confusing and of the masses.
contradictory, making
 Key Characteristics:
it nearly useless
without proper context. o Broad Appeal
o Mass produced
2. Raymond Williams'
o Consumed by masses
Definitions (1983):
o Everyday Culture
o General o Lowbrow
Development: Culture o Short lived
as a process of o trendy
intellectual, spiritual,
and aesthetic growth. Six Definitions of Popular
Culture (John Storey)
o Way of Life: Culture
referring to a people, a 1. Popular culture is simply
time, or a group’s way culture that is widely
of life. favored or well-liked by
many people.
o Artistic Practices:
Culture as the works o Simply defined as
and practices of culture that is well-liked
intellectual and artistic by many people. It is
activities. measurable by its
popularity.
2. Popular culture is the
What is Popular Culture? culture that is left over
 Literal Meaning: after high culture has
been decided.:
o From the Latin word
populus, meaning o The "leftover" culture
"people." after high culture is
determined. This
 Basic Definition: includes mass-
produced and
 commercialized culture thinking around debate
that lacks the on postmodernism:
exclusivity of high
o In postmodernism, the
culture.
distinction between
3. Popular culture is as “ high and popular
mass culture”: culture disappears.
There is a blurring of
o A commercial culture
boundaries between
mass-produced for a
authentic culture and
mass audience. It is
commercialized mass
seen as formulaic and
culture.
manipulative,
promoting passive
consumption.
Roles and Importance of
4. Popular culture is the Popular Culture
culture that originates
 Bridges Social Classes:
from the people.:
o Popular culture reduces
o Emerges from the
the gap between the
people themselves,
elite class, who
representing an
traditionally held
authentic culture of the
knowledge, and the
working class or
general public. It
common people.
encourages shared
5. Popular culture is defined knowledge and
based on the political practices.
concept of hegemony by
 Critical Engagement:
Italian Marxist Antonio
Gramsci. Gramsci ( 2009): o Studying popular
culture helps us
o Popular culture is a site
critically engage with
of struggle between
media and cultural
dominant and
forms. Instead of being
subordinate groups. It
passive consumers,
involves negotiation
people become critics,
and resistance, where
understanding how
culture is both shaped
culture influences and
by and shaping power
reflects society.
dynamics in society.
 Cultural Representation:
6. Popular culture is one
informed by recent o It represents the
everyday experiences
 of people and how they conceptual category in
view themselves and cultural studies."
others through cultural
 James Carey (1996):
symbols, norms, and
practices. o Suggests that British
cultural studies could
be more accurately
Why Study Popular described as
Culture? ideological studies.
 Understanding Social
Norms:
Five Definitions of Ideology
o Popular culture reflects
1. Systematic Body of Ideas:
current societal values,
which shape our views o Ideology can refer to
of various groups and the organized set of
lifestyles. ideas articulated by a
particular group. This
 Cultural Influence:
could include political,
o It helps us analyze how social, or professional
our culture works on us ideologies that
and influences societal influence actions and
dynamics, behaviors, beliefs.
and ideologies.
2. Masking or Distortion:
 Societal Inclusion:
o Ideology often involves
o Popular culture plays the masking or
an important role in distorting of reality. It
uniting diverse groups presents a false
by providing shared consciousness, where
symbols and forms of powerful groups
expression that conceal their
represent broad social domination over the
experiences. powerless by shaping
how reality is
perceived.
Definition and Importance
o Marxism (Karl Marx):
of Ideology
 In Marxist theory,
 Graeme Turner (1996):
ideology is a tool
o Describes ideology as for maintaining
"the most important power structures
 and class practices. It is lived
relations. It out in daily actions and
conceals the behaviors, influencing
exploitation and how people engage
inequality with the world around
embedded in them.
capitalist
Examples of Ideological Forms
systems.
 Political Ideologies:
3. Ideological Forms (Marx
1976a): o Example: The Labour
Party's political,
o This definition draws
economic, and social
attention to how media
ideas that guide its
and cultural texts (e.g.,
activities.
TV, songs, novels)
present a particular  Media and Cultural Texts:
view of the world,
o Ideology is reflected in
embedding ideologies
cultural products like
within them.
television shows, pop
o Connotations: songs, films, and
Ideology operates at novels, which often
the level of hidden carry unconscious
meanings, shaping meanings and reinforce
perceptions certain worldviews.
unconsciously through
‘Significance of Studying
connotations
Ideology
embedded in texts and
practices.  Studying ideology helps us
understand how certain
4. Society as Conflictual:
groups maintain power by
o Ideology represents shaping beliefs and
society as one marked perceptions.
by conflict, structured
 It reveals the hidden
around inequality,
dynamics of conflict and
exploitation, and
domination in society.
oppression, rather than
consensus or harmony.  By analyzing texts and
practices critically, we can
5. Material Practice:
uncover the underlying
o Ideology is not only a power relations and
body of ideas but is challenge the distortions they
also found in everyday present.
 various media and
networks, influencing
Key Concepts of Popular
cultures across the
Culture Diffusion
world and contributing
1. Placelessness and to cultural
Clustering homogenization. This
can diminish the
o Placelessness:
distinctiveness of local
 Popular culture cultures.
creates a sense
3. Creation of New Places
of
placelessness o Popular culture doesn’t
by promoting just eliminate cultural
spatial distinctions; it also
standardization creates new kinds of
, which reduces places. For example:
cultural variety.
 Television: Acts
One place
as a "gathering
becomes
place" where
indistinguishable
people come
from another,
together to
losing its unique
experience the
geographical
same content,
character.
creating a
o Clustering: shared social
space.
 Popular culture
can also create  Cyberspace:
clusters of The rise of
similarity as personal
certain trends computers and
and behaviors internet access
concentrate in has generated
specific areas, virtual spaces.
giving rise to new Cyberspace is a
social and metaphorical
cultural spaces. location that
connects people
2. Pervasive Influence of
globally,
Global Popular Culture
emphasizing the
o Global popular culture creation of a new
spreads through type of
 geography and the internet leads to the
through the reduction of geographical
information boundaries and
superhighway. distinctiveness, creating a
globalized culture where
regions share similar trends,
Types of Diffusion ideas, and products.

1. Hierarchical Diffusion Conflict Theory

Introduction to Conflict Theory
o Cultural trends spread
from influential figures  Definition: Conflict theory,
or places (e.g., developed by Karl Marx, is a
celebrities, urban macro-oriented sociological
centers) down to the perspective that views
general population. society as a constant arena
of inequality, leading to
2. Contagious Diffusion
conflict and social change.
o Cultural ideas or
 Core Idea: Society is in a
products spread rapidly perpetual struggle for limited
and widely through a resources, causing tension
population, akin to a between groups, especially
virus. the Bourgeoisie (those with
3. Relocation Diffusion resources) and the
Proletariat (those without).
o Cultural ideas move
from one place to
another through Key Concepts of Conflict Theory
physical movement,
such as migration. 1. Economic Inequality:

4. Stimulus Diffusion o Conflict theory

emphasizes
o A cultural idea spreads materialism and
but is altered by the economic production as
recipients, creating a central to
variation of the original understanding societal
concept. conflicts.
o Material Production
Impact of Diffusion on of Culture: Economic
Geography power affects cultural
control, making it
 The diffusion of popular harder for the less
culture through global media
 powerful to adapt to dynamics within families,
cultural changes. often showing men in
dominant roles over women.
2. Pierre Bourdieu’s Cultural
Capital:  Criminal Justice System:
Wealthier individuals often
o Cultural capital
receive lenient punishments,
(knowledge and skills)
demonstrating the influence
can maintain power
of power on justice.
structures, as it
benefits those of higher  Racism: Movements like
status and is validated #BlackLivesMatter highlight
in institutions like systemic racial discrimination
schools. and social conflict based on
race.
o Education: Schools
often reinforce class
distinctions by
Conflict Theory in Popular
exchanging cultural
Culture
capital for success and
credentials.  Marxist Theory in Films:
3. Modern Conflict Theory: o Titanic: Demonstrates
class struggle through
o Expands to other areas
character interactions
such as race, gender,
and physical separation
and politics, reflecting
of classes, highlighting
struggles over power
capitalist greed.
between elites and
marginalized groups. o Avatar: Shows a
socialist uprising
against capitalist
Conflict Theory and Social exploitation, as the
Institutions Na’vi resist human
invasion and reclaim
 Education System:
their resources.
Wealthier students generally
have more opportunities and  Memes: Used as tools to
resources, reinforcing class critique power dynamics,
divisions. Example: Finland’s especially regarding
education system, where government and justice.
public schools benefit from
What is Symbolic
equal access.
Interactionism?
 Gender in Family: Conflict
theory addresses the power
  Definition: A sociological  George Herbert Mead:
approach that explores how Known as the father of
humans and society interact symbolic interactionism,
through symbols and the emphasized the “self”
meanings they assign to through "I" (spontaneous
those symbols. Developed self) and "Me" (social self).
from George Herbert Mead’s
 Charles Horton Cooley:
teachings.
Known for the concept of the
 Core Idea: Human actions "looking-glass self."
and interactions are
 Herbert Blumer: Expanded
understood through
Mead's ideas and coined
meaningful communication
"symbolic interactionism."
and symbols.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Key Tenets by Herbert Blumer
 Strengths:
1. Action Based on Meaning:
People act toward things o Focus on individual
based on the meanings they actions.
assign to them.
o Provides insight into
2. Meaning Through small-scale human
Interaction: Meanings are interactions.
shaped by social interactions.
o Emphasizes variable
3. Changeable Meaning: The perceptions and human
meanings people assign are agency.
not fixed; they can change.
 Weaknesses:
Purpose and Application
o Subjective
 Focuses on micro-level interpretation of
analysis (small group symbols can lead to
interactions) to understand misunderstandings.
day-to-day behavior and the
acceptance or rejection of o Limited in studying
norms. large-scale social
structures.
 Example in Society:
Understanding concepts like o Overemphasis on
gender, race, and symbols individual reality
(e.g., the changing meaning creation, often
of the rainbow or American neglecting broader
flag). social factors.

Notable Figures
Symbolic Interactionism in o Other: Fine wine, high
Popular Culture fashion, golf, and
exclusive events like
 View of Culture: Culture is
the Cannes Film
created and maintained
Festival.
through interactions, with
meanings derived from social  Characteristics: Often has
context. historical, intellectual, or
philosophical significance
 Examples:
and is intentionally
o American Flag: sophisticated.
Different
2. Popular Culture
interpretations reflect
national pride or, for  Definition: Accessible to the
some, oppression. mass society, popular culture
includes more widely
o Rainbow Symbol:
consumed and accessible
Initially a Christian
cultural products. It tends to
symbol of hope, now
be less sophisticated than
largely associated with
high culture, making it
the LGBTQ community.
broadly appealing.
High Culture
 Examples: Pop music, TV
 Definition: Often associated shows, social media trends,
with the elite or upper class, and blockbuster movies.
high culture includes
 Characteristics: Easily
sophisticated cultural
available, often
products and practices. It's
commercialized, and less
exclusive due to factors like
exclusive.
wealth, education, and social
status. 3. Folk Culture
 Key Figures: Scholars like  Definition: Rooted in local
Matthew Arnold and F.R. traditions and usually passed
Leavis described high culture down through generations,
as the "best that has been folk culture represents the
thought and written." customs and practices of a
particular group.
 Examples:
 Characteristics: Less
o Arts: Ballet, opera,
influenced by
symphony, museums.
commercialization and
o Literature: Classical remains close to traditional
literature and poetry. values and community life.
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