CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION TO
POPULAR CULTURE

Main Learning Outcome:

After going through this chapter, you are

expected to:
a) Explain and differentiate fundamental
terms b) Assess idea regarding what popular
culture is.

Engage yourself!!!

1. Define and elaborate the word culture in your previous knowledge.

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Initializi
ng

Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, encompassing

language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. The Center for Advance Research on
Language Acquisition goes a step further, defining culture as shared patterns of behaviors and
interactions, cognitive constructs and understanding that are learned by socialization. Thus, it can
be seen as the growth of a group identity fostered by social patterns unique to the group. "Culture
encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what
we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with
loved ones, and a million other things," Cristina De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and
Southgate College in London, told Live Science. The word "culture" derives from a French term,
which in turn derives from the Latin "colere," which means to tend to the earth and grow, or
cultivation and nurture. "It shares its etymology with a number of other words related to actively
fostering growth," De Rossi said. A culture is learned and is passed from one generation to the
next.
Concept Grounding

Aspects of Culture:
A set of patterns of human activity within a community or social group and the symbolic
structures that give significance to such activity is called Culture. There are different aspects of
Culture such as:
1. Material Culture. Material culture refers to physical or technological aspects of our daily lives.
They are tangible in our environment (man-made) and intended for human survival. Some
example of this are: Food items, dresses, buildings and factories and other raw materials among
others. 2. Non-Material Culture. This aspect of culture refers to the cultural adjustments to
material conditions such as customs, philosophies, beliefs, governments, pattern of
communication and even ways of using the the material objects.
3. Culture Lag. It is the period of maladjustment when the non material culture is adopting to the
new normal conditions. Example of this are the ethics on privacy of censhorship on the usage of
internet.
Characteristics of Culture:
1. Culture is LEARNED. Humans are not born with genetic imprint of a particular culture.
Learning depends on the uniquely developed human capacity to use symbols, signs that have no
necessary or natural connection to the things they signify or for which they stand. Remember that
people have the power to create, remember and deal with ideas. Enculturation is the process by
which an individual learns his or her culture. It is transmitted through observation and is absorbed
unconsciously. It involves beliefs, norms and social culture, that is why it is sometimes also
referred to as socialization.
2. Culture is SHARED. Because we share culture with other members of our group, we are able to
act in socially appropriate ways as well as predict how others will act. Therefore, it affects
behavior. Culture is an attribute not of individuals per se but of individuals as members of groups.
3. Culture is based on SYMBOLS. A symbol is something that stands for something else.
Symbols vary cross
culturally and are arbitrary. They only have meaning when people in a culture agree on their use.
Language, money and art are all symbols. Language is the most important symbolic component of
culture.
4. Culture is INTEGRATED. This is known as holism, or the various parts of a culture being
interconnected. All aspects of a culture are related to one another and to truly understand a culture,
one must learn about all of its parts, not only a few. It is more than the sum of all its parts.
Economic, familial/kinship, political and social control, marriage, religious.
5. Culture is DYNAMIC. This simply means that cultures interact and change. Because most
cultures are in contact with other cultures, they exchange ideas and symbols. All cultures change,
otherwise, they would have problems adapting to changing environments. And because cultures
are integrated, if one component in the system changes, it is likely that the entire system must
adjust.
There are two processes involved when culture is changed:
a. Internal Changes or Innovations – It refer to the process of introducing an idea or object
that is new to the culture. Forms of innovation involved are discovery and invention. b. External
Changes or Cultural Diffusion – It is the process of spreading materials of culture from group or
society to another.

Culture is all-encompassing. Culture is defined anthropologically, encompasses features that are

sometimes regarded as trivial or unworthy of serious study such as popular cultures; television,
fast food restaurant, sports and games.

Culture and Nature. Cultural habits, perceptions and innovations mold human nature in many
directions.
+ People have to eat, but culture teach us what, when, where, how. (defecate squatting or
sitting down) Through science, invention and discovery, cultural advances have overcome many
natural limitations.
+ Prevention and cure of diseases. (Viagra to restore sexual potency)

Elements of Culture.
1. Language. Perhaps our most important set of symbols is language. In English, the word
chair means something we sit on. In Spanish, the word silla means the same thing. As long as we
agree how to interpret these words, a shared language and thus society are possible. By the same
token, differences in languages can make it quite difficult to communicate. According to Bill
Benzon “Language is a key symbol of any culture. Humans have a capacity for language that no
other animal species has, and children learn the language of their society just as they learn other
aspects of their culture” To what extent does language influence how we think and how we
perceive the social and physical worlds? The famous but controversial Sapir-Whorf hypothesis,
named after two linguistic anthropologists, Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf, argues that
people cannot easily understand concepts and objects unless their language contains words for
these items (Whorf, 1956). They explained that language structures thought. Language thus
influences how we understand the world around us.
2. Norms. Cultures differ widely in their norms, or standards and expectations for
behaving. We already saw that the nature of drunken behavior depends on society’s expectations
of how people should behave when drunk. Norms of drunken behavior influence how we behave
when we drink too much.
•Norms are the formal and informal rules regarding what kinds of behavior are acceptable
and appropriate within a culture.
•Norms are specific to a culture, time period, and situation.

There are two types of Norms:

a. Formal norms, also called mores (MOOR-ayz) and laws, refer to the standards of
behavior considered the most important in any society.
b. Informal norms, also called folkways and customs, refer to standards of behavior that
are considered less important but still influence how we behave. Some norms may change over
time within a given culture.
3. Rituals. Different cultures also have different rituals, or established procedures and
ceremonies that often mark transitions in the life course. As such, rituals both reflect and transmit
a culture’s norms and other elements from one generation to the next.
4. Values. Values are another important element of culture and involve judgments of what
is good or bad and desirable or undesirable. A culture’s values shape its norms. Values often
suggest how people should behave, but they don’t accurately reflect how people do behave.
Values portray an ideal culture; the standards society would like to embrace and live up to. But
ideal culture differs from real culture, the way society actually is, based on what occurs and exists.
In an ideal culture, there would be no traffic accidents, murders, poverty, or racial tension. But in
real culture, police officers, lawmakers, educators, and social workers constantly strive to prevent
or repair those accidents, crimes, and injustices.
Two Types of Values:
a. Cultural Adaptive - Contains customary activities and tools - Although humans
continue to adapt biologically, reliance on social and cultural means of adaptation has increased
during human evolution.
b. Maladaptive - Are traits, patterns, and inventions that are threat to a specific surviving
culture. Examples: The use of air conditioners and automobiles. Both can produce chemical
emissions increase air pollution, deplete the ozone layer and contribute to global warming
5. Sanctions. Sanctions are a form of social control, a way to encourage conformity to
cultural norms. Sometimes people conform to norms in anticipation or expectation of positive
sanctions: good grades, for instance, may mean praise from parents and teachers.
Level of Culture.
Anthropologists recognize three levels of culture: international, national, and subculture.
Keep in mind that while anthropologists have classified these three general patterns, it is
acknowledged that there is variation within any given culture. Even at the individual level, there
may be differences from the dominant culture. While most people don’t think about their culture at
the most general levels, these levels do impact us even if we’re not aware of it. One of the
criticisms of the culture concept is that it generalizes and stereotypes groups of people.
1. International. It refers to cultural traits that extend beyond national boundaries. These
cultural traits and patterns spread through diffusion, migration, colonization, and globalization
(Kottak and Kozaitis 2012).
2. National Culture. In contrast, national culture is the beliefs, behavior patterns, values,
cultural traits, and institutions shared within a country. National culture is most easily recognizable
in the form of symbols such as flags, logos, and colors as well as sound including national anthems
and musical styles. Regional Culture. Within the national culture, there is also popular culture. The
term popular culture refers to the pattern of cultural experiences and attitudes that exist in
mainstream society. Popular culture events might include a parade, a baseball game, or the season
finale of a television show. Rock and pop music “pop” is short for “popular” are part of popular
culture. Popular culture is often expressed and spread via commercial media such as radio,
television, movies, the music industry, publishers, and corporate-run websites.
3. Subcultures. Subcultures, another level of culture, are smaller groups of people who
share cultural traits and patterns within the same country. Subcultures have shared experiences
and common cultural distinctions, but they are a part of the larger society or cultural system.
Subcultures have their own set of symbols, meanings, and behavioral norms, which develop by
interacting with one another. Subcultures develop their own self-culture, or idioculture, that has
significant meaning to members of the group and creates social boundaries for membership and
social acceptance (Griswold 2013).
Firming up
Process Questions:

1. What is the significance of understanding culture in this contemporary world?

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Concretizing

1. In what way culture affects one’s personality?

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Reflecti
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