PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE

Ms. Jacel D. Gadon

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course provides the students with critical perspectives in understanding
and way of knowing popular culture in the Philippines. The course gives
emphasis on popular culture through the study of Cultural Studies with a strong
focus on culture industry; provides multi-disciplinal attention on how art can be
explored in popular culture and vice versa. This will take place by having an
introductory survey on aesthetics, critical theory and art criticism. This subject
will provide students with the necessary tools of analysis on exploring the
diverse forms of arts by utilizing the everyday contexts of power, mode of
production, representations and subjectivity as critical tropes. Pop Culture will
be fleshed out through mixed media culture such as visual culture, geography,
cinema, music/sound, popular prints and publications, radio and television,
fashion, ads, cyberspace, experience, economy etc. and look at how these
cultural products intimate the contemporary social relations and life—
specifically, the affect, feelings and senses, corporeality, performances, space
and place, technology, globalization and identities.
 Learning Outcome:
After going through this chapter, you are
expected to:
1. Explain and differentiate fundamental terms
2. Assess idea regarding what popular culture is.
3. Explain and differentiate the aspects and
characteristics of culture.
 Read, Think, Write and
Submit!
Define and elaborate the word
culture in your previous
knowledge.
 Before we proceed let’s be
familiar with this terms.

Folk culture (old ways) – refers to a culture traditionally practiced by a small, homogeneous,
rural group living in relative isolation from other groups.
Examples: the different traditions and cultures of the Philippines, Filipino folk dances,
festivals, kawayan fiestival in Abra, Panagbenga in Baguio, longganisa festival in Vigan, etc.
Flores de Mayo
High Culture – encompasses the cultural objects of aesthetic value, which a society collectively
esteem as exemplary art, and the intellectual works of philosophy, history, art, and literature that
a society consider representative of their culture.
Example: classical plays, music, opera, stage plays, paintings, masterpieces, etc.
Popular Culture (mass culture or pop culture) – literally means “the culture of the people”,
consist of the cultural elements that prevail in any given society, mainly using the most popular
media. It is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of the practices, beliefs, and
objects that are dominant or prevalent in a society at a given point in time. It is also
encompassing
the activities and feelings produced as a result of interaction with these dominant objects.
Examples: social networking/internet, pop music, reality shows, new trends.
WHAT IS CULTURE?
 The word culture was
derived 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.
Culture consists of the beliefs, behaviors, objects, and
other characteristics common to the members of a
particular group or society. Through culture, people and
groups define themselves, conform to society's shared
values, and contribute to society. Thus, culture includes
many societal aspects: language, customs, values, norms,
mores, rules, tools, technologies, products, organizations,
and institutions.
A culture is learned and is passed from one
generation to the next.
 A culture consists of the “objects” of a society,
whereas a society consists of the people who share a
common culture.
 Being cultured means being well‐
educated, knowledgeable of the arts,
stylish, and well‐mannered.
 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 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 material
objects.
3. Cultural Lag. It is the period of maladjustment when the non-material
culture is adopting to the new normal conditions. Example of this is the
ethics on privacy of censorship on the usage of internet.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE:
1.Culture is learned
2.Culture is shared
3.Culture is based on symbols
4.Culture is integrated
5.Culture is dynamic
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.
 ELEMENTS OF CULTURE
Culture combines many elements to create a unique way of living way of living for
different people.
1. SYMBOLS. A symbol is anything that is used to understand for something else.
People who share a culture often attach a specific meaning to an object, gesture, sound,
or image.
Ex. Mano or Pagmamano
2. LANGUAGE. It is a system of words and symbols used to communicate, with other
people. This includes full language as we usually think of them, such as English,
Tagalog, etc. But also includes body language, slang, and common phrases that are
unique to certain groups of people.
Ex. Cultural languages, lip pointing, nodding and raising eyebrows with smile, silent
looks
 ELEMENTS OF CULTURE
3. VALUES. It is the culture standard for discerning what is good and just in society. Values
are deeply embedded and critical for transmitting and teaching a culture’s belief. It helps
shape a society by suggesting what is good and bad, beautiful and ugly, sought or avoided.
Values often suggest how people should behave, but they don’t accurately reflect how people
do behave. It portray an ideal culture; the standards society would like to embrace and live up
to.
Ex. The term Bahala na
4. NORMS. Cultures differ widely in their norms, or standards and expectations for having.
2 Types of Norms:
a. Formal Norms
- also called mores 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.
 LAYERS OF CULTURE
1. The national level - associated with the nation as a whole.
2. The regional level - associated with ethnic, linguistic, or religious
differences that exist within a nation.
3. The gender level - associated with the differences between
grandparents and parents, parents and children.
4. The social class level – associated with educational opportunities and
differences in occupation.
5. The corporate level – associated with the particular culture of an
organization. Applicable to those who are employed
 ETHNOCENTRISM
VERSUS

CULTURAL RELATIVISM
 CULTURAL RELATIVISM
 It is the idea that a person’s belief, values and
practices should be understood based on the person’s
own culture, rather than be judged against the criteria of
another.
 Is the principle of regarding and valuing the practices
of a culture from the point of view of that culture and to
avoid making hasty judgments.
 Example: food choices
 ETHNOCENTRISM
 It is the belief or attitude that one’s own culture is better than
all others should therefore serve as the standard frame for
reference.
 Evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions
originating in the standards and customs of one’s own culture.
 In social science and anthropology – means to apply one’s own
culture or ethnicity as a frame of reference to judge other
cultures, practices, behaviors, beliefs, and people instead of
using the standards of the culture involved.
 Example; Asian cultures across all the countries of Asia – way
of eating- chopsticks, using forks, spoons, knives, etc.
Ethnocentrism is judging other cultures based
on the preconceptions originating in standards
and customs of one’s own culture. In contrast,
cultural relativism is the notion that a culture
should be understood on its own terms, not
using standards of another culture.
WHAT IS POPULAR CULTURE?
Popular Culture also known as mass culture and pop culture
 Generally recognized by members of a society as a set
of the practices, beliefs and objects that are dominant or
ubiquitous in a society at a given point of time.
 Heavily influenced in modern times by mass media.
 It has a way of influencing an individual’s attitudes
towards certain topics.
 WHAT ARE THE
CULTURES THAT WE
HAVE?
DISCUSSION
The culture of the Philippines comprises a blend of traditional Filipino and Spanish
Catholic traditions, with influences from America and other parts of Asia. The
Filipinos are:
 family oriented
 Often religious with an appreciation for art, fashion, music and food.
 Very resilient (In times of calamities and catastrophes, we always to manage to
rise above the challenges. Instead of wallowing, we manage to pick ourselves up
and smile)
 Take pride in our family. Family is the center of social structure. (In the
Philippines, it is family first. We used to have the so called Extended family.
 Very religious
 Very respectful. From the moment we were born into this world, they are already
taught
how to be respectful by using simple catchphrases – po and opo, words that end
sentences when addressing elders.
• Have a culture of pagmamano – which is where they raise the backs of the
hands of their
elders to their foreheads as a sign of respect.
• Help one another. Popularly known as bayanihan or “community spirit” –
helping one another without expecting anything in return.
• Usually set aside a specific day for a certain celebration like festivals,
birthday parties, reunions, etc. in every gathering is dedicated to keeping
up with each other over sumptuous food.
• Have the longest Christmas celebrations.
• Love art and architecture. They have a penchant for bringing art and
architecture to a whole new level. They love to design creatively, to think
intuitively, and have a passion for anything different and unique.