Culture & Popular Culture: Vocabulary Building & Word Formation in Lecture 2, Study notes of English Literature

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Introduction to Popular Culture

Language Focus: Vocabulary Building and Word Formation Lecture 2

Learning Outcomes:

• Define and frame the concepts of “culture,’ “popular,”

and “popular culture”

• Identify the different branches of popular culture
• Discuss the relationship between Media and Pop

Culture

ELEMENTS OF CULTURE

Culture combines many elements to create a unique way of

living for different people.

• Symbols
• Language
• Values
• Norms

SYMBOLS

• A symbol is anything that is used to stand for something else. People who share a culture often attach a specific meaning to an object, gesture, sound, or image.
• For example, a cross is a significant symbol to Christians. It is not simply two pieces of wood attached to each other, nor is it just an old object of torture and execution.
• To Christians, it represents the basis of their entire religion, and they have great reverence for the symbol.
• Another example is Mano or Pagmamano.

VALUES

• It is the culture’s standard for discerning what is good and just in society.
• Values are deeply embedded and critical for transmitting and teaching a culture’s beliefs. 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.
• Values portray an ideal culture; the standards society would like to embrace and live up to.

NORMS

• Cultures differ widely in their norms, or standards and

expectations for behaving.

• Norms are often divided into two types, formal norms, and

informal norms.

- Formal norms , also called mores and laws, refer to the

standards of behavior considered the most important in any

society.

✔ Mores are the most specific, clearly stated, and strictly enforced norms that carry corresponding punishments for those that break them or fail to follow it. Examples: Rules in school, offices, society, etc.

✔ Taboos are very strong negative norms. These refer to

the prohibition of certain behavior that is so strict that

violating it results in extreme disgust and even

expulsion from the group or society.

Examples:

• Incest
• Cannibalism
• Pre-marital sex
• To be a homosexual/gay
• Eating pork among Muslims, etc.

LAYERS OF CULTURE

- The national level: associated with the nation as a whole - The regional level: associated with ethnic, linguistic, or religious differences that exist within a nation - The gender level: associated with gender differences (female vs. Male) - The generation level: associated with the differences between grandparents and parents, parents and children - The social class level: associated with educational opportunities and differences in occupation - The corporate level: associated with the particular culture of an organization. Applicable to those who are employed.

ETHNOCENTRISM vs. CULTURAL RELATIVISM

Despite how much humans have in common, cultural differences are far more prevalent than cultural universals.

It is the belief or attitude that one’s own culture is better than all others, and should therefore serve as the standard frame for reference. Some called it “cultural ignorance”.

It is the idea that a person’s beliefs, values and practices should be understood based on the person’s own culture, rather than be judged against the criteria of another.

Question

What are the common

Filipino culture and values?

Filipinos take pride in their families.

• In the Philippines, it is family first. So whether you are part of the immediate family or you belong to the fourth generation, you are treated as a family member. Sometimes, even the closest of friends are considered family, too.

Filipinos are very religious.

• In all corners of a Filipino house, you can find brazen images of crosses and other religious paraphernalia. They go to church every Sunday, or sometimes even twice or three times a week.

Filipinos help one another.

• More popularly known as bayanihan, Filipinos help one another—without expecting anything in return—so that undertaking their tasks and responsibilities become much easier. Sometimes this is called “community spirit.”

Filipinos value traditions and culture.

• For Filipinos, traditions in their home and in their family are

important. They usually set aside a specific day for a certain

celebration like festivals, birthday parties, reunions, etc. And

of course, every gathering is dedicated to keeping up with

each other over sumptuous food.

Filipinos love to eat.

• Aside from breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Filipinos manage to

squeeze in a little meal in between, too. Whether they eat

every hour or every three hours, they savour every bite.