...Since the genesis of human cognitive function, religion has been one the crucial pieces of fabric woven into the thread of culture. Before I was able to take my first steps, the fabric of religion was woven into my life. With my grandmother as a Christian minister in training and my great-uncle as a pastor, the church has stuck with my family and I like glue. As I grew older, at the suggestion of my grandmother, I began to insert myself more in ministerial activities. Consequently, at the age of sixteen, I began to volunteer with my great-uncle, at a local nursing home. Each Sunday, for a year and a half, we would minister to approximately twenty residents who wanted to attend church but were physically unable to. Seeing the smiles on their faces, as well as developing a sense of fulfillment and amity, encouraged me to continue to work in the ministry....
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...Week 8: The Politics of Popular Culture | | |Lesson Content | | | |[pic][pic]Lecture Notes 8 | | | |Chapter 10 Storey (2010) Lecture Notes | |This book has outlines the history of the relationship between cultural theory and popular culture. | |- The study of popular culture has changed over time as theories are developed within the context of historical and | |political conditions | |o There is no singular approach (or agreement) on what popular culture is, how it is to be understood, and how it is best | |studied | |o The theoretical approaches to the study of popular culture sometimes complement each other, and they sometimes contradict...
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...Both the satiric piece “Bitches Ain’t Shit But Hoes and Tricks” and study: “Gangsta Misogyny: A Content Analysis of the Portrayals of Violence Against Women in Rap Music 1987-1993” serve a purpose to change the way women are portrayed in popular culture. These pieces effectively point out the fact that women are looked upon in a very negative light, though one is conducted as a study and the other is satire. The satirical piece also pokes fun at other aspects in popular culture. Beginning with the title, “Study Confirms That Bitches, As Suspected, Ain’t Shit But Hoes and Tricks” the piece pokes fun at common culture as well as academia because of the outlandish study. However, looking deeper into the article it is apparent that the piece exploits the way that society displays women as its main topic. The piece points out that this negative view isn’t a new idea as “Shakespeare used the sentence “Wenches art naut beside harlots and strumpets” in his private works, but it had never been presented publicly.” This gives a timeframe to the crisis. This piece really brings up the issue, however it lacks the resolve and seriousness needed to make a change. The study: “Gangsta Misogyny: A Content Analysis of the Portrayals of Violence Against Women in Rap Music 1987-1993” gives a better analysis of the same problem brought up in the satirical piece. This work is presented in a much different way and offers much more evidence and explanation supporting its claims. This piece states that...
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...Running head: RACIALIZED REPRESENTATIONS OF FEMALE BEAUTY 1 Racialized Representations of Female Beauty in Popular Culture (Name) University of New Mexico RACIALIZED REPRESENTATIONS OF FEMALE BEAUTY Racialized Representations of Female Beauty in Popular Culture 2 For the past 22 years People magazine has composed a list of the 50 most beautiful people. The list typically includes movie and television stars, musicians, British royalty, models, and television personalities. Every year the magazine crowns the year’s “most beautiful” and features them on the cover. Of the 22 most beautiful 19 have been women and out of the 19 women 16 have been White. This signals to People’s readers that beautiful means White and everything else does not equate beauty. However, this is not unique to People or even magazines like it, but instead represents a larger trend that is present in all forms of Western popular culture. In the various mediums of popular culture, ideologies about female beauty are exceedingly prevalent and constantly managed and reproduced. These ideologies carry with them the notion that in order to obtain ideal female beauty one must be very thin, young, have long hair, and wear expensive or revealing clothing (Stern, 2004). In addition to this there is also a raced definition of beauty, which predominates Western popular culture and dictates that White women with light hair and eye color can only attain true beauty. By looking closely at fashion magazines...
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...Music in Different Cultures Popular Music and Contemporary U.S. Culture Popular Music in its Many Facets In its broadest sense, popular music is an umbrella term referring to a vast range of commercially mass-marketed musical genres contrasting with classical or art music and intended for mass consumption (e.g., rock, rock and roll, hip-hop, grunge, heavy metal, rhythm and blues, punk, soul, techno, funk, rap, house). This wide-ranging term encompasses a plethora of musical styles involving various rhythms, vocal styles, instruments, and technologies. Characteristically, popular music is a global cultural phenomenon and an accessible form of commercial music aimed at a worldwide audience. Traditionally, British and American forms of popular music have tended to dominate the industry. Corresponding to social, economic, and technological change, popular music is intimately linked to the identity of musicians, performers, or artists, as well as audiences and fans. Popular music is ubiquitous; from shopping malls and advertising to gymnasiums/fitness classes and political campaigns, popular music is a common feature of people's everyday lives and a significant aspect of consumer culture. For fans and enthusiasts, popular music can be a leisure-time pursuit occurring on evenings or weekends; alternatively, it can constitute a lifestyle, or way of life (e.g., Deadheads—a group of fans of the American band Grateful Dead who saw the band at...
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...Reflection Two How can one define deviance in a society? Who is considered to be a deviant? In a society, deviance is any behavior or belief that violates the culture’s norms. However, the norms constantly change as the popular culture continues to transform with time. Mass media, on the other hand, is what constantly spreading and influence popular culture as it has becomes part of nearly everyone’s daily life. Since deviance depends in the current culture’s norms, which involves a large group of people in a society, one can say that it learned at a macro level. Therefore, mass media plays an important role in defining deviance socially as it sends powerful messages that spread popular culture to its targeted audience. There are several theories surrounding deviance. One should understand these theories to understand how the media plays apart in defining and promoting social deviance. Three theories that explain deviance are the Strain theory, Opportunity theory and Control theory. While each theory has its own unique analysis on deviance, one similarity they all share is that deviance is the result of unachieved goals through the normal accepted means. As a result, the pursuer of goals will rely on means that the society may not accept. The society will label those who do not follow the norm deviant. However, the label deviance is subjected differently between different groups in the society. While one large group in the society may accept a norm, other groups may not. For...
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...Guide College of Humanities SOC/105 Version 5 Introduction to Popular American Culture | |Copyright © 2011, 2010, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This is an introductory course on modern American culture. The course focuses on the interactions between social forces such as advertising, media, and lifestyle and cultural trends in modern American society. Students are asked to cast a critical eye on current trends and changes in our culture. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Petracca, M., & Sorapure, M. (2007). Common culture: Reading and writing about American popular culture (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. All electronic materials are available on the student website. |Week One: Overview of Culture ...
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...WHAT SIGNS OF MOD CULTURE ILLUSTRATE A DOMINANCE OF MASCULINE AND EUROPEAN INFLUENCE SEEN THROUGH THE CREATIVE MEDIUMS OF PHOTOGRAPHY, MUSIC AND FASHION? Danny Lowe A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the degree BA (Hons) Fashion Photography London College of Fashion University of the Arts London Date: 15th April 2012 i Declaration I, Danny Lowe, certify that this is an original piece of work. I have acknowledged all sources and citation. No section of this literature review has been plagiarised. Signed: ….......................................................................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract List of Illustrations Introduction Methodology Literature Review Chapter 1: Chapter 2: Chapter 3: Historical and Cultural Contexts – Defining the 'Mod' and Youth Cultures in Post WWII Britain Americanisation – Music, Motives and Movement The Signs of Style iv v vi ix xi xi xvii xxi xxii xxiv xxvi xxviii xxix xxxii Interpretative Analysis Photography: Music: Fashion Conclusion Bibliography Appendix iii Abstract The purpose of this research study is to identify the signs of masculinity and European influence that dominated aspects of 'Modernist', or Mod, culture and lifestyle. The Mod is a British subculture which developed in the 1960's. The first stage of this study involves introducing the subcultural theories attributed to the Mod...
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...but their relationship remains unchanged, you have spectacle. But if one is altered by the other, then you have drama.” Johnston (1979). In every drama, there’s always a thing called elements of drama. The elements of drama is like an analysis of it, it tells us how the play goes on and how it will end. The elements of drama consist of four main parts and they are Plot, Character, Setting and Theme. Drama doesn’t mean vulgarity, it is a source to promote any society culture. A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. Culture, then, is a study of perfection, and perfection which insists on becoming something rather than in having something, in an inward condition of the mind and spirit, not in an outward set of circumstances. 1.1: Culture Culture is a word for people’s way of life, meaning the way groups do things. Different groups of people may have different cultures. A culture is passed on to the next generation by learning, whereas genetics are passed on by heredity. Culture is seen in people's writing, religion, music, clothes, cooking, and in...
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...1.) Three Properties of Culture * Symbolic – stands/means for something * Socially constructed – created by society * Embodied in form – person, objects, visual, audio, language, nonverbal gestures 2.) Four means of understanding the “popular” aspect of popular culture * Well-liked * Measured by success usually in ratings and sales * Well-known * Recognized globally * Example: Paris Hilton * Targets a general wide audience (“mass culture”) * Commercial media that is for general consumption * Directed to the common people * Belongs to the people * Invokes a individuals tradition and roots 3.) Cool hunters are people who go around looking for the next person that is considered cool and what will be the start of a next new trend. They research the underground trends of fashion-forward youth in order to appropriate them for mass consumption. The triumphant circularity of cool hunting refers to: * No coherent philosophy of cool * Can’t manufacture cool, only observe it * Must be cool to know cool * Look for people first and cool things later 4.) 5.) The functionalist approach argues that the explanation for popular culture is our obsession with “mass entertainment” in terms of their social uses or their function in generating solidarity among individuals within large and anonymous communities. It also emphasizes how the symbols, rituals, and practices surrounding its production and consumption...
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...Television and technology; 5. Television history; 6. Viewer, audiences: I, We, They. Why study television? People wrote about television as a general media. There was a certain resistance to the study of TV. To study popular culture was parallel to the fear of the death of high culture. Umberto Eco (1964) and others gave special attention to TV and other “minor arts”. The interest in the study of reader/receiver increased in the 60’s in the universe of high culture and the academy. R.Barthes – encode/decode. Later the canonization of popular mass culture in Anglo-American countries changed the vision of the society about the TV. In the US they reflected about the industry. Cultural industries – television is culture but it’s also an industry. If we think in Hollywood as a dream factory we have also a culture industry. Nowadays popular culture is a part of our life. Common sense and TV – resisting the analysis of television is also a consequence of commons sense. But there is a paradox: it is so easy to watch that it becomes difficult to analyze. TV is inscribed in daily life. TV is transparent. Popular culture, namely TV, has a supposed transparency: what I see is what it looks likely to be. It’s so easy that it resists analysis, but what is easy to watch is as complex as any other phenomenon. Kracauers perspective – “The Mass Ornament”, 1931 * Analyses of widely read books are an artifice to investigate social strata whose structure cannot be...
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...The commercialization and commodification of this Visual Art shapes perceptions of visual cultures and visual communication. Art is therefore a reflection of a society influenced by ones own self concepts and experiences. – Differences + Value = Meaning society puts to define differences. Though Art is popular culture, John Stoy defines popular culture as an empty conceptual category, one that can be filled in a wide variety of often conflicting ways, depending on the context of use (Cultural Theory and Popular Culture Pg. 1. 1998) Process of defending popular culture. * Smaller number of people engaging in what the way of life is. * Raymond Williams – ‘Popular’ term developed as a kind of negative condition, of the ‘Common People’ – ‘loud, vulgar based’ by the late 18th century associated with widespread usage.’ Shift-negaive to (positive) popular of definition to (culture) popular culture. * Inference that popular culture is negative (initially) * Issues of authenticity very important * Issues of comodification and commercial item. * John Fiske 1989 – ‘Popular culture is formed always in reaction to and never as part of the forces of domination’ * Popular culture as residual culture (what is left) after what is deemed necessary. * Mass culture – commercial culture * Authentic culture of the people * Story – ‘Popular culture is a sight of struggle. - Political dimension between subordinate groups...
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...and disadvantages. One of the effects globalisation has that is visible is that communication has become wide spread. Over the last few years, magazines, newspapers, the internet and television have spread news worldwide and helped people come together. Globalisation is the growing interdependence of the world with the spread of culture, goods and economics globally. One of the effects of globalisation is that the there are less national media outlets, as the majority are now international due to globalisation increasing over the last thirty years, the media conglomerates are now dominating as the media is dominated by only a small number of corporations, meaning the content available globally is not varied as society thinks. From globalisation media outlets have become international, and this has an effect on the role of the media, which is that it is promoting only one culture as a viable choice, the American culture, as many things that are globalised and known worldwide as from the states, for example Apple, McDonald’s and Disney are a few to name. Most of the corporations are American based, which is the reason likely why it is the American culture being the only choice as more power is set in that one country. This is restricting the power that the consumers and other people have, and giving majority, to the elite, the owners/corporations. Pluralist view is that the media is driven by the consumers, and that there are many different competitors trying to get profit through...
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...Written Analysis 5 For my popular culture topic I chose to analyze what others think about the TV show CSI. Though the previous four written analysis’ I have a better understanding of what they do think of the show after applying the aspects of this class. I found out through the first written analysis that many people believe that real life crime scene investigators really do everything that is portrayed in the TV show. However, that is just a myth. Real crime scene investigators are the individuals in the lab running tests on evidence that law enforcement collects and gives to them to test. They do not make arrests either. That is also left up to law enforcement. I also learned that forensic science has become a pop culture icon because of the show. It has made a lot of individuals to take college courses to learn more about it and to even change careers because they want to be just like the characters on the show. In the second written analysis I depicted that the show has a stereotype about crime scene investigators. The show portrays them as the crime solver. This is simply not true. Real crime scene investigators simply analyze the evidence in labs. Law enforcement is the ones who solve the crimes. They use the analysis of the evidence from the crime scene investigators to solve the crimes and to arrest the ones who committed the crime. In written analysis three, it was hard to decide if the characters in the show were heroes or not. But, if you look at the show...
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...When I Grow Up: An Analytical Study of the Interpretations of Children on Pop Culture Elements found in Selected TV Commercials “TV takes our children across the globe before parents give them permission to cross the streets.” - Joshua Meyrowitz BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Advertising is a form of mass communication strategy created to promote the purchase of a certain product, message, or service in the market. It carries the messages that come to you from the people who pay for the media (Biagi, 2001, p. 227). It is also an act of popularizing something through mass media to attract the attention of the consumers, audiences, or mainly the public for higher sales and marketability. Tracing through the history, evidences of advertising is said to have started thousands of years before when people started trading things for survival. Thus, the rise of technology, industrialization, and capitalism triggered the success of advertising in the heightening state of competition worldwide and in every aspect; from commodities, to people and politics. The industrial revolution, according to some historians, is the root of commercial advertising (Campbell, 2002, p. 387). Because of the continuous occurrence of new products in the market and there is a need to sell them off instantly, businessmen tried the concept of large scale advertising to sell more. Over the time, manufacturers realized that if their products were distinctive and became associated with quality, customers...
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