Popular Culture

Popular Culture

• Popular culture– Consists of large masses of people who conform to

and prescribe to ever-changing norms– Large heterogeneous groups– Often highly individualistic and groups are constantly

changing; media-influenced– Pronounced division of labor leading to

establishment of specialized professions– Police and army take the place of religion and

family in maintaining order

Differences between popular and folk culture

• Popular culture– Money based economy prevails– Replacing folk culture in industrialized

countries and many developing nations– Folk-made objects give way to their popular

equivalent• Item is more quickly or cheaply produced• Easier or time-saving to use• Lends prestige to owner

Placelessness

• Edward Relph– The loss of uniqueness of place in the cultural

landscape so that one place looks like the next

• Ethnocide – Wade Davis & Endangered Cultures

Cultural Landscape

• Carl Sauer– Reflects the values, norms, and aesthetics of

a culture

Local & Popular Culture Seen in the Cultural Landscape

• Cultural landscapes are so similar because:

1. Architecture forms + planning ideas have diffused around the world.

2. Individual businesses + products are so widespread they impact all places

3. The borrowing of idealized landscape images promotes a blurring of place distinctiveness

Diffusion of Popular Culture• Rapid Diffusion of Clothes

– Characterized by income and job characteristics– Improved communication– Exposure to folk dress due to increased travel +

television

A. Jeans-know why + how jeans became a part of popular culture

Role of TV in diffusing Popular Culture

• Significant custom because:1. Most popular leisure activity

2. Most important means by which culture is diffused

Globalization:

• The expansion of economic, political, and cultural processes to the point that they become global in scale and impact. The processes of globalization transcend state boundaries and have outcomes that vary across places and scales.

Why Does Globalization of Popular Culture Cause Problems?

• Threat to Folk Culture:– Rising income increases demand for items

valued in popular culture– Can lead to domination of folk culture

• Loss of traditional values (clothing)• Change in traditional role of women-How?• Can also cause problems in less developed

nations-increase in prostitution

Guess the Town?

Globalization of Popular Culture

• Threat of Foreign Media Imperialism– Threatens LDC’s independence– Seen as a new type of economic + cultural

imperialism – Allow governments of LDC to censor shows

and/or only program shows appropriate to traditional values

Television

Environmental Impact of Popular Culture

• Modifies nature

• Uniform landscapes – seen to generate product recognition + greater consumption

Negative Environmental Impacts (Environmental Degradation)

• Increased demand for natural resources– Depletion of resources and/or extinction of

species– Inefficient use of resources

• Pollution– Popular culture produces a lot of waste– Folk culture can also negatively impact the

environment by ignoring natural processes

Homework Questions

• Use the following slides to answer these questions on your own paper. You do not need to print the slides. There are more questions on the last slide.

1. How is evidence of folk culture seen in popular culture activities - food, clothing, sports?

2. Find examples of how popular culture replaces indigenous folk culture?

Games People Play

• Rural & Frontier America (Before 1850)– Local, Unorganized– Running, Wrestling, Weight Lifting, Shooting

• Native Americans– Shinny (field hockey)– Kickball– Lacrosse

Diffusion and sports: soccer

• English, Scots, Vikings, Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Chinese, Japanese, Toltecs, Native Americans

• Folk origin: 11th century England

• Village-wide contests

• Banned between late 1300s and 1600

Diffusion and sports: soccer

• Transition to popular culture

• Industrial Revolution: more time, income

– Professional soccer leagues (1863)

– Standardized rules

– Distinguished from rugby

Diffusion and sports: soccer

• Spread by contagious diffusion

– Exchange students from Netherlands

– English engineers to Spain

– Expatriates throughout British Empire

• Rugby modified in U.S.: American football

• Rapid spread through television

Diffusion and sports: baseball

• Based on British “rounders”

• 1846: first game with U.S. rules: leisure game for wealthy

• Contagious diffusion via Union Army

• 1871: first professional league

• 1903: first “World” Series

Diffusion and sports: baseball

• Relocation diffusion

– Via military: Japan, Caribbean

– Via elite students: Latin America

• Shifting center of population

• New leagues; real World Series?

Australia

IowaCanada

Bueos, AiresArgentina

TaiwanHong Kong

LondonVenice

Cannes, Fr

Santiago, Chile

McDonalds Photobucket

Amsterdam AthensBangkok

Netherlands

Malaysia

Estonia

Krakow, Poland

Netherlands

McDonalds Around the World

McDonald's New Zealand

Kiwiburger - A hamburger with a fried egg and slice of beet

McDonald's Uruguay

McHuevo - A hamburger with a poached egg on top

McDonald's India

Maharaja Mac"two all lamb patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun."

Veggie nuggets (with masala and chili dipping sauces)

http://www.tikifish.com/mcdonalds.html

McDonald's Japan

Teriyaki McBurger

Green Tea Shake

French Fries With Seaweed Flavouring (nori)(also in curry, mexican, and barbecue)

Chicken Tatsuta Burger (a grilled breast of chicken with a sort of ginger-soy-mayo sauce!)

Macaroni and Cheese Burger

McDonald's Thailand

Samurai Pork Burger - A sandwich marinated with teriyaki sauce.

Sweet Corn Pie

McDonalds Around the WorldMcDonald's Hong Kong

Curry Potato Pie

Red Bean Sundae

Shake Shake Fries

McDonald's Ireland

Shamrock Shake(although these have been available in the past in Canada around St. Paddy's Day,.)

McDonald's Chile

McPaltatomatoes, avocado,mayonnaise, onions and mustard

McDonald's Sabah & Malaysia

McEgg (not a mcmuffin, a BURGER)

Fried Chicken

Pineapple Pie

McDonalds Mexico

McBurrito a la Mexicana

McNifica

McDonald's Philippines

McSpaghetti - Pasta in a sauce with frankfurter bits

McDonalds Around the World

3. Why did McDonalds not diffuse to Russia until after 1990?

4. Which countries are labeled as formerly having McDonalds?

5. Explain possible reasons McDonalds has not diffused to sub-Saharan African countries?

6. Explain the type of diffusion.

7. Why do you think South Africa is the only sub-Saharan Africa country with McDonalds?