W2- What is Popular Culture (SOC 120)

8/12/2019 W2- What is Popular Culture (SOC 120)

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/w2-what-is-popular-culture-soc-120 1/14

S o c i o l o g yo f t h eM e d i aS O C 1 2 0

W h a t i sP o p u l a rC u l t u r e ?

T h e o r i e s & P e r s p e c t i v e s



C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f

C u l t u r e

Culture is Shared

Culture is Learned

Culture is Symbolic

Culture is Taken forGranted

Culture Varies AcrossTime & Place

Pop-Cultural Theory



D e f i n i t i o n s o f

Q u a n t i t a t i v e D e f i n i t i o n – Those cultural products that areconsumed by the largest sum ofpeople within a society

High/Low Culture Definition – The cultural products “left -over”after we have determined what

is considered “high -culture” M a s s C u l t u r e D e f i n i t i o n –

The commercially, massproduced products intended forpassive mass consumption

Neo-Gramscian Defini t ion – A site of struggle between the“resistance” of subordinategroups in society and the forcesof “incorporation” operating inthe interests of dominant groupsin society

Pop-Cultural Theory



D e f i n i t i o n s o f

Neo-Gramscian Defini t ion –

A site of struggle between the“resistance” of subordinategroups in society and the forcesof “incorporation” operating inthe interests of dominant groupsin society

Pop-Cultural Theory

P o p u l a rC u l t u r e



C o n c e p t s o f

H y p e r r e a l i t y

A t e r m u s e d t o d e s c r i b e ah y p o t h e t i c a l i n a b i l i t y o fc o n s c i o u s n e s s t o d i s t i n g u i s hr e a l i t y f r o m a s i m u l a t i o n o fr e a l i t y

t r i c k s c o n s c i o u s n e s s i n t od e t a c h i n g f r o m a n y r e a le m o t i o n a l e n g a g e m e n t , i n s t e a do p t i n g f o r a r t i f i c i a l s i m u l a t i o n ,a n d e n d l e s s r e p r o d u c t i o n s o ff u n d a m e n t a l l y e m p t y a p p e a r a n c e .

Pop-Cultural Theory

The "Twilight" Phenomena

http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_7/The%20%22Twilight%22%20Phenomena

http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_7/The%20%22Twilight%22%20Phenomena



M a s s M e d i a A n a l y s i sF r a m e s (Goffman):

Basic cognitive structures which guide theperception and representation of reality

Pop-Cultural Theory



F r a m i n g :The social construction of a social phenomenonby mass media sources or specific political orsocial movements or organizations

Pop-Cultural Theory

B a s i c Q u e s t i o n s :

1. Who is Represented withthe Frame?

2. How are they Representedin the Frame?

3. Who is being Left-Out of theFrame ?

M a s s M e d i a A n a l y s i s



T h e o r y i n P r a c t i c e

A p p ly th e Ma i n Qu e s t i o n s o f FrameAnalys i s t o t h e f o l l o w i n g v i d e o

Scene from "Twilight"

Pop-Cultural Theory

http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_7/Scene%20from%20%22Twilight%22

http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_7/Scene%20from%20%22Twilight%22



A g e n t s o f S t o r y t e l l i n g

P r o d u c e r s o f S t o r i e s :these are the story tellers whowrite lengthy works in which theyexplore their inner humannatures. These are the peoplewho provide life histories

Coaxers, Coaches, and Coercers :these people possess

(momentarily) the power toprovoke stories from people.

Consumers, Readers, Audiences :these people consume thestories, that is, interpret and makesense of them

Pop-Cultural Theory




I d e n t i f y t h e A g e n t s i n v o l v e d i n t h e c r e a t i o n o ft h e “ Tw i l i g h t ” s t o r y b a s e d o n t h e

S o c i o l o g y o f S t o r y - t e l l i n g

T I M E I n t e r v i e w - S t e p h e n i e M e y e r

T h e o r y i n P r a c t i c ePop-Cultural Theory

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_17kgVcHzy8









P o s i t i o n i n gThe discursive process whereby selves are locatedin conversations as observably and subjectivelycoherent participants in jointly produced storylines(Davies and Harre, 1990)

M a i n P r e c e p t s :

1. An individual’s position in space isever-changing , even if only bydegrees

2. Positioning typically takes place inconversations; Social interactions

3. Within this positioning we oftenattempt to position others

4. The positions tend to be taken upaccording to an unfolding narrative .

Pop-Cultural Theory




S u b j e c t P o s i t i o n sIncorporates both a conceptual repertoire and a locationfor persons within the structure of rights for those that usethat repertoire. Central to acquiring a sense of self andinterpreting the world from that perspective is the learningof categories (Davies and Harre, 1990).

M a i n P r e c e p t s :1. Individuals identify social categories

within a social setting/environment2. Once identified, individuals assign

meanings to the categories throughdiscursive practices

3. The self is then positioned in relation tothe storylines that are articulated aroundthose categories

4. The individual recognizes oneself as'belonging' to that position throughadopting a 'world-view ' based on said

category

Pop-Cultural Theory




B i t e M e : A N e w T e e n a g e T r e n d

A p p l y t h e M a i n P r e c e p t s o f S u b j e c tP o s i t i o n i n g t o t h e f o l l o w i n g v i d e o

T h e o r y i n P r a c t i c ePop-Cultural Theory

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWO7PXhCZ94&feature=related













W2- What is Popular Culture (SOC 120)

Documents

Transcript of W2- What is Popular Culture (SOC 120)