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Overview of Pop Culture
MODULE OVERVIEW
What do you do after you go home from school? Do you open your phone and listen
to the top 10 hottest songs of the week? Or do you lie in bed and watch a new movie on
Netflix? Or do you just surf the web for local and global news? Or would you rather be
productive and just turn off your phone? If you are the type of person who would prefer to
be productive, then props to you!
The point is that no matter how unaware you are, you consume pop culture because
it is everywhere. Because of how influential pop culture has become, you cannot overlook
its presence. This module introduces pop culture and gives examples. Additionally, you will
learn the distinctions between folk culture and high culture.
MODULE LEARNING OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
● Understand the concept of pop culture;
● Identify the differences among pop culture, folk culture, and high culture;
● Acknowledge the influence of pop culture in their daily lives;
● Create a short video that portrays the essence of pop culture.
LEARNING CONTENTS
Overview of Pop Culture
Popular Culture are the things that were made
for and often by the vast majority of society that is
excluded one way or another from elite circles or think
of some of the debates that have come up in what so
called popular culture around things like authenticity,
ownership and cultural appropriation those
conversations happening in homes, workplaces and
communities. Looking at popular culture means looking
at how structural conditions interact with ordinary
people’s creativity, intelligence and agency that shapes
what they produce, what they consume and how they
live our culture day by day.
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What is popular is regarded with favor, approval
or affection by people in general. It is intended
or suited for the general masses of people.
Culture is a vague concept in anthropology
which usually means a way of life shared by a
group of people. In other times it was described
as creations of that group of people like art,
music, food and those things often get called as
culture.Hence, popular culture is the set of
habits, beliefs and objects that expresses a
social system.
Examples of Popular Culture
The influence of pop culture is everywhere. One way or another, pop culture has
influenced the music you listen to, the films you watch, and even some of the clothes you
wear. Drew (2023) has enumerated some general categories that popular culture has
influenced, along with some specific examples.
Here are the general categories that Drew (2023) listed:
Media Toys Music Sports
Dance Food Literature Clothing
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Folk Culture & High Culture
Culture is one of the most complicated words to ever exist. Culture encompasses a
wide range of elements, such as customs, beliefs, and many more. As a result, most people
describe culture as a certain group's way of life or just the way of living. The complexity of
culture is evident as it encompasses not only pop culture but also other types such as folk
culture and high culture.
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Folk Culture
Thompson (2022) defined folk culture as the day-to-day
practices of ordinary local people, often rooted in long-standing
traditions that are specific and unique to that one place.
Thompson also mentioned the oral transmission of these
traditions.
According to Philosophy Now (n.d.), folk culture is the
traditional way of living. It portrays a simpler lifestyle that is
generally conservative, largely self-sufficient, and often
characteristic of rural life that discourages innovative changes.
Folk culture and pop culture are completely different from
each other; while the former one prefers an unchanging view of
the world, pop culture always tries to find something new and
fresh that will keep the general public happy.
However, thousands of folk cultures exist worldwide, each completely unique. To
sum it up for you, Thompson (2022) summarized folk culture as “[the] lived experience [of
people] and is usually locally based, in one place rather than global.”
Some examples of folk culture are folk dances, traditional music, arts and crafts,
myths, folklores, and many more.
High Culture
If there is a culture that represents the simple
ways of the locals and a culture that depicts
the joy of the masses, then there will also be
a culture that displays the sophisticated world
of the elites.
Thompson (2022) defined high culture as
products that are seen as the epitome of
creative accomplishment and thus have a
higher status in society. You might be under
the impression that this feels very "elite," but
according to Thompson, this elitism is an
important part of high culture.
In addition, Philosophy Now (n.d.) stated that one trait of pop culture is its
accessibility to the masses. However, high culture is not created for the masses. The
products here in high culture often require years of training, experience, and reflection in
order for you or other people to appreciate them.
Some examples of high culture include classical music, opera and ballet, classical
literature and historical works of art and sculptures, and many more.
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The Essence of Pop Culture
Have you ever heard on the news that when Manny Pacquiao fights, there is a
drastic drop in crime rates? Manny Pacquiao is a well-known boxer in the Philippines, and
many aspiring athletes hold him in high regard, and if he could reduce the crime rates in the
Philippines during his fights, then is that not just marvelous? However, that is not really the
case.
The picture only shows one specific city where the crime rate has decreased. Having
said that, it is difficult to draw a general conclusion that the same is true throughout the
entire nation. However, that is still delightful news to hear. Because even for just a few
hours, the whole nation was silently watching, but their hearts were screaming like thunder
as they watched a single man raise the banner of the Philippines on an international stage.
It is at these moments that the essence of pop culture really shines. It allows people
to unify as one, disregarding all of their social statuses, conflicts, and problems, and join
together as they cheer for a man who they want to emerge victorious for their country's
sake.
ACTIVITIES
Activity 1: Answer Me!
Directions: To show your understanding of the module, you must answer the questions
that the teacher is asking below.
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Activity 2: My Unique Traits!
Directions: In these tables, write down the traits of the cultures discussed that make them
different from one another.
Folk Culture Pop Culture High Culture
Activity 3: My Essence!
Directions: The class will be divided into 5 groups. Their task is to create a 2-5 minute video
portraying the real essence of pop culture in today’s modern world.
Rubrics
Needs
Excellent Great Good Satisfactory
Improvement
(5) (4) (3) (2)
(1)
The content is
The content is The content is
The content is mostly clear
The content is partially unclear unclear or
exceptionally and accurate. It
clear and and inaccurate mostly
Message & clear, accurate, has some
accurate and with significant inaccurate,
Content and thoroughly minor gaps
addresses the gaps in failing to
addresses the when
topic well. addressing the address the
topic. addressing the
topic. topic.
topic.
The video The video has
The video is The video lacks
The video is shows some minimal
creative with creativity with
creative with creativity with creativity,
Creativity original ideas no original
original ideas few original relying on
and unique ideas or
and visuals. ideas or common ideas
visuals. visuals.
visuals. or visuals.
All the Only one or two
Most of the Half of the Less than half
members of the members
members have members of the group
group have a actually
Collaboration a role to play in participated in participated in
role to play in participated in
creating their creating their creating the
creating their creating their
video. video. video.
video. video.
The narration is
The narration is The narration is The narration is unclear and
clear and highly clear and The narration is partially unclear lacks
engaging. The engaging with mostly clear but or engaging. engagement.
delivery is good pacing could be more The delivery is The delivery is
Delivery &
polished with and engaging. It uneven with poor with
Narration
excellent expression. lacks pacing, issues in significant
pacing, tone, The delivery tone, and pacing, tone, issues in
and supports the expression. and pacing, tone,
expression. video well. expression. and
expression.
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Drew, C. (2023, September 19). 25 best pop culture Examples (A to Z list). Helpful Professor.
https://helpfulprofessor.com/pop-culture-examples/
Philosophy Now. (n.d.). Pop Culture: An Overview | Issue 64 | Philosophy Now.
https://philosophynow.org/issues/64/Pop_Culture_An_Overview
Resor, C. (2023, December 27). Popular culture isn’t a new thing: considering the present by
examining the past - social studies. Social Studies.
https://www.socialstudies.com/blog/popular-culture-isnt-a-new-thing/
Thompson, K. (2022, October 14). Four types of culture - ReviseSociology. ReviseSociology - A
level sociology revision - education, families, research methods, crime and deviance and
more! https://revisesociology.com/2022/10/14/four-types-of-culture/
Written Report by:
Bulatao, Keselene M.
Bulseco, Raven Jay N.
Submitted to:
Assoc. Prof. Salome M. Montemayor
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