PPC 122 – PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE

I. INTRODUCTION TO PHIL. POP CULTURE 3. Norms – standards and expectations for popular culture
behaving  Diverse people as a “collectively”
A. Popular Culture  Formal Norms – mores and laws; as a result of common or popular
 Vernacular of people’s culture that standards of behavior that is forms of expression
predominates in a society at a point in considered as the most important 2. Industrialization
time in any society (e.g., traffic laws,  Brought with its mass production
 Involves the aspect of social life most school rules, community  Developments in transportation
actively involved in by public (Brummet) ordinances) and technology; increase literacy;
 Influences and mirrors people’s everyday  Informal Norms – also called emergence of efficient forms of
engagement in life folkway and customs; standard of commercial printing
 Determined by the interaction between behavior that are less important
people in their activities: style of dress, but still influences how we behave ✓ In the 20th century, the print industry
use of slang, greeting rituals, foods they (e.g., table manners, phone mass-produced illustrated newspapers
eat, etc. etiquette, public ride manners, and periodicals, as well as serialized
 Mass culture and commercial culture etc.) novels and detective stories. Films,
 Mass produces for mass consumption 4. Rituals – established procedures and broadcast radio and television have
and the audience is a mass of non- ceremonies that often mark transitions profound influence on culture.
discriminating audience in the life course ✓ Since 1700s urbanization,
 Consists of the aspects of attitude, industrialization, the mass media and the
behavior, beliefs, customs and tastes that C. Examples of Popular Culture continuous growth in technology have
define the people of any society.  Music been significant factors in the formation
 Products and forms of expressions and  Print of popular culture and continue to be
identity that are frequently encountered  Cyber culture factors that shape popular culture today.
or widely accepted, commonly liked or  Sports
approved and characteristic of a  Entertainment II. FOLK/LOW CULTURE AND HIGH CULTURE
particular society at a given time  Leisure
 Advertising A. Folk/Low Culture
B. Elements of Culture  Television  Represents the traditional way of doing
1. Symbol – something else and often things.
evokes various reactions and emotions D. Formation of Popular Culture  Not amenable to change and is more
(e.g., 3 stars and a sun) 1. Urbanization – static.
2. Language – key symbol of any culture  Key ingredient in the formation of  Represents a simpler lifestyle, that is
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PPC 122 – PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE

generally conservative, more sophistication of high culture. unique. Then it becomes popular.
characteristic of rural life.
 Radical innovation is generally D. Sources of Popular Culture IV. THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE ON CULTURE
discouraged.  Mass media
 Group members are expected to  Popular music A. Top Trends in Society and Culture
conform to traditional modes of behavior  Film  Speeding-up
adopted by the community.  Television o Thanks to the speedy technology,
 Local in orientation  Radio we can multi-task
 Non-commercial  Video games o The result is stress, anxiety, lack of
 Books sleep, work-life imbalance, etc.
B. High Culture  Internet  Demographic Change
 Not mass produced, nor meant for mass o In Europe, 25% of the population is
consumption.  Professional entities also influence the already aged 65
 It belongs to social elite: fine arts, opera, popular culture. Such sources include: o The population density in the
theatre, and high intellectualism are 1. News media Philippines is high, but the
associated with the upper 2. Scientific and scholarly publications distribution of the population is
socioeconomic classes. 3. ‘Expert’ opinion uneven
 Items of high culture often require  These are useful in influencing the public  Anxiety
extensive experience, training, or and create their collective opinion. It o Spread of Terrorism
reflection to be appreciated. becomes the starting point of differing  Global and Local
 Such items seldom cross over to the opinion. o Globalization is the huge trend
popular culture domain. o Ex: posting/sending viewers o Future will then be locals
reaction or opinion during live cast o If we all run out of our resources,
C. Similarities to be shared in public. we will adopt more our local way
 Mass participation is involved.  Individualism: The contradictory source  Happiness
 People of the same community (country) of popular culture. o We work harder for a long period
 According to Tim Delaney (2007), Urban of time but still can’t but
Popular Culture: culture has not only provided a common happiness
1. is its accessibility to the masses. ground for the masses, it has inspired  Authenticity
2. Culture of the people ideals of individualistic aspirations. o We are subjected to multiple
3. Generally looked down upon as being Moreover, once a unique style becomes truths
superficial when compared to the adopted by others, it ceases to remain
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PPC 122 – PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE

B. Theoretical Perspectives
1. Functionalist View
 Views the society as a system in
which all parts work together to
be able to create a whole society
 Studies the culture in terms of
values e.g., culture in education
2. Conflict Theorists View
 Views social structure as
• Inherently unequal
• Power, class
• Gender, race, age
 Sees the issue of “privilege”
 Senior citizens and women
struggle to protect their rights
 Sees the effect of economic
production and materialism e.g.,
dependence of technology
 Tells that people with less power
have less ability to adapt to
cultural change
3. Symbolic Interactionism
 Concerned with the face-to-face
interactions between members of
the society
 Sees that the culture is
maintained by the people
interacting and interpreting each
other’s action

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II. POP CULTURE AND THE RISE OF SOCIAL are interested more in sales rather than III. LOCAL AND GLOBAL CULTURE
MEDIA IN THE PHILIPPINES aesthetics. A. Culture Vocabulary
 Popular culture is not anymore created  Custom – when the entire group does it
 Popular culture in the Philippines was by populace, but culture created either  Tradition – same as custom, except it is
created and used by the Spaniards to the by the ruling elite o members of practiced for a long time
native Filipinos (Indios) through plays intelligentias employed by elite for the  Folk Culture – enduring traditional
and literature to get the heart of the consumption of populace. practices of the people
natives  Package entertainment – art intended  Popular Culture – rapidly changing
 Forms of popular theater and literature: for the profit of rulers (colonial tastes and customs of a group
o Pasyon administrators, natives or businessmen)
o Sinakulo B. Folk/Local Culture
o Korido A. Theory Netizens and Democratization of  A group of people in a particular place
 These ensured the acceptance and Media who see themselves as a collective or a
spread of Christianity and to promote the  Netizen – a word from the theory of community
interests of the Church and the State. Michael Hauben in 1996; coined from the  Shares experiences, customs, and traits,
 The native intellegentias “ladinos”, after phrase “net citizen” work to preserve those traits to keep a
they knew the effects of popular culture  With the use of interent, geographical uniqueness from others
and how it works, soon used it against separation is replaced by existence in the
Spaniards through Propaganda virtual space C. Popular Culture
movement to undermine the abusive  Hauben cautions that the internet can  Heterogenous people – applies to a
friars. be a “source of opinion” and netizens can diverse population; transcends cultures;
 The American colonialism brought liberal train him/herself to discern real from stretches across the world and who
policy regarding printing press, radio, fabricated information embrace cultural traits such as music,
television and film and increased the  This prophecy of Hauben reflected in dance, clothing and food
circulation of popular form. Graeme Turner’s book the Demotic Turn
 According to Lumbera, the local (2010) but in extreme way because even D. Folk Music VS Pop Music
intelligentias noticed that popular news reports are bent to suit the  Folk music – tend to have anonymous
culture as a commodity intended for “infotainment” ― genre favored by sources, from unknown dates, through
mass market was seen to pose a threat general audience (e.g., sensationalizing multiple hearths, tells story about daily
to serious artistic work, because the small news items and making a big deal activities
writer accommodated his art to out of it)  Pop music/culture – has a known
demands of publishers and editors who originator, results from more leisure and
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PPC 122 – PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE

more capital, written by specific people construct, such as art, houses, o E.g., There is less odds of finding or
individuals for the purpose of being sold clothing, sports, dance and food learning the Adobo or hear Filipino
to many people  Nonmaterial culture – beliefs, practices, language the further you get from
aesthetics and values of group of people the Southeast Asia (Philippines)
E. How cultural traits diffuse?
 Contagious Diffusion – innovation H. Local Culture Goals K. Syncretism
spreads outward through direct person  Keeping other cultures out to avoid  Fusion of old and new to create a new
to person contact (no jumping) assimilation (creates a boundary around cultural trait
 Hierarchical Diffusion – innovation itself)
spreads from one power node to another  Keeping their own culture in (avoid the
jumping over intervening areas adoption of customs by other cultures)
 Folk customs tend to diffuse slowly and
then, primarily through physical I. Rural and Urban Local Cultures
relocation of individuals  Rural Local Cultures
 Pop customs tend to diffuse rapidly and o Migration into rural areas is less
primarily through hierarchical diffusion frequent
from the nodes o Can better separate their culture
from others and from popular
F. Hearths of Popular Culture culture
 Begins with an idea and contagious  Urban Local Cultures
diffusion o Can create ethnic neighborhoods
 Companies create/manufacture popular within cities
culture (e.g., MTV, Networks, etc.) o Creates a space to practice
 Individual creates/manufactures popular customs
culture (e.g., games, songs, dance, etc.) o Can cluster business, house of
ownership, schools to support
G. Customs and Culture local culture
 A practice that a group of people
routinely follows J. Distance Decay
 Local cultures are sustained by  Refers to the likelihood of diffusion
maintaining customs decreases as time and distance from the
 Material culture – things a group of hearts increases
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