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

Iowa
Canada

Bueos, AiresArgentina
 Hong Kong Taiwan

Venice
London
 McDonalds Photobucket

Cannes, Fr

Santiago, Chile
Amsterdam Athens
Bangkok
Krakow,
Poland

Netherlands

Netherlands

Estonia

Malaysia
 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 World
McDonald's Sabah & Malaysia McDonald's Hong Kong

McEgg Curry Potato Pie

(not a mcmuffin, a BURGER) Red Bean Sundae

Fried Chicken Shake Shake Fries

Pineapple Pie McDonald's Ireland

Shamrock Shake
McDonalds Mexico (although these have been
available in the past in Canada
McBurrito a la Mexicana around St. Paddy's Day,.)

McNifica McDonald's Chile

McPalta
McDonald's Philippines tomatoes, avocado,mayonnaise,
onions and mustard
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?