popular culture theories
TRANSCRIPT
Popular Culture
&
Literature
Session 4
How ARTISTS Think
I don’t give a d*** about how
others feel about my work! It’s my
creativity…
Who’s the artist, man? Am
just out to make some $$$
Culture is Dynamic
POP CULTURE THEORIES
• Gender Theories
• Marxism & Hegemony
• Cultural Liberalism
• Liberal Pluralism
• Mass Society
• Cultural Industry
• Globalization of Culture
• Interactionism
Popular
Culture
&
Gender
Gender
Stereotyping
Exploitation of
the Female BodySexual
Debauchery
Homophobia
Body Image
Perpetuating
Patriarchy
Gender Stereotypes in Pop Culture
AdvertsFilms InternetMusicLiteratureTV Toys &
Animation
Celebrities
Gender Stereotypes in Films
If you’re single you’re doomed!
Marriage is the ultimate happiness
The Alpha male The weaker sex!
Deconstructing Gender
Stereotypes through Films
Gender Stereotypes in Advertising
Homecare products and the housewife
stereotype
Female body exploitation
(male products)
Stereotyping beauty
(beauty products)
Stereotyping masculinity
(substance abuse)
Ads against Gender Stereotypes
Plus size models
Gender Stereotypes
in Toys & Animation
Gender Stereotypes in Music
Song Lyrics Music Videos
Pop Culture, Cultural Marxism
& Cultural Hegemony
• Cultural Marxism texts must be analysed in relation to their historical
conditions of production, consumption and reception.
• The DOMINANT CULTURE theory (bourgeoisie v/s proletariat).
- Cultural Hegemony: Antonio Gramsci (1891 - 1937); domination of a culturally diverse
society by the economic ruling class.
- Althusserianism: Louis Pierre Althusser (1918 - 1990); ideology as a material practice.
Marxism + Empiricism knowledge is a product of sensory experience.
- Leavisism: Frank Raymond Leavis (1895 - 1978); socio-political power of cultural products.
Cultural Hegemony
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Hegemony - Pop: American Culture?
Globalization of Culture
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Althusserianism
Leavisism
Leavisism
- Comes from the word liberty freedom: - of speech
- of expression
- conscience
- religious practice
- association
- press
- Tolerant - Understanding
- (Mutual) Respect - Non-judgemental
Cultural Liberalism & Liberal Pluralism
Cultural Liberalism & Liberal Pluralism
Culture: - race/ ancestry- ethnicity/ tribe- nationality- religion- caste- sub-cultures
- Sexual orientation- Political opinion- Lifestyle/ Way of life- Physical appearance- Attire- Ethical debates/ issues
Cultural Liberalism• A liberal view of society.
• Advocating individual freedom.
• Against imposed socio-cultural norms
& uniformity.
• Backed by democratic laws &
international human rights.
• Respect for individual & cultural
differences.
Liberal Pluralism• Advocating limited political control.
• Backed by capitalism & democracy.
• Belief in self-imposed discipline & inner
goodness.
• Respect for diversity of all kinds.
• Positive attitude towards media as
representative of diversity (media
responds to audience demand).
Cultural Liberalism & Liberal PluralismUniversal Declaration of Human Rights
Article 16(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the rightto marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and atits dissolution.(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection bysociety and the State.
Article 18Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom tochange his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public orprivate, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to holdopinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any mediaand regardless of frontiers.
Cultural Liberalism & Liberal Pluralism
Postmodernism
• There is no absolute truth; opinions are relative.• All basic structures governing society are but social constructs:
- Power relations- Gender binaries- Socio-economic classes- Cultural norms and values
Slavoj Žižek (1949 - )
• Marxist and Cultural Critic: Theology & Cultural Studies, Marxist & Political
Theories (Stalinism, Maoism), Lacanian Psychoanalysis, Film Studies.
• Marxism Ideology = False Consciousness
• Lacan Imaginary, Symbolic and Real
• Žižek Imaginary Real Symbolic Real
Real Real
Theory of Mass Society
Theory of Mass Society
Theory of Cultural Industry
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Theory of Cultural Industry
Theory of Cultural Industry•
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Post-capitalism
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Interactionism & Globalization
Symbolic Interactionism (George Herbert Mead)
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