Popular culture refers to ideas, perspectives, and phenomena that are mainstream within a culture, especially Western culture in the 20th-21st centuries due to mass media influence. It is shaped by everyday interactions between people. There is debate around how to define popular culture, as the concept is complex with contradictory meanings. Popular culture is categorized into folk culture, mass culture, dominant culture, and working class culture. While popular culture is sometimes blamed for societal issues, it can also positively influence people. However, popular culture mediums should not be oversimplified as entirely good or bad, as they likely do shape cultural behaviors and values to some extent.

1. Popular Culture
A2 Media Studies
Eman Shah

2. WHAT IS POPULAR CULTURE?
Popular culture is the entirety of ideas, perspectives,
attitudes, images, and other phenomena that are within
the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western
culture= of the early to mid 20th century and the
emerging global mainstream of the late 20th and early
21st century. Heavily influenced by mass media, this
collection of ideas permeates the everyday lives of the
society.
It is determined by the interactions between people in
their everyday life (activities, dress sense, greeting rituals
and types of food that people eat that are all examples of
popular culture).

3. PROBLEMS WITH POPULAR CULTURE
Tony Bennette said that ‘as it stands the concept of popular culture is virtually useless, a
melting point of confusion and contradictory meanings are capable of misdirecting inquiry up
any number of the theoretical blind alleys’. This shows that part of the difficulty that is
implied which has always been absent or present and is put into categories of folk culture,
mass culture, dominat culture and working class culture.
Folk Culture - refers to the unifying expressive components of everyday life as enacted by
localised, tradition-bound groups. Earlier conceptualizations of folk culture focused primarily
on traditions practiced by small foot, homogeneous, rural groups living in relative isolation
from other groups.
Mass Culture –is the set of ideas and values that develop from a common exposure to the
same media, news sources, music, and art. Mass culture is broadcast or otherwise
distributed to individuals instead of arising from their day-to-day interactions with each
other.
Dominant Culture - The dominant culture in a society refers to the established language,
religion, values, rituals, and social customs. These traits are often the norm for the society as
a whole.
Working Class Culture - is a range of cultures created by or popular among working class
people

4. POPULAR CULTURE CAN EFFECT US IN
POSITIVE WAYS
By making the argument that pop culture
doesn’t affect people’s actions, you belittle the
very thing you’re trying to protect. The problem
is that you cannot have it in both ways. If we
believe that we can inspire with our music and
films and other forms of entertainment, then we
must concede that when used improperly, our
creative works can have negative implications as
well.

5. EFFECT ON SOCIETY
‘In the 1940’s and 50’s, comic books were blamed for
corrupting our children. In the 90’s, rap music was blamed for
everything from school shootings, to violence towards women,
to the promotion of gang culture. And more recently, video
games have been the scapegoated as the source of America’s
fascination with violence.’
This statement shows that it is only half correct.
Of course an entire medium cannot be trivialised into being
inherently good or bad, but the statement also seems to
suggest that the things that define our culture (videogames,
movies, TV etc) have no effect on how we behave as a culture.