Introduction to Traditional & Popular Culture

• Course Overview: Introduction to traditional and popular culture and their functions in everyday life.

• Focus Areas:

  • Folkloric (traditional) texts: oral narratives, musical traditions, belief systems.

  • Popular culture: aspects of shared culture disseminated through mass media (print, television, films).

Course Structure

• Format:

  • 1 x 2-hour lecture and 1 x 2-hour tutorial weekly.

• Lecture Details: Mondays, Stedman Lecture Hall “D”, 14:30—16:20.

• Tutorials: Led by Gary Butler and others; scheduled on various days and locations.

Evaluation Components

• Quizzes: 2 mid-term quizzes (10% each).

• Exams: 1 mid-year exam (20%); 1 final exam (20%).

• Presentations: 2 tutorial oral presentations (10% and 15%).

• Participation: 15% for tutorial participation.

Culture and Representation

• Definition of Culture: How we understand ourselves and the social world; involves shared community experiences.

• Symbolic Communication: Representation through oral, visual, or combined means.

Social Interaction

• Role of Communication: Language and behavior help organize our understanding of the world.

• Traditional Culture: Features traditional genres with formal structures and ordered content.

Traditional Verbal Genres

• Genres Defined: Categories in literature based on structure and content (e.g., folklore, myths, ballads).

• Oral Literature: Spoken forms contrasted with written literature.

Traditional & Popular Discourses

• Discourse: Deeper meanings conveyed beyond surface text; reflects cultural values.

• Storytelling: Reveals what is communicated by the storyteller and how it reflects societal values.

Binary Oppositions in Discourse

• Examples:

  • Life vs. Death

  • Good vs. Evil

  • Order vs. Chaos

  • Individual vs. Community

Cultural Evolution

• Nature of Culture: Constantly evolving, influenced by changes in social norms and knowledge.

Perspectives on Culture

• Anthropological View: Culture as a holistic way of life;

• E.B. Tylor's Definition: Knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, values, customs.

• Clifford Geertz: Culture as sustaining shared symbolic experiences.

Characteristics of Oral (Traditional) Culture

• Communication: Face-to-face interaction; transmission across generations.

• Features: Variants exist, anonymous authorship, conservative nature.

Folklore, Performance & Verbal Art (Bauman)

• Verbal Art: Social communicative process; framed for heightened experience.

• Performance Characteristics: Emergent, context-conditioned, involves artistic interaction.

Context & Performance

• Dimensions: Temporal, spatial, social contexts influencing situated interaction and cultural communication.