ppc mt
POP 1: Introduction to Popular Culture
Pop culture in the Philippines has colonial origins:
● Spanish Period – Used plays and literature (Pasyon,
Sinakulo, Korido) to spread Christianity
Definition of Pop Culture
Popular culture, or pop culture, refers to the everyday cultural
elements that dominate a society at a given time. It is
mass-produced, widely accepted, and constantly evolving.
According to Brummett - pop culture influences people’s daily
lives through their:
● Style of dress
● Slang
● Greeting rituals
● Food
● Music
● Entertainment
It reflects the collective identity of a society and is shaped by
people's interactions.
Characteristics of Pop Culture
● Mass culture – Created for and consumed by large
audiences
● Commercialized – Exists to generate profit
● Trendy and dynamic – Changes over time with
societal influences
● Accessible – Easy to understand and participate in
Elements of Culture
1. Symbols – Represent cultural values (e.g., the
Philippine flag)
2. Language – A key part of identity (e.g., Filipino,
English, slang)
3. Norms – Social expectations and behaviors (e.g.,
etiquette, laws)
a. Formal
b. Informal Norms
4. Rituals – Traditional ceremonies (e.g., weddings,
fiestas)
Formation of Popular Culture
Pop culture emerges through urbanization, industrialization,
mass media, and technological advances. Since the 1700s,
mass printing, film, radio, and television have shaped cultural
trends, and today, the internet plays a key role in its
development.
Examples of Popular Culture
● Music – OPM, K-pop, hip-hop
● Entertainment – Netflix, teleseryes, vlogs
● Fashion – Streetwear, designer brands
● Sports – Basketball, e-sports
POP 2: Rise of Social Media in the Philippines
Historical Roots of Filipino Pop Culture
● American Period – Introduced liberal printing
policies, radio, TV, and Hollywood films
● Post-War Era – American pop culture dominated
through movies and music
● Modern Digital Era – The internet and social media
have democratized cultural expression
The Role of Media in Popular Culture
According to Lumbera - pop culture has shifted from being
created by the masses to being controlled by elites or
businesses for profit. Today, mass media, entertainment, and
technology shape public tastes and trends.
Netizens and Democratization of Media
● Netizen (coined by Michael Hauben, 1996) refers to
internet users who engage in discussions and
information-sharing.
● The internet replaces geographical separation with
virtual spaces.
● Graeme Turner’s "Demotic Turn" (2010) – Media is
now shaped by audience preferences, but
sensationalism and misinformation are common.
Impact of Social Media on Pop Culture
● Increased public participation in culture and trends
● Rise of influencer culture
● Spread of misinformation and "infotainment"
● Globalization of trends and identities
Low and High Culture
Folk/Low Culture
● Traditional, rooted in history
● Less likely to change over time
● Local and non-commercial
● Often associated with rural lifestyles
● Examples: Folk music, crafts, oral traditions
High Culture
● Associated with the social elite
● Requires education, skill, or training to appreciate
● Includes fine arts, classical music, opera, and
intellectual works
● Rarely crosses into pop culture
● Examples: Ballet, classical literature, paintings in
museums
Similarities Between Low and High Culture
● Both represent artistic and cultural expression
● Can influence each other (e.g., folk music inspiring
high art compositions)
● Members of high culture can still engage in popular
culture and vice versa
Sources of Popular Culture
● Mass Media – TV, film, internet, books
● Entertainment Industry – Music, sports, video
games
● News Media and Scholarly Publications – Shape
public opinion
● Individualism – Unique styles become trends when
adopted by many
Speakers
Society and Pop Culture - Mackenzie Mathenson
Why Pop Culture - Alexandre O. Philippe
A passion for Pop Culture - Michael Zapcic
POP 3:Local and Global Culture
● Custom – when the entire group does it
● Tradition – the same as a custom, except practiced for
a long time
● Folk culture – the enduring traditional practices of
people
● Popular culture –rapidly changing tastes and customs
of a group
Folk/Local Culture
● A group of people in a particular place who see
themselves as a collective or a community
● Share experiences, customs, and traits, work to
preserve those traits to keep a uniqueness from
others.
● E.g. Leron-Leron Sinta (Tagalog), Pamulinawen
(Iloko), Dandansoy (Bisaya), Sarong Banggi (Bicol),
Atin Cu Pung Singsing (Kapampangan)
Popular Culture
● Heterogenous people – applies to a diverse
population transcends cultures stretches across the
world and who embrace cultural traits such as music,
dance, clothing, and food
Folk music - tend to have anonymous sources, from unknown
dates, through multiple hearths, tells story about daily activities
Pop music/culture – generally has a known originator, results
from more leisure time and more capital, written by specific
individuals for the purpose of being sold to a large number of
people
How do cultural traits diffuse?
Diffusion of Folk and Pop Culture
● Folk customs tend to diffuse slowly and then, primarily
through physical relocation of individuals
● Pop customs tend to diffuse rapidly and primarily
through hierarchical diffusion from the nodes.
Hearths of Popular culture
● Begins with an idea and contagious diffusion
● Companies create/manufacture popular culture (MTV,
Networks, etc)
● Individual creates/manufactures popular culture
(games, songs, dance, etc)
Customs
● A practice that a group of people routinely follows
● Local cultures are sustained by maintaining customs
Material and Nonmaterial Culture
● Material culture refers to things a group of people
construct, such as art, houses, clothing, sports,
dance, and food.
● Nonmaterial culture refers to beliefs, practices,
aesthetics, and values of group of people.
Material and Nonmaterial Culture
● Material culture refers to things a group of people
construct, such as art, houses, clothing, sports,
dance, and food.
Local culture goals
● Keeping other cultures out to avoid assimilation
(create a boundary around itself)
● Keeping their own culture in (avoid the adoption of
customs by other cultures)
Rural Local Cultures
● Migration into rural areas is less frequent
● Can better separate their culture from others and from
popular culture.
Urban Local Cultures
● Can create ethnic neighborhoods within cities
● Creates a space to practice customs
● Can cluster business, house of ownership, schools to
support local culture
Distance Decay
● Refers to the likelihood of diffusion decreases as time
and distance from the hearths increases
● Ex: There is less odds of finding or learning the
Adobo or hear Filipino language the further you get
from the Southeast Asia (Philippines)
Syncretism- This refers to a fusion of old and new to create a
new cultural trait.
POP 4: Theoretical Perspective on Culture
Top Trends in Society and Culture
❖ Speeding-up
➢ Thank you to the speedy technology we can
multitask
➢ The result is stress, anxiety, lack of sleep,
work-life imbalance, etc.
Demographic Cahnge
❖ In Europe 25% if the population is already aged 65+
❖ The population density in the PH is high, but hte
distribution of the population is uneven
❖ Anxiety
➢ Spread of terrorism
❖ Global and Local
➢ Globalization is the huge trend. Future will
then be locals. If we all run out of our
resources we will adopt more our local way.
❖ Happiness
➢ We work harder for a long period of time but
we still cant buy happiness
❖ Autheticity
➢ We are subjected to multiple truths
Functionalist View
❖ This views the society as a system in which all parts
work together to be able to create a whole society
❖ This also studies the culture in term of values (e.g.
culture in education)
Conflict Theorist View
❖ This view social structure as
➢ Inherently unequal
➢ Power, class
➢ Gender, race, age
➢ This sees the issue of “privilege”
➢ SC and women struggle to protect their
rights
➢ This sees the effect of economic production
and materialism )e.g. Dependence on
technology)
➢ This tells that people with less power have
less ability to adapat to cultural change
Symbolic Interactionism
❖ This is concerned with face-to-face interactions
between members of the society
❖ This sees that the culture is maintained by the people
interacting and interpreting each other’s action
Conflict Theory
A. Introduction
a. Conflict theory is a way of studying society
that focuses on the inequalities of different
groups in a society.
b. It is based on the ideas of Karl Marx. from
the 19th century, who believed a society
evolved through several stages, the most
important
of
which were feudalism,
capitalism, and finally socialism.
B. Economic Structure and Social Classes
a. 19th century Europe was a capitalist society
where the rich upper class called the
bourgeoisie were a minority of the
population. And the poor lower class, called
the proletariat, were the majority.
b. Now you might think that the majority would
have more sway over the society. But it was
actually the bourgeoisie that had the power.
They owned the factories that produced
everything people needed. And they sold
what they produced to earn a living.
c.
The proletariat only had their labor to sell to
make a living, and they were dependent on
the factory owners to get paid. But this
wasn't just a one-sided dependence.
d. The factory owners were also dependent on
the workers to work in the factories, though
they would never admit it because they
would lose some of their power.
C. Economic Inequality and Class Struggle
a. There was a significant economic inequality
between the factory owners and the workers.
b. It was this economic inequality that Marx
believed would fuel a change in society. As
the working class realized they were being
exploited, they would unite to create a class
consciousness.
c.
This class consciousness is kind of like
getting everyone on the same wavelength so
they can be stronger and overthrow the
capitalist status quo.
D. The Dialectical Model of Social Change
a. Marx created a model which proposed that a
society where one group exploited another
group economically would actually contain
the seeds of its own destruction.
b. The existing generally accepted state, or
thesis, of a society would cause the
formation of a reaction or antithesis that
opposed the accepted state.
c. Example:
i.
In a capitalist society, the accepted
thesis was that the bourgeoisie ran
the factories while the working class
provided the labor. The desire of
the working class to change the
way things were was the antithesis.
E. The Continuous Cycle of Conflict Change
a. The thesis and antithesis can't exist together
peacefully. One side is quite happy with the
status quo and wants to leave things the way
they are. The other side is looking for
change because they really aren't so happy
with the current state of things.
b. The struggle between the two sides would
eventually lead to a compromise or a
synthesis of the two, resolving the tension
between them by creating a new state.
c.
Perhaps the synthesis here is that members
of the working class begin to take on
managerial positions. The few workers who
become managers might create a new
middle class that has even more power than
the factory owners themselves.
d. This synthesis of thesis and antithesis would
eventually become a new thesis in its own
right and begin the process of creating its
opposite once again. Perhaps the new
middle class has become so powerful that
the factory owners begin to feel threatened.
e. The middle class is quite happy with their
newfound status, but the bourgeoisie doesn't
want to share. The strong influence of the
middle class over everyone else has become
the new thesis. And the bourgeoisie wants
that to change, creating an antithesis. But
maybe the bourgeoisie doesn't feel
threatened, and instead, the workers are
resentful of their former friends and their new
power.
f.
F.
Now, the workers want the status quo to
change. The antithesis can arrive from any
source of unrest to oppose the thesis. Even
after this struggle is settled, there would
eventually be unrest again, and an antithesis
would spring from that new source of unrest
and tension.
Historical Application of Conflict Theory
a. The idea of two opposing sides has come up
many times through history. W.E.B. Du Bois
was very influential in the struggle of
African-Americans for equal rights. And the
women's suffrage movement created tension
and eventually changed society.
b. Each of these conflicts between the status
quo and its opposition resolved into a new
thesis, which just waited for the next source
of tension to come along.
G. Strengths and Limitations of Conflict Theory
a. Conflict theory does a wonderful job of
modeling the often drastic changes that
occur in a society. But it doesn't take into
account the stability that a society can
experience. And it really doesn't like the
status quo. There is much to be said for the
application of conflict theory and much that it
leaves unanswered. All in all, it's another tool
in our belt to understand the complexities of
the society we live in.
Symbolic Interactionism
● focuses on small scale perspective of the interaction
between individuals.
● explains the individual in a society and their
interaction with others. through that, it can explain
social order and change.
George Herbert Mead (Early 20th Century)
● believed that the development of the individual was a
social process as were the meanings individuals
assigned to things
● people change based on their interactions with
objects, events, ideas, other people and they assign
meaning to things in order to decide how to act.
Herbert Blumer
● continued Mead's work
● coined the term "symbolic interactionism", to describe
the theory of society
● he proposed three tenets to explain symbolic
interactionism
1. action depends on meaning
2. we give meaning to things based on our
social interactions. different meanings for
different people.
3. meanings can change
In a nutshell, action depends on meaning and that different
people assign different meanings to things and that meaning to
something can change.
FUNCTIONALISM
Functionalism is a system of thinking based on the
ideas of Emile Durkheim that looks at society from a large
scale perspective. It examines the necessary structures that
make up a society and how each part helps to keep the society
stable. Society is heading toward an equilibrium. Local
businesses must adapt to find a new way to cater to customers
in order to restore the balance.
In the theory of functionalism, society is made from a
bunch of connected structures. One structure is institutions,
which are structures that meet the needs of the society like
education systems, financial institutions, businesses, marriage
laws, mass media, non governmental organizations, medicine,
religion, the military, police forces, and lots of others too.
Another structure is called social facts — are ways of
thinking and acting formed by the society that existed before
anyone individual and will still exist after any individual is dead.
For example, one social fact is the law. It is always there, but
we don't notice it until we try and break it or act against it.
Some other examples are moral regulations, religious faiths
and social currents like suicide or birth rate.
Social facts are a facet of the society itself and a
necessary structure. But society is more than just the sum of
its parts. It is dependent on the structures that create it. For
example, you have schools which educate students so they
can find good jobs and support the community, and businesses
provide specialized services and laws to maintain social order.
Durkheim's main question was
● What holds a society together?
● How can it remain relatively stable even as traditions
disappear and customs change?
He thought that small societies were held together by
their similarities and the individual was self-sufficient. But that
only works for small societies and we all know societies
change and grow large. The small society would eventually
evolve into a large society where the individual was
interdependent on others.
What causes this evolution of society to occur?
● The most basic factor is population growth within a
limited space. Suddenly there isn't enough land for
everyone to own their own farm and feed themselves,
so just a few farmers grow enough food for the entire
community. But now the farmers don't have enough
time for other necessities, like making clothes or
teaching their kids. The people who no longer have to
grow food now take on different roles like tailoring or
education, and everyone becomes dependent on one
another for their continued well-being.
In functionalism, a change to either production,
distribution, or coordination will force the others to adapt in
order to maintain a stable state society.
Functionalism focuses completely on the institution
with little regard for the importance of the individual. The
individual is acknowledged, but nothing they do really affects
the structures of society. Functionalism is also largely unable to
explain social change and conflict.
POP 5: SA LOOB AT LABAS NG MALL KONG SAWI
NI ROLANDO TOLENTINO
● Katawan - sintomas at manifestasyon ng
malaganapang kulturang popular
● Bakit daw may mas malalim na sugal ang kulturang
popular
sa
pagpapalaman,
kamalayan?
pagsubstansya,
paghubog
at
o pagpapalalalim sa ating
● Isa-isahin ang katanungan sa ika-2 talata? Sagutin ng
may paliwanag
● Ang kulturang popular ay may kapangyarihang
lumikha ng kulang at sobra sa atin.
● Panggitnang uri ang pamantayan ng kulturang
popular dahil ito ang nililikhang ideal na imahen na
maaring makamit ng mayoryang nanatiling mahirap
sa bansa
● Ang kulturang popular ang nagbibigay ng normative
function sa mga produkto.
● Ang kulturang popular ay hindi libre
● Ang maykaya ay may pasaporte sa mga produkto at
arena ng kulturang popular.
● Ang mahirap ay kailangan na lamang makuntento sa
posibilidad
nito
na kahit na papaano ay
makapag-Jollibee o McDo sila.
● Sa mall nagaganap ang sosyalisasyon ng mga tao
tungo sa panlipunang relasyon.
● Mall - democratizing device ng lipunan
● Mall ang nagpapakita ng produksyon ng magic
intermittent na yugto ng kumodifikasyon.
● Mall ay espasyo ng posibilidad ng panahon.
● Binibigyan tayo ng Kulturang popular ng bagong
pangangailangan at desire.
● Ano ang transformasyong magaganap sa pagbili nito?
● Bakit kulang parin kahit nakabili na? Dahil ba sa may
mas magandang brand o modelo?
● Bakit kulang parin kahit labis na?
● Paano ba natin muling imamapa ang karanasan nang
hindi lang natin ito dapat tanggapin bilang nandyan
na, isang given sa ating buhay, na sa ayaw at sa
gusto natin ay sapilitan tayong ipinisasabay?
● KAMALAYAN sa bawat pagbabago.
● PAGPAPAHALAGA sa dating mabuti na
nakasanayan.
● PAGTANGGAP sa mga bagay na makatutulong sa
pagunlad ng sarili at sambayanan.
POP 7: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE: DIMENSIONS
AND DIRECTIONS. THE STATE OF RESEARCH IN
PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE
Doreen G. Fernandez
Overview:
● Philippine popular culture is a relatively new field of
study, shaped by mass media and foreign influences
(Spanish, American, Chinese).
● The term "popular culture" comes from populus
(Latin: "the people"), but in the modern context, it
refers to mass culture, often associated with urban
and industrialized societies.
● In the Philippines, defining popular culture is
challenging due to:
○ Diverse ethnic groups, many still
non-urbanized
○ A colonial past leaving layers of cultural
influence
○ A semi-feudal, neocolonial economy
● Mass media, including film, radio, television, and print,
are the key drivers of Philippine popular culture.
● Research began in the 1960s with mass
communication studies, later expanding to include
literature and cultural analysis.
Key Aspects of Philippine Popular Culture
1. Komiks (Comics): Komiks are illustrated stories
serialized in magazines or booklets, blending
Western-style comics with indigenous storytelling
traditions.
○ Origin: Pre-Hispanic Philippine folk culture,
later influenced by American comic strips.
○ First Filipino comic strip: Kenkoy (1929)
by Antonio Velasquez
○ Other early komiks characters:
■ Kulafu – Filipino counterpart of
Tarzan
■ Huapelo – Chinese store owner
stereotype
■ Goyo and Kikay – Local versions
of Maggie and Jiggs
○ Later characters mixed Philippine folklore
and Western elements:
■ Darna (flying superhero) by Mars
Ravelo,
Dyesebel
(mermaid),
Valentina (Medusa-like villain)
○ Since Martial Law (1972), komiks were also
used for government campaigns (e.g., Green
Revolution, family planning).
○ Reach and Influence:
■ 50 komiks magazines in the 1980s,
with 2 million copies weekly
■ Estimated 16 million readers,
circulation rate of 1:4
■ Borrowing, renting, and swapping
increased readership
○ Key Researcher: Soledad S. Reyes, "The
Philippine Komiks" (1980)
2. Film: Filipino cinema encompasses feature films
produced locally, reflecting social issues, cultural
values, and entertainment trends.
○ Origin: The first films shown in the
Philippines were short features called
cinematografo,
usually
presented
interspersed with zarzuela or vaudeville
numbers.
○ First locally produced films (1909): Yearsley
& Gross, both about Jose Rizal
○ First full-length Filipino film: Dalagang
Bukid (1919) by Jose Nepomuceno
○ First talking film: Ang Aswang (1932) by
George Musser
○ 1939: Philippines was 5th largest
producer of talkies in the world
○ Challenges faced: high taxes, production
costs, lack of government support, foreign
competition
○ "Bakya" culture – mass-oriented films with
melodrama, formulaic stories
○ Key Figures in Film Research:
■ Nicanor Tiongson: "From Stage to
Screen" (1980), "Four Values in
Filipino Drama and Film" (1977)
■ Bienvenido
Lumbera:
Unpublished study on archetypal
Filipino film heroes
■ Jose F. Lacaba: "Notes on Bakya"
(1977)
3. Radio: A broadcast medium that reached the masses
through music, drama, news, and entertainment.
○ Origin: American-introduced technology,
later adapted with Filipino storytelling and
folk entertainment traditions.
○ Introduced in 1922 by Henry Hermann with
50-watt stations
○ First commercial radio station: KZKZ (1939)
○ Major radio programs:
■ "Sunrise Club" and "Listerine
Amateur Hour" (1930s)
■ "Kuwentong Kutsero" (satirical
program, later moved to TV)
■ Soap operas: "Ilaw ng Tahanan" (9
years), "Gulong ng Palad"
○ Transistor radio revolution (1959): Made
radio accessible to rural areas
○ Key Researchers:
■ Virgilio V. Vitug: "Pabrika ng Luha
at Pantasya" (1975)
■ Jose Javier Reyes: "Radio Soap
Opera" (1980)
4. Popular Magazines: Periodicals catering to various
demographics, offering entertainment, news, and
serialized fiction.
○ Origin: Spanish-era illustrated magazines,
later modernized under American influence.
○ Liwayway (1923): First and longest-running
Tagalog magazine
■ Had regional versions (Bisaya,
Hiligaynon, Bannawag, Bicolnon)
■ Venue for serious Tagalog literature
○ Women's magazines (e.g., Women's Home
Companion, Women's Journal, Mr. & Ms.)
promoted beauty, romance, and lifestyle
aspirations.
○ Key Researcher: Soledad Reyes, "The
Image of Woman" (1977)
5. Popular Music: Commercially produced music
reflecting contemporary Filipino life, blending Western
and indigenous influences.
○ Origin: Pre-Hispanic indigenous music, later
mixed with Spanish kundiman and American
jazz/rock.
○ Before the 1970s, pop music in the
Philippines was dominated by American rock
and pop.
○ Pinoy Rock Movement (1973):
■ Juan de la Cruz Band – pioneered
Pinoy rock
■ Hotdog – introduced "Manila
Sound" with Taglish lyrics (Pers
Lab)
■ Freddie Aguilar – "Anak" (1978),
an international hit with folk
influences
○ Metro Manila Pop Song Festival promoted
original Filipino compositions.
○ Key Researchers:
■ Teresita G. Maceda: "Popular
Music" (1980)
■ Anna Leah de Leon: "Pinoy Rock"
(1980)
Directions for Research:
1. Definition:
Establish
a
stable
framework
distinguishing popular culture from literature and
mass communication.
2. Review of Literature: Critically analyze and integrate
existing research to define gaps and future directions.
3. Identification of Issues: Explore cultural imperialism,
consumerism, and the influence of mass media.
4. Identification of the “public”: Examine the
audience's role in shaping and consuming popular
culture.
5. Definition of the popular writer: Investigate the
socioeconomic background and influence of popular
writers.
6. Identification of purpose: Determine whether
popular culture serves economic, political, or
developmental aims.
7. Deepening of inquiry: Move from general surveys to
detailed, analytical studies.
8. Identification of other fields of inquiry: Expand
research to include language (Taglish, swardspeak),
graffiti, sports, and pop icons like the jeepney.