Jour 3745 1st Edition Lecture 1 Outline of Last Lecture I. Syllabus review Outline of Current Lecture I. Mass Media and Popular Culture a. Mass communication b. Mass media c. Mass media industries II. Characteristics of culture a. Mass media as cultural story tellersb. Mass media as cultural form III. John Storey’s 6 Definitions of Popular Culture a. Quantitative b. High culture vs. low culture c. Mass culture d. Folk culture e. Gramsci-hegemony-strugglef. Close modern culture IV. High culture scholars a. Popular culture scholars b. Steven Johnson V. Popular culture: our approach Mass Media and Popular Culture - Mass Communication- Technology assisted process by which messages are sent to large audiences- Mass Media- Vehicles through which mass communication takes place (internet, print, etc)- Mass media industries- T.V, sports, movies, etcCulture - Shared understandings, beliefs, values, practices, customs, rituals, traditions, and symbols of a group of peopleBeliefs- Our personal understandings, it’s really about opinion Values- abstract goals or end states of human existence Customs - Accepted behavior, more formal than a habitRituals- A type of symbolic activity consisting of a series of stepsTradition - A custom or ritual passed down through generationsCharacteristics of culture-- specificThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- socialization- subcultures- shared… experience, values, belief - changeMass Media as Cultural Storytellers - A culture’s values and beliefs reside in the stories it tells- Our stories help define our realities shaping the way we think, feel and act- Audience Responsibility- Question story tellersMass Media As Cultural Forum-- Mass media has become a primary forum for the debates in our culture- The loudest voices have the most powerJohn Storey’s 6 Definitions of Popular Culture 1. Quantitative- Which media source has the biggest following2. High Culture Vs. Low Culture 3. Mass Culture - basically commercial culture. Popular culture is mass producing things4. Folk Culture- Anything that is pop culture is coming from the people5. Gramsci- Hegemony- Struggle = within a certain culture, there is a dominant group that is powerful and controls media. Subordinate receives / challenges6. Post- Modern Culture- the division between high and low culture does not exist Characteristics of Popular Culture - Origin- Where it emerges from- Motivation- What is motivating this creation?- Diffusion- How is it culturally diffused - Shelf Life- how long something stays popularHigh Culture Scholars:- “elite” intellectuals- Identify pop culture as low culture (mass produced)- Only the few can truly enjoy high culture/ art (wealthy intellectuals)Questions- Are Jane Austin’s “Emma” and Gwenyth Paltrow’s “Emma” and Clueless (based on Emma) high culture?- What makes a cultural artifact (Song, play, book) high culture?o oldo not obvious what the message iso you have to use cognitive activityo low commodityWhy is this distinction (or lack there of) important?- popular culture- dumbing down the masses- edifying impulse- expose people to high culturePopular Culture Scholars - High vs. Low culture- Criteria is different- Access- Divide vs. Unite - many people like star wars across the globe…. this unites usSteven Johnson- Everything Bad is good for you- popular culture is not dumbing us down- narrative complexity- we use a lot of cognitive work while watching pop culture - cognitive complexity- then vs. now Popular Culture - Our Approach- Entertainment Vs. Critical thinking- critical thinking- negative vs. positive- Monolithic Approach cs. Pluralistic approachOngoing Research Questions….- Who creates pop culture?- Who influences the creation of pop culture?- Who benefits from pop culture and how?- Who is harmed by pop culture and how?Players Involved in Popular culture- Creators- Producers- Audience -