Pop Culture Popular Culture – consists of activities, products and services that are assumed to appeal primarily to members of the middle and working classes Common sources of popular culture include advertising, consumer product packaging, celebrities, sports, and comic strips.

What else is there? High culture – consists of classical music, opera, ballet, live theatre and other activities usually patronized by elite audiences, composed primarily of members of the upper- middle and upper classes who have the time, money and education presumed to be necessary to appreciate it.

Pop Culture Fad – a temporary but widely copied activity followed enthusiastically by large numbers of people Object fad – items that people purchase despite the fact that they have little use or value (eg. Beanie babies, Pokemon, etc.) Activity fad – things we do (eg. Body piercing, raves, Facebook, etc.)

Pop Culture Idea fad – New Age ideologies (eg. Feng Shui, The DaVinci Code, “The Secret”, etc.) Personality fad – celebrities, icons (eg. Britney, Paris, J-Lo, Tiger Woods, etc.) Fashion – currently valued style of behaviour, thinking or appearance that is longer lasting than a fad (eg. baggy jeans, thin figure, etc.)

Pop Culture Your assignment: 1)Describe 3 examples of times when you have conformed with popular culture. 2)Describe 3 examples of times when you have refused to conform with popular culture. 3)Do you notice any difference between American and Canadian popular culture? Answer with examples of how they are similar or different. (250 words)

Traditional Culture Traditional Culture – consists of customs, beliefs, opinions and stories that are passed down from one generation to the next. Traditional culture can cross class boundaries (lower/middle/upper), but is usually specific to geography (location).

Material and Non-material Culture Material Culture – consists of the physical objects produced and/or used by society Non-material Culture – consists of elements of culture that are not physical, including spoken language, religious beliefs, and ways of behaving.

Needs Physical Need – human needs for items and conditions that sustain life, such as food, water, clothing, shelter, and safety Emotional Need – human needs for conditions such as friendship, love, a sense of belonging, and self-expression

Cultural Diversity Cultural diversity is the variety of human societies (or cultures) present within a particular region. It refers to society as comprising communities and groups with various ethnic and cultural backgrounds, each with its unique perspectives, values, and experiences. –All of them contribute to the social, economic, and cultural vitality of society. Our cultural backgrounds play important roles in our perspectives, motivations, as well as social and economic well-being.

Cultural Diversity Subculture – a group of people who share a distinctive set of cultural beliefs and behaviours that differ in some significant way from that of the larger society. –Ex: bikers, Generation Xers, Hutterites, teenagers, gangs, hipsters

Cultural Diversity Counterculture – a group that strongly rejects dominant social values and norms and seeks alternative lifestyles –Ex: Ku Klux Klan, flower children of the 1960s Culture shock – the disorientation that people feel when they encounter cultures radically different from their own –Ex: Travelling to another society and not knowing the language or the customs

Cultural Diversity Ethnocentrism– the tendency to regard one’s own culture and group as the standard, therefore superior, whereas all other groups are seen as inferior.