Pop Culture and Opposites

Dr. Foram Chandarana's Key Areas

• Specializes in media studies, particularly analyzing the impact of digital technologies on society.
• Focuses on the intersection of culture, communication, and technology in contemporary contexts.
• Engages in research that explores digital media literacy, online identities, and the role of social media in culture.

Raymond Williams on 'Popular'

• Defines 'popular' as encompassing broad cultural expressions that are created and consumed by the masses.
• Highlights that 'popular' signifies cultural forms that are not elite or highbrow but rather accessible to the general population.

Opposite of 'High Culture'

• The opposite of 'high culture' is 'popular culture,' which refers to the cultural products and activities that appeal to a wider audience, often mass-produced and marketed.

Raymond Williams' Definition of 'Culture'

• Considers 'culture' as a complex system of signs, practices, and values that shape human societies.
• Emphasizes the dynamic nature of culture, showing how it evolves through social practices and interactions.

Althusser on Ideology

• Argues that the function of ideology is to shape individuals' perceptions of reality and maintain the status quo.
• Emphasizes that ideology helps to support and reproduce the structures of power within society.