PHIL POP: Culture and History (PDF)

**PHIL POP** **Culture** -Refers to the shared beliefs, values, practices, and artifacts of a group of people. It covers everything from traditions and customs to language, art, and societal norms​. **Raymond Schuck (Raymond Williams) "Culture itself is a way of living"** -covering a broad range...

**PHIL POP** **Culture** -Refers to the shared beliefs, values, practices, and artifacts of a group of people. It covers everything from traditions and customs to language, art, and societal norms​. **Raymond Schuck (Raymond Williams) "Culture itself is a way of living"** -covering a broad range of aspects from traditions, values, and beliefs, to behaviors, daily tasks, rituals, social norms, and rules to name a few. The only thing that makes them a part of culture is if a group of people agreed to observe it.\ \ **Matthew Arnold culture is \"the best that has been thought and said in the world\" (Arnold, 1869)**. -In his time, he feared that since working-class men began to enter politics, which was a common topic in the social circles of the upper- class, his idea of culture might collapse since anarchy is not far behind \-- a notion Arnold argued since the working-class might use politics to further their personal agenda. Nowadays, Arnold\'s perspective is considered a vital point in studying culture, although his point-of-view suggests that his view is an elitist perspective. **Spectrum of Culture** **High Culture**: Intellectual and refined, enjoyed by the elite (e.g., **classical music**, **fine arts** like **Mozart** and **Tchaikovsky**)​ **Folk Culture**: Traditions passed down among small communities (e.g., **Philippine folk songs** and **festivals** like **Ati-Atihan** and **Sinulog**)​ **Popular Culture**: Mass-consumed, produced for a wide audience (e.g., **movies**, **TV shows**, and **fashion trends**)​ **Categories of Popular Culture**: **Entertainment**: TV, films, OPM, Western pop music​ **Sports**: **Basketball**, **eSports** like **Mobile Legends**​ **Lifestyle**: Fashion trends, food​ **Technology**: Internet, social media (e.g., **Facebook**, **YouTube**, **Netflix**)​ **Origins & Spread of Popular Culture** **From Folk Culture to Renaissance**: - Folk traditions such as songs and festivals evolved during the Renaissance. - Shakespeare bridged high and popular culture, making theater accessible​ **Globalization of Popular Culture**: - Started during the Age of Exploration; cultural exchange happened between nations​. - In the Philippines, the Suez Canal opened access to Western literature, music, and culture​. **Industrial Age**: - Technological advancements democratized culture (e.g., Filipino cinema with Dalagang Bukid)​ - Radio and film became essential to spreading popular culture​. **Historical Eras & Filipino Popular Culture** **Pre-Colonial Period:** - Rich oral traditions, epics like Biag ni Lam-Ang, myths of Bathala and Bakunawa​(PHIL POP 2). - Traditional music using instruments like kulintang and kudyapi​ **Spanish Colonization**: - Introduction of Catholic rituals like pasyon and senakulo​. - Literature like Ibong Adarna, and fiestas blended with local practices​. **American Period & Filipino Aspirations**: - **American Dream** influenced Filipino pop culture. - Introduction of radio, film, and basketball as part of daily life​. - Rise of Filipino cinema under José Nepomuceno, with Dalagang Bukid (1919) as a landmark film​. **Post-WWII Pop Culture**: - Boom of Philippine television: Formation of networks like ABS-CBN and GMA​ - Rise of Original Pilipino Music (OPM) with icons like Efren Montes and ASIN​ - Emergence of love teams in Filipino cinema (e.g., Guy and Pip)​ **Exploration Period (Age of Exploration)** **Globalization of Culture:** - The Age of Exploration (15th-17th century) saw Europeans explore and trade with other parts of the world. - Cultural exchanges between the West and East occurred as explorers brought back elements of foreign cultures. **Impact on Popular Culture**: - Western books, music, and art were spread to new colonies and territories. - Example: In the Philippines, the opening of the Suez Canal in the 19th century allowed Filipinos to access Western literature and culture, leading to the rise of Filipino intellectuals like José Rizal, who were influenced by European ideas​. - Spanish colonization introduced Western religion, music, and literature to Filipinos, blending with local customs​. **Cultural Conquests:** - Europeans brought cultural aspects from their colonies back to Europe. - Example: Chocolate was brought from the Americas to Europe, leading to its popularization among European elites​(PHIL POP 2). - This period marks the start of cultural homogenization and the spread of Western values across the world. **Renaissance Period** **Cultural Renaissance (14th-17th century):** - The Renaissance was a time of rebirth for art, literature, and science in Europe, especially in Italy. - It was marked by the formalization of theater, music, and art, which made these forms of culture accessible to a broader audience​. **William Shakespeare**: - Shakespeare's works are often cited as examples of bridging high and popular culture, appealing to both the elite and the masses​. - Plays like Romeo and Juliet became cornerstones of cultural exchange, blending fine arts with entertainment​. **Fashion and Music**: - Aristocratic fashion became a model for the working class, who emulated the clothing styles of the nobility. - Western music, especially during the Renaissance, was formalized and disseminated through written scores, making it more accessible and widely known​. **Industrial Age** **Technological Boom**: - The **Industrial Revolution** (18th-19th century) drastically changed society, bringing about mass production and the growth of cities. - This period democratized access to culture by making it available to the masses through printing presses, telegraphs, and later, radio and film​ **Mass Production of Cultural Goods**: - Cultural products like **books**, **music**, and **art** were mass-produced, allowing more people to access them. - **Theater and music** became available to the working class, shifting what was once considered **high culture** to **popular culture**. **Impact on Filipino Pop Culture**: - **Filipino cinema** began during the early 20th century, following the Industrial Revolution. The first Filipino film, **Dalagang Bukid** (1919), by **José Nepomuceno**, marked the birth of Filipino cinema​. - The introduction of **radio** brought **American jazz** and **Western music** to the Philippines, further shaping local tastes​. - Filipino cinema and radio allowed people from different social classes to experience culture, breaking down the boundaries between high and low culture​. **Key Takeaways by Era** **Exploration** - Spread of Western values and cultural exchange between colonizers and colonized. - Introduction of Western literature and ideas in colonized nations like the Philippines. **Renaissance:** - Bridging of high culture and folk/popular culture, especially through figures like Shakespeare. - Rise of **theater**, **music**, and **fashion** as forms of popular consumption **Industrial Age**: - Technological innovations democratized access to culture, turning high culture into popular culture. - Filipino cinema and radio flourished, making culture accessible to the general public.