Lesson 2.1: Low and High Culture

• Folk Culture is the traditional way of doing things. It is the local orientation and is non-commercial that are not amenable to change and is more static.
• Folk Culture is the simpler lifestyle that is generally conservative that is more the characteristic of rural life. Radical innovation is generally discouraged where group members are expected to conform to traditional modes of behavior adopted by the community.
• High Culture is not mass produced nor meant for mass consumption. They belong to the special elite; fine arts, opera, theater, and high intellectualism are associated with the upper socioeconomic classes.
• High Culture is where items often require extensive experience, training, or reflection to be appreciated where items seldom cross over to the popular culture domain.
• Similarities of Folk and High Culture is where mass participation is involved and are from people of the same community.
• Pop Culture is accessible to the masses and is the culture of the people. Generally looked down upon as being superficial when compared to the sophistication of high culture.
• Primary Sources of Pop Culture are mass media, popular music, film, television, radio, video games, books, and internet.
• Combination of primary sources of pop culture increases public interest, hence drives the mass production of commodities.
• Professional Entity Sources are news media, scientific and scholarly publication, and expert opinion.
• Professional Entity Sources is useful in influencing the public and create their collective opinion becomes the starting point of differing opinion.
• Example of Professional Entity Sources


  Posting or sending viewers reaction or opinion during live cast to be shared in public
• Individualism is the contradictory source of pop culture.
• Urban Culture has not only provided a common ground for the masses but also inspired ideals of individualistic aspirations.
• Once a unique style becomes adopted by others, it ceases to remain uniqye then it becomes popular.