ENGLISH 1A03 Lecture 8: Why Study Popular Culture
31 May 2016
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Cultural studies is the academic study of popular culture. Political scientists, anthropologists, and sociologists all contribute knowledge to the study of popular culture. It is necessary to study in university because society says that this is where legitimate knowledge is acquired. Our culture is produced for us by others in an attempt to generate profits. Popular culture was/is seen as entertainment and illegitimate knowledge. Similar to an anthropology of the present. Advertising and much else in our lives centres around money and sexuality, which are elements of popular culture. Meaning production is done in specific ways to target specific groups. It is less and less from family values, religion, and education, and more and more from popular culture (media sources, etc. ) We need to understand popular culture, not evaluate it. Much of popular culture is not something we make, but participate in (by purchasing, Who defines what culture is and who says what is popular? consuming, etc. )
