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Folk and Pop Culture

By: Mark Foreman

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Culture: The body of material traits, customary beliefs, and social forms that distinguish a group of people.

Folk-

  • Small groups
  • Remote areas
  • Homogeneous groups

Pop-

  • Large groups
  • Heterogeneous
  • Share many habits, despite characteristic differences

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Key Issue 1: Where are Folk and Popular Leisure Activities Distributed?

  • Daily Necessities:
    • Food, Clothing, and Shelter
  • Leisure Activities:
    • Arts and Recreation
  • Habit:
    • Repetitive act an individual performs.
  • Custom:
    • Repetitive act of a group

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Key Issue 1: Where are Folk and Popular Leisure Activities Distributed?

Folk Characteristics-

  • Origin
    • Hearth- anonymous/unknown
  • Diffusion
    • Slow, small scale
  • Distribution
    • Confined by physical and cultural features

Pop Characteristics-

  • Origin
    • Hearth- Developed countries
  • Diffusion
    • Hierarchical Diffusion
    • Rapid and extensive
  • Distribution
    • Widely distributed

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Key Issue 1: Where are Folk and Popular Leisure Activities Distributed?

Folk Music-

  • Origin
    • Anonymous
  • Diffusion
    • Music travels with the people

Popular music-

  • Origin
    • Specific people or groups
  • Diffusion
    • Created for making a profit
  • Musicians in specific areas shared interests

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Key Issue 1: Where are Folk and Popular Leisure Activities Distributed?

Origin and Diffusion of Folk and Popular Sports

  • Soccer
    • Origin
      • Folk culture in England
    • Diffusion
      • Pop Culture
  • Many other sports start off as Folk and then diffuse and become Popular.

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Key Issue 2: Where are Folk and Pop Material Culture Distributed?

Folk Clothing-

  • Based on…
    • Environment
    • Culture
  • Restrictions of some clothing

Popular Clothing-

  • Based on…
    • Occupation
    • Income
  • Improvements in communication=fast changes in fashion

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Key Issue 2: Where are Folk and Pop Material Culture Distributed?

Folk Food-

  • Relies on what can be grown or raised
  • Avoid or crave certain foods for perceived qualities

Popular Food-

  • Differs slightly wherever you go
  • Religion also changes preferences
  • Does not depend on what can be grown

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Key Issue 2: Where are Folk and Pop Material Culture Distributed?

Folk Housing-

  • Dependent on what is available and easy to construct with
  • Some have spaces for religious values

Popular Housing-

  • Houses mass produced
  • Everything now produced in a modern style

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Key Issue 3: Why is Access to Folk and Popular Culture Unequal?

Electronic Diffusion of Popular Culture

  • TV most important electronic media
    • Diffusion:
      • Multiple hearths in Europe and in the United States
      • United States dominates the market
      • 21st century: Near universal access

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Key Issue 3: Why is Access to Folk and Popular Culture Unequal?

  • Diffusion of the Internet
      • Starts in the US
      • Disperses to many developed and developing states
    • Diffusion of Social Media
      • Same as most electronic diffusion

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Key Issue 3: Why is Access to Folk and Popular Culture Unequal?

Challenges in Accessing Electronic Media

  • Developed countries dominate the media
    • Developed countries exhibit Cultural Imperialism through media
  • Developing countries face issues with media
    • Attempt to control what comes in and goes out
    • Uprisings rely on social media

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Key Issue 4: Why do Folk and Popular Culture Face Sustainability Challenges?

Folk-

  • Increased connection to Pop Culture

Popular-

  • Landscape Pollution
  • Depletion of natural resources

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Summary

Folk culture is based on what is available and easiest to use

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Popular culture is based upon what everybody else says is good