American Popular Culture - Essay
American Popular Culture
Leonel Gutierrez
SOC/ 105
September 11, 2012
Gregory Shrout
American Popular Culture Our communities are built on a foundation whose culture we build. Through our culture, we define who we are as individuals and how our societies influence our communities. American popular culture has a great influence on our personal decisions and is a very important aspect of our lifestyle. Through television, magazines, newspapers, music, sports and countless other sources, we learn a culture that create who we are and what we decide. “One way to resolve this seeming dilemma is to think of culture in an anthropological sense, as the distinct practices, artifacts, institutions, customs, and values of a particular social group” (Petracca, 2007). Undoubtedly, we all practice different ways to assume a culture. Through generations, we learn the different aspects that make up who we are. As children some us learn how to play sports and implement that into our daily habits. Kicking a ball becomes part of daily routine and soccer becomes part of who we are and what we share with that community. Perhaps going to church is part of our social normality. The qualities learned by attending that community helps us obtain our values as a person, developing who we are. Culture is much more than just a practice, it’s an illustration of who we are, where we belong to. Whether it’s part of a soccer club whose reputation we hold dearly and work daily to win for, or a religion whose practices and laws we follow to make up our values and feel our sense of purpose. “Popular culture encompasses the most immediate and contemporary elements in our lives—elements which are often subject to rapid changes in a highly technological world in which people are brought closer and closer by the ubiquitous mass media” (Petracca, 2007). American popular culture consist of the different customs, communities and values that make up the
Leonel Gutierrez
SOC/ 105
September 11, 2012
Gregory Shrout
American Popular Culture Our communities are built on a foundation whose culture we build. Through our culture, we define who we are as individuals and how our societies influence our communities. American popular culture has a great influence on our personal decisions and is a very important aspect of our lifestyle. Through television, magazines, newspapers, music, sports and countless other sources, we learn a culture that create who we are and what we decide. “One way to resolve this seeming dilemma is to think of culture in an anthropological sense, as the distinct practices, artifacts, institutions, customs, and values of a particular social group” (Petracca, 2007). Undoubtedly, we all practice different ways to assume a culture. Through generations, we learn the different aspects that make up who we are. As children some us learn how to play sports and implement that into our daily habits. Kicking a ball becomes part of daily routine and soccer becomes part of who we are and what we share with that community. Perhaps going to church is part of our social normality. The qualities learned by attending that community helps us obtain our values as a person, developing who we are. Culture is much more than just a practice, it’s an illustration of who we are, where we belong to. Whether it’s part of a soccer club whose reputation we hold dearly and work daily to win for, or a religion whose practices and laws we follow to make up our values and feel our sense of purpose. “Popular culture encompasses the most immediate and contemporary elements in our lives—elements which are often subject to rapid changes in a highly technological world in which people are brought closer and closer by the ubiquitous mass media” (Petracca, 2007). American popular culture consist of the different customs, communities and values that make up the
References: Petracca, (2007) stated, “One way to resolve this seeming dilemma is to think of culture in an anthropological sense, as the distinct practices, artifacts, institutions, customs, and values of a particular social group” (p2). Petracca, (2007) stated, “Popular culture encompasses the most immediate and contemporary elements in our lives—elements which are often subject to rapid changes in a highly technological world in which people are brought closer and closer by the ubiquitous mass media” (p2).