What is popular culture? “Cultural activities or commercial products reflecting, suited to, or aimed at the tastes of the general masses of people” (“Popular culture,” 2013). There is a complete organization dedicated to the study of popular culture and American culture known as the Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association (PCA/ACA). The purpose of the organization is to study and discuss popular and American culture while, assisting scholars in researching and teaching the culture (Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association, 2012).
There are many trends that exist in popular American culture, but I would like to discuss three of those trends: food, fashion, and living. The current trend with food is eating out; many people prefer to eat out at restaurants and try different cuisines over cooking and eating at home. This is a trend in popular American culture that I happen to be very influenced by. This trend has its downfalls as it is part of the reason society has many individuals who are obese and malnutrition. The trend in food is now changing towards eating healthy as society is moving towards healthy living. Fashion is a trend that exceeds almost all trends as we are surrounded with it through television and advertisements. We are exposed to those who are rich, famous, and influential to us and we desire to wear what they wear; and we want to look like them. The same goes for living; as we see luxurious homes and cars and desire to have that lifestyle. The issue is being responsible and living within our means; however, popular American culture influences us to have big homes and fancy cars.
Petracca & Sorapure (2007) states that society immerses us in popular culture simply bt living. In other words, it is almost impossible not to be affected by popular culture and the trends that come along with it. No matter how we try to avoid the influences of popular American cultural, we will become influenced by it because it is a part of our daily lives. The difference in individuals it what they take from popular American culture as we become part of smaller cultural groups, such as subcultures.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Popular Culture: “popular culture refers to the beliefs and practices, and the objects through which they are organized, that are widely shared among a population. This includes folk beliefs, practices and objects generated in the political and commercial centers. It includes elite cultural forms that have been popularized as well as popular forms that have been elevated to the museum tradition.” (M&S, 3-4)…
- 1412 Words
- 6 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Culture is the behaviour, beliefs and characteristics of a particular group of people. Age groups, ethnic groups and social groups etc… are all examples of groups of people that possess their own unique culture. The people within a culture are expected to follow the norms and values that are passed down through generation to generation. Over the past 30 years, different cultures have gradually intermingled due to an increasing number people immigrating to different countries, which each bring their own cultures, be it religious or pop culture etc... . This is particular visible in many western countries such as Britain, Canada and the United States, as there…
- 1327 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
Culture is what defines a group of people, normally by: ethnicity, religion, beliefs, food, music, art, clothing, entertainment, and sometimes-generalized characters. Popular Culture is the forever changing trends, attitudes, ideas, forms of art, types of music, foods, perspectives, fitness, fashions, technologies, and overall specific themes that take place and are main stream within a culture. Popular culture can vary within a culture, but the general culture of a group mostly remains neutral.…
- 1478 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
There has never been a time when popular culture has been more pervasive and influential in American society. With advances in technology and creative innovation, outlets for popular culture have expanded greatly and are virtually innumerable. Through the consumption of television, music, magazines, movies, newspapers, blogs, and memes to name a few, American citizens and others around the globe are inundated with ideals and images that work to mold their collective psyche by impacting every facet of their daily lives and by providing a critique of modern-day society. Perhaps much of the influence of popular culture lies in the fact that its primary function is to appeal to the masses; therefore, it is widely and easily accessible to an extremely large audience. Many people in this audience partake in popular culture simply to be entertained; however, they fail to realize the extent to which it shapes their way of thinking in areas such as education, politics, the economy, racial relations, and overall global relations. The analysis of popular culture is an essential practice for the sheer fact that it has such an overwhelming presence in our lives. Space Jam, a highly popular movie made in 1996, blends elements of animation, comedy, sports, and renowned American icons to spin a tale that is not only highly entertaining but provides tropes and narratives that are teeming with insights and critiques of American society.…
- 1342 Words
- 6 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Culture is the characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. Today, in the United States as in other countries populated largely by immigrants, the culture is influenced by the many groups of people that now make up the country.…
- 1647 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
What is culture? Culture is the total of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors shared by and passed on by the members of a specific group. It involves religion, language, education, food and shelter, security, creative expression, relationships, and political and social organization. However, it ties us up to one group and separates us from other groups. A group that shares a geographic region is called a society, while a group that shares a language, customs, and a common heritage is called an ethnic group. Culture changes over time by acculturation, diffusion, and innovation; It spreads by religions and language. Culture develops, spreads, and changes over time.…
- 654 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Popular culture can be defined as cultural activities or commercial products imitating, suited to, or aimed at the tastes of the general masses of people.…
- 312 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Trends in popular American culture, what we value and idolize will influence where we go in life. Where we look in life will often determine where we go, and how we end up. From my viewpoint now and what I see in friends in the media and in the values of the groups I belong to I can see where my future is heading. These trends are setting the course.…
- 721 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The term “Culture" can have many varying meanings, traditionally, it is thought of as the shared beliefs, traditions, religious practices and values of an ethnic group; or the beliefs, customs, practices, and social behavior of a particular nation or people. Culture can also be defined as people with shared beliefs and practices: or a group of people whose shared beliefs and practices identify the particular place, class, or time (era) to which they belong. It can also be defined as the shared attitudes or particular set of attitudes that can characterize an ethnic or religious group of people. Culture is also art, music, literature, and related intellectual activities, otherwise referred to as "popular culture". Finally it is also referred to as knowledge and sophistication; or enlightenment and sophistication acquired through education and exposure to the arts. This is known as “people of culture”.…
- 1472 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
What is culture? The word culture has many different meanings. For some it refers to an appreciation of good literature, music, art, and food. If one is looking this word up in a dictionary, he will find out that culture is ¡§the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. These patterns, traits, and products considered as the expression of a particular period, class, community, or population.¡¨ This definition is very true. Indeed, it probably contains most of the concepts of what I think culture is. However, as a foreign born Chinese-American, I would add a few concepts that inherited from my parents as follow; the proper way to eat, such as using the right hand only, the proper way to use a knife and fork, chopsticks, and the comfortable physical distance between people talking.…
- 388 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
What is culture? Culture is a way of life – for most people anyway. People’s culture is what makes them as a whole, such as their religious beliefs, political views, and much more. The text Two Kinds, Where Worlds Collide, and Everyday Use shows that culture influences people’s views and the world.…
- 447 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
What is culture? Culture is something you and a group of people share that are similar to one another. A culture is a way of life for a group of people and their behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them. They are also passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next. You might share a unique set of behaviors and attitudes with someone of the same culture. You might even share the same religion or language with that person.…
- 958 Words
- 4 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Culture can be viewed as the customs, arts and social interactions of a particular nation, people, or other social group (Yourdictionary.com, 2013) Popular culture is defined as “Cultural activities or commercial products reflecting, suited to, or aimed at the tastes of the general masses of people.” (Dictionary.com, 2013) Three major trends in popular American culture would be: Social networking, reality television, and technology. Social networking has changed how we do communicate, think and live our everyday life. Websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are very popular among people today. Facebook helps us to keep in contact with friends, family, and letting people know our thoughts. Twitter is a status updating site, and Instagram is the same but it only based on posting pictures.…
- 568 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Vampires originally arose when the Austro-Hungarian Empire was expanding in the eighteenth century. They came from Slavic folklore to help with anxiety. Vampires change throughout cultures, but have been used in many top-selling or top-viewed books, movies, and television shows. (Bradshaw, Lindsay) The authors and directors portray these vampires very differently. Have you ever thought about which belief is correct?…
- 935 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
Americas culture is evolving everyday although, society is not aware of this change due to the everyday hustle that we exert on ourselves trying to accomplish what the media and advertising has imprinted in regard to what our lives should contain. Media and advertising have a huge impact on how society thinks, acts, feels, and what is expected therefore, Americans subconsciously are trying to achieve what the media has painted as the American Dream. There are many ways that societies thoughts have been altered with the assistance of the media, one action that evolved the entire country would be the Roe vs. Wade ruling.…
- 593 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays