Republic of the Philippines

CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

Sta. Rosa Del Norte, Pasacao, Camarines Sur, 4417
Website: www.cbsua.edu.ph
Email Address: ca.pasacao@cbsua.edu.ph
Trunkline: (054) 513-9519

GEC12 Philippine Popular Culture

Course Module
A. Course Overview

GEC 12 (Philippine Popular Culture) course introduces and allows

students to explores the concept of popular culture within the Philippine
context. A multi-disciplinary approach will be utilized to explore the evolution
of pop culture in the country, providing the students with the necessary tools
of analysis to explore the various mediums in which it is embedded in. The
course will discuss how pop culture is present in everyday life: how it
simultaneously influences and is being influenced by the feelings,
performances, and identities of the Filipino people.

B. Course Calendar

Week Topics Assessment

Week Introduction  Lecture

1 VMGO Discussion
Quality Policy  Slides
Course Outline, Grading Presentation
System and Classroom  Recitation
Policies

Week 2-3 Module 1 Introduction to  Lecture

Popular Culture Discussion
 Slides
Module 1.1 Definition, and Presentation
concept of popular culture  Recitation

Module 1.2 An overview of

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different cultural/Literary theories

 Define and frame the

concepts of culture and the
popular
 Understand the concept of
Pop Culture
 Understand the
Relationship between
Media and Pop Culture

Week  Lecture
4-5 Module 2 Discussion
 Slides
History and Evolution of Presentation
Pop Culture in the Philippines  Recitation
Module 2.1: Arts and literature

Module 2.2: Lifestyle, Fashion,

and Foods

 Identify arts and literature in

t Philippines.
Recognize the lifestyle, fashion,
and foods in the Philippines

Week 6 Assessment
Week  Lecture
7 Module 2.3: Media and urban Discussion
legend  Slides
 Information literacy, media Presentation
literacy, and technology  Recitation
literacy and their roles in
Philippine Pop Culture
 How they can use
information literacy, media
literacy, and technology
literacy to identify fake
news
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Module 3 Foreign Influences  Lecture

Week 8-10 that affect Philippine pop Discussion
culture.  Slides
Presentation
Module 3.1: Mexican and Korean  Recitation
Novela

Module 3.2: Japanese Animation

Module 3.3: Hallyu culture and

Virality

Week 11 Module 4 Philippine Popular  Lecture

culture and the new form of arts Discussion
 Slides
Module 4.1: Flip top Presentation
 Recitation

Module 4 Philippine Popular  Lecture

culture and the new form of arts Discussion
Week 13-14
(Continuation)  Slides
Presentation
Module 4.2: Stand-up comedy  Recitation

Module 4.3: Vlogging

Module 5 The rise of social  Lecture

Week 15-17 media; The experience economy Discussion
 Slides
Lesson 1: Facebook, Reels, Tik- Presentation
Tok, and YouTube  Recitation

Lesson 2: Meme-ology 101

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Lesson 3: The experience

economy
Week 18 Assessment 3 Pen and Paper  Lecture
Test Discussion
 Slides
Presentation
 Recitation

C. Professor

Rita D. Alarcon is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education

major in Library Science at University of Nueva Caceres where she also took her
master’s unit for master’s in library science. She took her master’s degree for Master of
Library in Information Science at Manual S. Enverga University Foundation in Lucena
City. After graduating in college as administrative assistant, she was hired as library staff
at the main library. A year after 2003, she worked as librarian for almost fifteen years at
AMA Computer College -Naga Campus and applied as campus librarian at Central Bicol
State University of Agriculture in 2019. She took her first teaching job in 2021 as
permanent faculty at the same time designated as librarian at CBSUA Pasacao
Campus. She is teaching General Education Subjects.

D. Assessment

Assessment Type % Course Due Graduate

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Learning Date Attributes

Outcomes

Week 1-6 Video 30%

commentary

Week 7-12 Video 30%

(Blogging
style)
interview

Week 13-18 Pen and 40%

Paper Test

Synchronous Classes (Google Meet)

Week Date Synchronous

No. Class No.
E. 2 2
3 3
4 4 https://meet.google.com/nob-
6 6 gxzo-ssj?
7 7 hs=122&authuser=0
8 8
GEC 12 https://meet.google.com/eic-
9 9
10 10 bnnu-zdp?
11 11 hs=122&authuser=0
13 13
14 14
15 15
16 16
17 17

Module
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Module 1
Introduction to Philippine Popular Culture
(Week 2-3)

Introduction

Pre-Competency Check
What is Culture? As Filipino what are the different cultures that you know? What
cultures are you used to know? What practices are being observe in your community?

Learning Resources

Books:
Delaney, T. (2008). Pop Culture: An Overview. https://tinyurl.com/y4dzsx8a.
Storey, J. 20___. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture, 8th Ed.
Fiske, John. "Understanding Popular Culture," 2nd ed. London: Routledge,
2010.
Gans, Herbert. "Popular Culture and High Culture: An Analysis and Evaluation
Of Taste." New York: Basic Books, 1999.
McRobbie, Angela, ed. "Postmodernism and Popular Culture." London:
Routledge, 1994.
Storey, John. "Cultural Theory and Popular Culture," 8th ed. New York: Routledge,
2019.

Internet Resources:
Abrams, M. H. (2013). Four Critical Theories from View Point of M. H. Abrams.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301228266_Four_critical_theorie
s_from_view_point_of_MHAbrams.

Popular Culture - Sociology - Oxford Bibliographies

Wikipedia.com
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Explore

Module 1.1 Definition and concept of popular culture

Module Overview
The popularity of a person, a phenomenon, a thing, an event, or a place depends
on the taste of the masses. Usually, this taste is considered common. This module
encapsulates the definition of popular culture, the biases people have with it, and how
Filipinos define it. The main goal is to establish a unified comprehension of what
Philippine pop culture is. Some aspects of this module are incorporated with Filipino
taste that will hopefully give light if Filipino pop culture is not an imitation.
Motivation Questions
What is pop culture? What are examples of pop culture? What are the “in” thing
right now? Who can give an example of popular culture?
Module Pre-test
Give at least Five (5) example of popular culture that you know.
Discussion
The term "popular culture" was coined in the mid-19th century, and it referred to
the cultural traditions of the people, in contrast to the "official culture" of the state or
governing classes. In broad use today, it is defined in qualitative terms—pop culture is
often considered a more superficial or lesser type of artistic expression.
Meaning of Popular Culture
Popular culture is the set of practices, beliefs, and objects that embody the
most broadly shared meanings of a social system. It includes media objects, music,
art, literature, fashion, dance, film, cyberculture, television, and radio that are
consumed by the majority of a society's population entertainment and leisure, fashion
and trends, and linguistic conventions, among other things.
Popular culture is usually associated with either mass culture or folk culture and
differentiated from high culture and various institutional cultures (political culture,
educational culture, legal culture, etc.). Popular culture is those types of media that
have mass accessibility and appeal.
In the modern West, pop culture refers to cultural products such as music,
art, literature, fashion, dance, film, cyberculture, television, and radio that are
consumed by the majority of a society's population. Popular culture is those types of
media that have mass accessibility and appeal.
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Different Definitions of Popular Culture

In his wildly successful textbook "Cultural Theory and Popular Culture" (now in its 8th
edition), British media specialist John Storey offers six different definitions of
popular culture.
1. Popular culture is simply culture that is widely favored or well-liked by
many people: it has no negative connotations.
2. culture is whatever is left after you've identified what "high culture" is:
in this definition, pop culture is considered inferior, and it functions as a
marker of status and class.
3. Pop culture can be defined as commercial objects that are produced for
mass consumption by non-discriminating consumers. In this definition,
popular culture is a tool used by the elites to suppress or take advantage of
the masses.
4. Popular culture is folk culture, something that arises from the people
rather than imposed upon them: pop culture is authentic (created by the
people) as opposed to commercial (thrust upon them by commercial
enterprises).
5. Pop culture is negotiated: partly imposed on by the dominant classes,
and partly resisted or changed by the subordinate classes. Dominants can
create culture but the subordinates decide what they keep or discard.
6. The last definition of pop culture discussed by Storey is that in the
postmodern world, in today's world, the distinction between "authentic" versus
"commercial" is blurred. In pop culture today, users are free to embrace
some manufactured content, alter it for their own use, or reject it
entirely and create their own.

Popular Culture: The formation

All six of Storey's definitions are still in use, but they seem to change depending
on the bramatically that scholars are finding it difficult to establish how they function.
The most common forms of popular culture

 Movies,
 Music,
 Television,
 Video games,
 Sports,
 Entertainment News,
 Fashion, and
 Various forms of social media.
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Some of us may be very selective in our consumption of popular culture, but it's
difficult to find someone who has not been touched by popular culture at all.

As recently as 2000, "mass media" meant only print (newspapers and

books), broadcast (televisions and radio), and cinema (movies and
documentaries).
Through most of human history, the masses were influenced by dogmatic forms
of rule and traditions dictated by local folk culture. Most people were spread throughout
small cities and rural areas conditions that were not conducive to a “popular” culture.
With the beginning of the Industrial era (late 18 th century), the rural masses began to
migrate to cities, leading to the urbanization of most Western societies. Today, it
embraces an enormous variety of social media and forms.
To a large degree, popular culture is today something established by niche
users. What is "mass communication" moving forward? Commercial products such as
music are considered popular even when the audience is tiny, in comparison to such
pop icons as Britney Spears and Michael Jackson. The presence of social media means
consumers can speak directly to producers—and are producers themselves, turning the
concept of pop culture on its head.
Urbanization is a key ingredient in the formation of popular culture. People
who once lived in homogeneous small villages or farms found themselves in crowded
cities marked by great cultural diversity. These diverse people would form of expression.
Thus, many scholars trace the beginning of the popular culture phenomenon to the rise
of the middle class brought on by the Industrial Revolution.
Industrialization also brought with it mass production; developments in
transportation, such as the steam locomotive and the steamship; advancements in
building technology; increased literacy; improvements in education and public health;
and the emergence of efficient forms of commercial printing, representing the first step
in the formation of a mass media (eg the penny press, magazines, and pamphlets). All
of these factors contributed to the blossoming of popular culture. By the start of the
twentieth century, the print industry mass-produced illustrated newspapers and
periodicals, as well as serialized novels and detective stories. Newspapers served as
the best source of information for a public with a growing interest in social and economic
affairs. The ideas expressed in print provided a starting point for popular discourse on
all sorts of topics. Fueled by further technological growth, popular culture was greatly
impacted by the emerging forms of mass media throughout the twentieth century. Films,
broadcast radio and television all had a profound influence on culture.
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So, urbanization, industrialization, the mass media and the continuous

growth in technology since the late 1700s, have all been significant factors in the
formation of popular culture. These continue to be factors shaping pop culture today.
So, in a sense, popular culture has gone back to its simplest meaning: It is what a lot of
people like.
History
Scholars trace the origins of the rise of popular culture to the creation of
the middle class generated by the Industrial Revolution. People who were
configured into working classes and moved into urban environments far from their
traditional farming life began creating their own culture to share with their co-workers, as
a part of separating from their parents and bosses.
In the past, folk culture functioned analogously to the popular culture of the
masses and of the nations. The phrase "popular culture" was invented in the 19th
century or earlier. Traditionally, popular culture was associated with
poor education and with the lower classes, as opposed to the "official culture"
and higher education of the upper classes. With the rise of the Industrial
Revolution in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Britain experienced social
changes that resulted in increased literacy rates, and with the rise of capitalism
and industrialization, people began to spend more money on entertainment, such as
(commercialized) pubs and sports. Reading also gained traction. Labelling penny
dreadfuls the Victorian equivalent of video games, The Guardian in 2016 described
penny fiction as "Britain's first taste of mass-produced popular culture for the young". A
growing consumer culture and an increased capacity for travel via the newly
invented railway (the first public railway, Stockton and Darlington Railway, opened in
north-east England in 1825) created both a market for cheap popular literature, and the
ability for its distribution on large scale. The first penny serials were published in the
1830s to meet the growing demand.
The stress on the distinction from "official culture" became more pronounced
towards the end of the 19th century, a usage that became established by
the interbellum period.
From the end of World War II, following major cultural and social changes
brought by mass media innovations, the meaning of "popular culture" began to overlap
with the connotations of "mass culture", "media culture", "image culture", "consumer
culture", and "culture for mass consumption".
The abbreviated form "pop" for "popular", as in "pop music", dates from the late 1950s.
Although the terms "pop" and "popular" are in some cases used interchangeably, and
their meaning partially overlap, the term "pop" is narrower. Pop is specific to something
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containing qualities of mass appeal, while "popular" refers to what has gained
popularity, regardless of its style.
Key Characteristics of Popular Culture
A key characteristic of popular culture is its accessibility to the masses. It
is, after all, the culture of the people. High culture, on the other hand, is not mass
produced, nor meant for mass consumption. It belongs to the social elite; the fine
arts, opera, theatre, and high intellectualism are associated with the upper
socioeconomic classes. Items of high culture often require extensive experience,
training, or reflection to be appreciated. Such items seldom cross over to the pop culture
domain. Consequently, popular culture is generally looked (down) upon as being
superficial when compared to the sophistication of high culture. (This does not mean
that social elites do not participate in popular culture or that members of the masses do
not participate in high culture.)

Sources of Popular Culture

There are numerous sources of popular culture. As implied above, a primary
source is the mass media, especially popular music, film, television, radio, video
games, books, and the internet. In addition, advances in communication allows for
the greater transmission of ideas by word of mouth, especially via cell phones. Many TV
programs, such as American Idol and the Last Comic Standing, provide viewers with a
phone number so that they can vote for a contestant. This combining of pop culture
sources represents a novel way of increasing public interest, and further fuels the mass
production of commodities. Popular culture is also influenced by professional entities
that provide the public with information. These sources include the news media,
scientific and scholarly publications, and expert opinion from the people considered
an authority in their field
For example, a news station reporting on a specific topic, say the effects of playing
violent video games, will seek a noted psychologist or sociologist who has published in
this area. This strategy is a useful way of influencing the public and may shape their
collective opinions on a particular subject. At the very least, it provides a starting point
for public discourse and differing opinions. News stations often allow viewers to call or
email in their opinions, which may be shared with the public.
A seemingly contradictory source of popular culture is individualism. Urban
culture has not only provided a common ground for the masses, but it has also inspired
ideals of individualistic aspirations. In the United States, a society formed on the
premise of individual rights, there are theoretically no limitations to what an individual
might accomplish. An individual may choose to participate in all that is popular is
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“popular for popularity’s sake;or they may choose a course of action off the beaten
track. At times, these ‘Pathfinders affect popular culture by their individuality. Of course,
once a unique style becomes adapted by others, it ceases to remain unique. It becomes
popular.
The salient points in the article are summarized below and added with examples
for you.
1. The different definitions of popular culture based on the article are the following
(Delaney, 2008):
 “It is generally recognized as the vernacular or Peoples culture that
predominates in a society at a point in time”
 “As the culture of the people”, popular culture is determined by the
interactions between people in their everyday activities: styles of
dress, the use of slang, greeting rituals, and the foods that people eat are
all examples of popular culture.”
 “Pop culture is the product and forms of expression and identity that
are are frequently encountered or widely accepted, commonly liked or
approved, and characteristic of a particular society at a given time. It is
consist of the aspects of attitudes, behaviors, custums, and tastes that
define the people of any society.

2. The elements of pop culture, according to Delaney (2008), involve the present
lifestyle of people, erratic changes to the lifestyle of people, the standard of living
and beliefs of people influence their everyday life, people are interested in the same
beliefs, art, and practices, and people of the different state share the same sentiments
on things (e.g. art, beliefs, practices). These elements need not be present to identify if
a phenomenon belongs to popular culture.
3. There are many examples of popular culture in the article Delaney (2008) wrote.
They are from different industries. The most common and traditional ones are
entertainment the industry, television, music, print, leisure, fad, and sports. Other
examples are from online culture, social media, and many more. Groups of people
unconsciously decide the popularity of these examples. Sports and television are the
most consumed ones. In Japan, its most popular sport is soccer. In the Philippines it is
basketball. Because of the difference of preference, sports items that are salable are
different in the said countries. In Philippine television, there is a trend. In the 1990s until
the early 2000s, teleseryes from Spain and Mexico were famous.
An example is the teleserye Marimar. In the late 2000s, it was anime. At present,
Kdrama tops Netflix. An example of a popular kind of music is pop songs with rap. It
was famous in the 90s. An example of print is the popularity of comic books before the
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internet took hold of the world. An example of online culture is the popularity of
Wattpadd in the early 2000s. This has changed in recent times. Wattpadd is still
available, but its popularity is slowly dwindling. An example of leisure is the popularity of
massage nowadays. An example of a fad is Pokemon Go. A fad is a practice or interest
followed for a time with exaggerated zeal. Therefore, Pokemon Go is a concrete
example of it. When it was released, people were crazy over it. Some even got injured
from playing the game. It was the game for almost everyone in varied age group.
However, it died down as quickly as it ascended. Finally, an example of popular
advertising is the style used by Thai entertainment industry in their advertising.
4. As I mentioned, the reason why a phenomenon is part of pop culture is the collective
and unconscious agreement of people to be interested into that phenomenon. In this
context, folk culture and high culture are mixed in. They are equally important to be
understood. Folk culture has a similar quality with pop culture. They are both for the
masses. However, folk culture is more stable than pop culture. It is traditional while pop
culture is not. Change is not encouraged in folk culture. An example of it is life in the
rural: laid back and simple. High culture is something that the elite can mostly
understand and be interested in. It is for a few people only. For example, only rich
people tend to like and acquire expensive paintings.
5. Urbanization and industrialization are key concepts in the formation of pop culture.
Because of urbanization, it was possible for groups of people to gather and socialize.
This became the reason why unconscious interest in the same things formed and
created pop culture. Industrialization even more emphasized this event. It was easier for
people to socialize and get similar.
Levels of popular culture
Within the realm of popular culture, there exists an organizational culture. From
its beginning, popular culture has revolved around classes in society and the push-back
between them. Within popular culture, there are two levels that have emerged, high and
low.
High culture can be described as art and works considered of superior
value, historically, aesthetically, and socially.
Low culture is regarded by some as that of the lower classes, historically.
Criticism
Popular culture in the West has been critiqued for its being a system of
commercialism that privileges products selected and mass-marketed by the upper-class
capitalist elite; such criticisms are most notable in many Marxist theorists such
as Herbert Marcuse, Theodor Adorno, Max Horkheimer, bell hooks, Antonio
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Gramsci, Guy Debord, Fredric Jameson, Terry Eagleton, as well as certain postmodern
philosophers such as Jean-François Lyotard, who has written about the
commercialization of information under capitalism, and Jean Baudrillard, as well as
others.

Learning Task/Activities
Answer the following questions.
1-2. What are the differences between folk culture and pop culture? Provide two
reasons/examples.
3-4. What are the differences between pop culture and high culture? Provide 2
reasons/examples.
5. Why was pop culture impossible before industrialization?
6. Please give your own examples of these sources of pop culture: sports, television,
music, print, cyberculture, entertainment, leisure, fads, and advertising.
7-10. How do politicians use popular culture in their campaign? Cite a concrete
example. Each number should have at least two sentences.
Below is the format for your guidance.

NAME : DATE:

COURSE: SECTION:

1.__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

2.__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
_
3.__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

4. __________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
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5.__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

6.__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
_
7.__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

8.__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
_
9.__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
10._________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________
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Module 1.2 An overview of different cultural theories

Literary Theories Based on M. H. Abrams' The Mirror and the Lamp
Module Overview
Philippine Pop Culture is a new course introduced by CHED. It does not have
a long test run just yet. To test the waters of how students will respond to the course,
the instructor of this subject decided to teach it with leanings towards literature. With this
agenda, literary theories are to be studied by you in this unit.
Learning Outcomes
1. Understand the literary theories by M. H. Abrams; and
2. Use any of the literary theories to understand a phenomenon
Motivation Questions
What do you mean by theory? Why do you think Filipinos imitate trends of
other countries? How will you describe a mirror? How about a lamp? Do you think the
reflection that you see in the mirror is your true self?
Includes picture of reflection/mirror
Module Pre-test
What do you know about literary works?
A literary work is a work that explains, describes, or narrates a particular subject, theme,
or idea through the use of narrative, descriptive, or explanatory text, rather than dialog
or dramatic action. Generally, literary works are intended to be read; they are not
intended to be performed before an audience.
Gives at least Five (5) known literary work.
1. Holy Bible - The Holy Bible is the most read book in the world.
2. Don Quixote -Top Best seller. It is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes.
It was originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615.
3. The Lord of the Rings- J. R. R. Tolkien
4. Hamlet -by William Shakespear 1603
5. Anna Karenina- Written by Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, the eight-part towering
work of fiction tells the story of two major characters: a tragic, disenchanted
housewife, the titular Anna, who runs off with her young lover, and a lovestruck
landowner named Konstantin Levin, who struggles in faith and philosophy.
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Discussion
This lesson is a little bit literary. It deals with the basic theories on how to
analyze a literary work. You must think outside of the box here so that you can
understand why popular culture exists. Things about the universe (not the scientific part
of it), mirror and shadows, and lamp will be dealt with here. However, you should not
worry much about the scope of the lesson. You are only going to have a taste of these
topics. If you want to have the whole meal, you have to read more about literary
theories after studying this lesson. The article below gives you basic information about
the four critical literary theories of M. H. Abrams. Please read it. It is written by Dhaval
Purohit.
The article is easy to understand. Everything is organized already. All details
needed in the discussion are present. In the article, it is mentioned that from Plato’s
time to the 18th century, the focus was on how literary works affected the world outside
of the writing. Since people evolved, theories also changed to adapt to the need of the
society. Popular culture is somewhat like this: adapting to the need of the people. As
you go along this lesson, you shall think of the trends you have experienced and relate
each one to the four literary theories of Abrams.
Learning Task/Activities
Read the following critical theories from the viewpoint of M H Abrahams by
Dhaval Purohit
Four Critical Theories from the view point of M H Abrams
By: Dhaval Purohit

Abstract:
To work on M.H.Abrams is most influential studies in the field of criticism and theory. Till
today, the chief tendency of modern criticism is to consider the aesthetic quality in terms
of relation of art to the artist. M.H. Abrams in his essay “Orientation of critical
theories” tries to the growth of criticism in relation of art, artist, and audience.
Considering a whole work of art, there are four (4) elements which are well
distinguished and made important in almost all the theories, first, there is the work, the
artistic product itself. Since this is a human product, the next common element is the
artist. The work is directly or indirectly related to the universe inclusive of man, material
things, events, and ideas. The audiences come as the final element. On this framework
of artist, work, universe and audience, M.H. Abrams has spread out various theories for
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comparison. To make matters easier he has arranged the four elements in a convenient
triangular pattern with the work of art, the thing to be explained in the center.
Four important elements of a theory:
1. Work
2. Artist
3. Universe
4. Audience

According to this frame work, M.H.Abrams gives four critical theories i.e. Mimetic,
Pragmatic, Expressive, and Objective theories. Key words: Mimetic, Pragmatic,
Expressive, Objective, M.H.Abrams. Introduction: Meyer (Mike) Howard Abrams (born
July 23, 1912) is an American literary critic, known for works on Romanticism, in
particular his book The Mirror and the Lamp. Contribution of him in the postmodern
literary criticism cannot be avoided. Unfortunately, students who are doing research in
M.Phil. & Ph.D. they are merely digging more deep on the investigated topics. They
know Abrams only in context to glossary. Abrams stands unique because of his four
oriental critical theories which cover up entire history of English literary theories and
criticism. In literature nothing is existed out of universe, text, artist, and audience. Today
we tend to think of the work of art in terms of the artist, who, acting through his powers
of imagination, wilfully brings into being his creation. But this artist-centred interpretation
of the text is really a more recent development, first seen in the early nineteenth
century. As Abrams demonstrates in the "Orientation of Critical Theories" chapter of his
book The Mirror and the Lamp. From Plato until the late 18th century the artist was
thought to play a back-seat role in the creation of art. He was regarded as no more than
"a mirror," reflecting nature either as it exists or as it is perfected or enhanced through
the mirror. This artist-as-mirror conception remained dominant until the advent of the
Romantic era (Abrams sets the date around 1800), when the artist began to make his
transformation from “mirror” to “lamp” a lamp that actively participates in the object it
illuminates.
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Four Categories of Literary theory based on Abram:

1) Mimetic Theory - which focus on the relationship between text and universe (by
"universe" he means all things of the world apart from audience, text and author)
2) Pragmatic theory- which are interested in the relationship between text and
audience.
3) Expressive theory- which are concerned with the text-author relationship.
4) Objective theory - the most recent classification, which focus on analysis of the text
in isolation.
As Abrams stated above that nothing exists other than universe, text, author
and audience, any form of theory must fit into one of these four categories. Lets see
these four critical into details.

1) Mimetic theory: The first category of mimetic theories forms the oldest and is,
according to Abrams, the most primitive of the four categories. According to this
theory, the artist is an imitator of aspects of the observable universe. In The
Republic, Plato divides his universe into three realms: the realm of ideas, the
realm of particulars, and the realm of reflections of particulars (i.e., art and other
"shadows"). The realm of reflections of particulars is the furthest removed from
the realm of ideas (i.e., "ultimate truth"), and is therefore the lowest ranking of the
three realms. Consequently, its practice, namely, mimetic art, is held in low
regard. Plato's mentor Socrates seemed to agree with Plato’s thesis, as he too
ranked the third realm-Mimetic art-at the bottom. In his famous analogy of the
three beds, Socrates refers to the first bed, Bed 1, as the bed of ideas. Bed 2 is
the bed I lie in, the carpenter’s bed which is the bed of realms of particulars. Bed
3, the bed in the painting, is a representation of a representation of the ideal bed.
Thus, being twice removed from the ideal bed, it is the most "untrue" of the three.
Aristotle points out, however, that the value of Bed 3 (the painters bed) is not
dependent upon its relation to Bed 1 (the bed of the gods or ideal truth). Art,
rather, is independent and should be assessed on its own terms. Aristotle thus
frees the text from its relation to the universe to which Plato and Socrates bound
it, while still acknowledging the text's imitative relation to universe. Aristotle
shows that it is the "manner of imitation" and not the relation to truth which is
important in art, and that aesthetic evaluation should be based on the
assessment of both the "manner of imitation" and the emotional effect produced
in the audience
2) Pragmatic theory: The second type of theories are pragmatic theories, which
are concerned with the relation between text and audience. According to
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Abrams, these theories have constituted the dominant mode of analysis from
Horace to the early 19th century, and much of its terminology is borrowed from
ancient rhetoric.

Aristotle argued in his Ars Poetica that the three functions of poetry are to
teach, to please, and to move. Cicero, the Church Fathers, and the Italian guides all
developed a theory of poetry through this reinterpretation of Aristotle, and it was Sir
Philip Sydney who in his Apologie for Poetry expanded Aristotle's theories into a
specifically didactic theory of poetry. Sydney argues that poets differ from historians
in that, unlike historians who deal only with what has been, poets also deal with what
may be, and that such moral utopianism is what makes poetry, specifically epic
poetry, and superior to history.

3. Expressive theory: By 1800, we begin to see “the displacement of mimetic

and pragmatic by the expression view of arts”, a phenomenon due in part to
the writings of Longinus, Bacon, Wordsworth, and later, the radical Romantics
of the 1830s. With the new expressive view” of art, the primary duty of the artist
was no longer to serve as a mirror reflecting outer things, but instead to externalize
the internal, and make one’s “inner life” the primary subject of art. It is around this
time in the early 19th century tat the “mirro” which had hirherto been the conventional
symbol for the artist, becomes the lamp. To give an overview of the evolution of
Western aesthetics up to this point, Abrams provides the following rough timeline. In
the age of Plato and Aristotle, poets were mimetic poets, and their personal roles
and intrusions were kept to a minimum. In the Hellenistic and Roman eras, poets
were pragmatic, and they sought to satisfy the public, abide by the rules of decorum,
and apply techniques borrowed from rhetoric. From 1800 to 1900, poets, specifically
those of England and Germany, were triumphant and self-affirming figures whose
task was to express to the world their inner genius.
4) Objective theory: Though extremely rare in pre-20th-century history, this fourth
alternative_ to view the text in isolation- has been the dominant mode for criticism for
at least half of the century.
Proponents of this theory trace its origins to the central section of Aristotle’s Poetics,
where tragedy is regarded as an object in itself, and where the works internal
elements(plot, character, tought, diction melody and spectacle, in order of
importance) are described as working together in perfect unison to produce in the
audience a “catharsis” of pity and fear. The important point, the objective theorist
point out, is that these qualities are treated by Aristotle as inherent in the work itself,
and that the work is praised to the extent that these internal elements work together
cohesively. Still, some might counter that Aristotle’s Poetics, with its careful attention
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paid to the effect produce upon the audience audience, in fact more closely fits the
criteria of the pragmatic theories than of the objective theories. As translation into
Latin were scare, Aristotle influence disappeared for centuries until the Renaissance,
when we see the re-emergence of his ideas in new forms. Yet it is not until the 1780s
in Germany that we see a significant objective theory brought forth. During this
period from 1780-1820, and in large part as a consequence of Kant’s writings, an
“art-for-art-sake” movement begins to emerge, under this new theory, the poem
came to be considered a “heterocosm” which functions independently and according
to its own set of rules. But it is not until the first half of the 20 th centure- with its high
modernism, Chicago Neo-Aristotelianism, and other sch -forart's-sake movement
would place the objective theories in a position of ascendancy over the other critical
orientation.
Conclusion:
Abrams clearly identifies himself as a critical theorist, not a philosopher, not a
psychologist, not a scientist. From his perspective, the purpose and function of
critical theory is not to discover some "verifiable truth" but to "establish principles
enabling us to justify, order, and clarify our interpretation and appraisal of the
aesthetic.
In the simplest explanation, the four literary theories that Abrams
introduced are expressive theory, mimetic theory, pragmatic theory, and objective
theory. These theories are used as lens to understand literary works. In this unit, the
theories are to be used to understand a phenomenon through its maker, its
audience, imitation, and to itself.

Expressive theory deals with how the maker/author affects a phenomenon. It also
shows if the maker/author is seen throughout his/her work. Mimetic theory is about
the universe and how a work imitates life. Pragmatic theory involves the audience.
Finally, objective theory solely deals with the work.
To better comprehend the theories, situations shall be given.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe films are interesting topics to traverse. Why are they
popular? Why are superhero movies si “in” right now? Using the lens of the
expressive theory is quite difficult since the films involve so many creators. However,
there is one thing that is easy to identify, the reason of the people involved in the
planning and filming of the movies is for money. That is the reality of the film
industry. The series of films gave the producers and movie organizations billions of
dollars. If you look at it through the lens of the mimetic theory, the lives of the heroes
in the movies reflect or mirror lives in real life. For example, although the movies
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feature supernatural strengths and powers, they also feature mental health issues
(Iron Man 3), parental and sibling issues (basically all Thor movies), adolescence,
corruption, and many more. The Marvel Cinematic Universe films being a big hit is
because of the paying moviegoers. With the pragmatic theory, you have to study the
audience, the consumers of the themes of the films. The major theme of the films is
the fight between good and evil. This theme has been a hit with people since time
became a concept in the world. Everybody wants good to overcome evil. The MCU
highly capitalizes on this. To use the objective theory means to only consider the
script of the movies. This is tasking, so it will not be done in this lesson. If you want
to go into details regarding this, scripts of the movies are available online. These
basic literary theories ease the difficulties in learning about popular and how the
phenomenon becomes “in” with the crowd.
Other Cultural Theories and Criticism
The culture industry
The most influential critiques of popular culture came from Marxist theorists of
the Frankfurt School during the twentieth century. Theodor Adorno and Max
Horkheimer analysed the dangers of the culture industry in their influential work
the Dialectic of Enlightenment by drawing upon the works
of Kant, Marx, Nietzsche and others.
Capitalist popular culture, as Adorno argued, was not an authentic culture of
the people but a system of homogenous and standardised products manufactured in the
service of capitalist domination by the elite. The consumer demand for Hollywood films,
pop tunes and consumable books is influenced by capitalist industries like Hollywood
and the elite who decide which commodities are to be promoted in the media, including
television and print journalism. Adorno wrote, "The industry bows to the vote it has itself
rigged" It is the elite who commodify products in accordance with their narrow
ideological values and criteria, and Adorno argues that the audience becomes
accustomed to these formulaic conventions, making intellectual contemplation
impossible. Adorno's work has had a considerable influence on culture studies,
philosophy and the New Left.
Writing in the New Yorker in 2014, music critic Alex Ross, argued that
Adorno's work has a renewed importance in the digital age: "The pop hegemony is all
but complete, its superstars dominating the media and wielding the economic might of
tycoons...Culture appears more monolithic than ever, with a few gigantic corporations
Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon—presiding over unprecedented monopolies". There
is much scholarship on how Western entertainment industries strengthen transnational
capitalism and reinforce a Western cultural dominance. Hence, rather than being a local
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culture, commercial entertainment is artificially reinforced by transnational media

corporations.
Jack Zipes, a professor of German and literature, critiqued the mass
commercialisation and corporate hegemony behind the Harry Potter franchise. He
argued that the commodities of the culture industry are "popular" because they are
homogenous and obey standard conventions; the media then influences the tastes of
children. In his analysis of Harry Potter's global brand, Zipes wrote, "It must conform to
the standards of exception set by the mass media and promoted by the culture industry
in general. To be a phenomenon means that a person or commodity must conform to
the hegemonic groups that determine what makes up a phenomenon.
Imperialism
Imperialism and Cultural imperialism
According to John M. MacKenzie, many products of popular culture have been
designed to promote imperialist ideologies and to glorify the British upper classes rather
than present a democratic view of the world. Although there are many films which do
not contain such propaganda, there have been many films that
promote racism and militarist imperialism.
Feminist critique
Bell hooks, an influential feminist, argues that commercial commodities and celebrities
cannot be symbols of progressiveness when they collaborate with imperialist capitalism
and promote ideals of beauty; hooks uses Beyoncé as an example of a commodity
reinforced by capitalist corporations complicit in imperialism and patriarchy.
Propaganda
Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky critiqued the mass media in their 1988
work Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. They argue
that mass media is controlled by a powerful hegemonic elite who are motivated by their
own interests that determine and manipulate what information is present in the
mainstream. The mass media is therefore a system of propaganda.
In sum, a propaganda approach to media coverage suggests a systematic and highly
political dichotomization in news coverage based on serviceability to important domestic
power interests. This should be observable in dichotomized choices of story and in the
volume and quality of coverage... such dichotomization in the mass media is massive
and systematic: not only are choices for publicity and suppression comprehensible in
terms of system advantage, but the modes of handling favored and inconvenient
materials (placement, tone, context, fullness of treatment) differ in ways that serve
political ends.
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Consumerism
According to the postmodern sociologist Jean Baudrillard, the individual is trained
into the duty of seeking the relentless maximisation of pleasure lest he or she become
asocial. Therefore, "enjoyment" and "fun" become indistinguishable from the need to
consume. Whereas the Frankfurt School believed consumers were passive, Baudrillard
argued that consumers were trained to consume products in a form of active labour in
order to achieve upward social mobility. Thus, consumers under capitalism are trained
to purchase products such as pop albums and consumable fiction in order to signal their
devotion to social trends, fashions and subcultures. Although the consumption may
arise from an active choice, the choice is still the consequence of a social conditioning
which the individual is unconscious of. Baudrillard says, "One is permanently governed
by a code whose rules and meaning—constraints—like those of language—are, for the
most part, beyond the grasp of individuals".
Jean Baudrillard argued that the vague conception "Public Opinion" is a
subjective and inaccurate illusion, for it attributes a sovereignty to consumers that they
do not really have. In Baudrillard's understanding, the products of capitalist popular
culture can only give the illusion of rebellion, since they are still produced by a system
controlled by the powerful. Baudrillard stated in an interview, critiquing the content and
production of
The Matrix
The Matrix paints the picture of a monopolistic superpower, like we see today,
and then collaborates in its refraction. Basically, its dissemination on a world scale is
complicit with the film itself. On this point it is worth recalling Marshall McLuhan: the
medium is the message. The message of The Matrix is its own diffusion by an
uncontrollable and proliferating contamination.
Print culture
With the invention of the printing press in the sixteenth century, mass-produced,
cheap books, pamphlets and periodicals became widely available to the public. With
this, the transmission of common knowledge and ideas was possible.
Radio culture
In the 1890s, Nikola Tesla and Guglielmo Marconi created the radiotelegraph,
allowing for the modern radio to be born. This led to the radio being able to influence a
more "listened-to" culture, with individuals being able to feel like they have a more direct
impact. This radio culture is vital, because it was imperative to advertising, and it
introduced the commercial.
Films
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Films and cinema are highly influential to popular culture, as films as an art form
are what people seem to respond to the most. With moving pictures being first captured
by Eadweard Muybridge in 1877, films have evolved into elements that can be cast
into different digital formats, spreading to different cultures.
The impact of films and cinema are most evident when analyzing in the search of
what the films aim to portray. Films are used to seek acceptance and understanding of
many subjects because of the influence the films carry—an example of an early
representation of this can be seen in Casablanca (1942): the film introduced war
subjects to the public after the United States entered World War II, and it meant to
increase pro-war sentiment for the allies. Films are a known massive influencer to
popular culture yet not all films create a movement that contributes enough to be part of
the popular culture that starts movements. The content must resonate to most of the
public so the knowledge in the material connects with the majority. Popular culture is a
set of beliefs in trends and entail to change a person's set of ideologies and create
social transformation. The beliefs are still a trend that change more rapidly in the
modern age that carries a continuation of outpouring media and more specifically films.
The trend does not last but it also carries a different effect based on individuals that can
be grouped to generalized groups based on age and education. The creation of culture
by films is seen in fandoms, religions, ideologies, and movements. The culture of film is
more evident through social media. Social media is an instant source of feedback and
creates discussion on films. A repeating event that has been set in modern culture
within the trend setting phase is the creation of movements in social media platforms to
defend a featured subject on a film.
Popular culture or mass culture is reached easily with films which are easily shared and
reached worldwide.
Television programs
A television program is a segment of audiovisual content intended for broadcast (other
than a commercial, trailer, or other content not serving as attraction for viewership).
Television programs may be fictional (as in comedies and dramas), or non-fictional (as
in documentary, light entertainment, news and reality television). They may be topical
(as in the case of a local newscast and some made-for-television movies), or historical
(as in the case of many documentaries and fictional series). They can be
primarily instructional or educational, or entertaining as is the case in situation
comedy and game shows.
Music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences
through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by
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people with little or no musical training. It stands in contrast to both art

music and traditional or "folk" music. Art music was historically disseminated through the
performances of written music, although since the beginning of the recording industry, it
is also disseminated through recordings. Traditional music forms such as
early blues songs or hymns were passed along orally, or to smaller, local audiences.
Sports
Sports include all forms of competitive physical activity or games which, through
casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and
skills while providing enjoyment to participants, and in some cases, entertainment for
spectators.
Corporate branding
Corporate branding refers to the practice of promoting the brand name of a
corporate entity, as opposed to specific products or services.
Personal branding
Personal branding includes the use of social media to promotion to brands and
topics to further good repute among professionals in a given field, produce an iconic
relationship between a professional, a brand and its audience that extends networks
past the conventional lines established by the mainstream and to enhance personal
visibility. Popular culture: is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of
the practices, beliefs, and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a society at a given
point in time. As celebrities online identities are extremely important in order to create a
brand to line-up sponsorships, jobs, and opportunities. As influencers, micro-celebrities,
and users constantly need to find new ways to be unique or stay updated with trends, in
order to maintain followers, views, and likes. For example, Ellen DeGeneres has
created her own personal branding through her talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
As she developed her brand we can see the branches she created to extend her fan
base such as Ellen clothing, socks, pet beds, and more.
Social media
Information Age
Social media is interactive computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the
creation or sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression
via virtual communities and networks.
Social media platforms such
as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat are the most
popular applications used on a daily basis for younger generations. Social media tends
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to be implemented into the daily routine of individuals in our current society. Social
media is a vital part of our culture as it continues to impact the forms of communication
used to connect with those in our communities, families, or friend groups. We often see
that terms or slang is used online that is not used in face to face conversations, thus,
adding to a persona users create through the screens of technology. For example,
some individuals respond to situations with a hashtag or emojis.
Social media influencers have become trendsetters through their direct engagement
with large audiences, upending conventional marketing and advertising techniques.
Consumer purchase choices have been impacted by fashion partnerships, sponsored
material and outfit ideas offered by influencers. Social media has also made fashion
more accessible by fostering uniqueness, expanding the depiction of trends, and
facilitating the rise of niche influencers. The influencer-driven fashion industry,
nevertheless, has also come under fire for encouraging excessive consumerism,
inflated beauty ideals, and labour exploitation.
Clothing
Fashion and History of Western fashion
The fashion industry has witnessed tremendous and rapid and applaudable changes
over the years, culminating in the production of masterpieces unimaginable in the past
decades. This dynamic trend has compelled renowned cloth lines such as Christian
Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Balenciaga to intensify research and creative imagination to
develop appealing designs that are outstanding and fascinating. Fashion has changed
from the classical baggy and oversize pieces to trendy and slim-fit clothes for both
males and females. Further, the past few decades have seen the reintroduction of old
designs, which have been revitalized and improvised to fit the current market needs.
Additionally, celebrities and influencers are at the forefront of setting fashion trends
through various platforms. The future of fashion is promising and is significantly inspired
by past trends, for instance, the oversize boyfriend blazers.

Learning Tasks/Activities
Select a movie/book/TV series that you can relate with your life and
experiences. Explained in 100 words why this specific character is like you.
Below is the format for your Guidance.

Name: ____________
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Section: ____________
Schedule: ___________

Title:_____________________________________________________________

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