Is Popular Culture is considered a deliberation of gregarious change? Or is it just a cause indulging in the overall social change…
Popular culture or pop culture is a broad spectrum dwelling with the fundamental mindsets of expression with an identity that is encountered in a recurring manner. It could as well include the likes, dislikes, rightfulness, characteristics and customaries in a particular community for a given period of time. Over the years, Popular culture is considered to be the most influential form of culture in society. Some elements making the ‘culture followed by the people popular’ could be similarity in the day-to-day activities such as style of attire, linguistic slang, rituals, food preferences and umpteen other aspects determining the likeliness in interaction. Informing the masses that this is the popular culture is the mass media as a whole.
It has a variety of facets to make it generally accepted. One of them is the close relationship with the contemporaneous aspect of an individual’s life and this is something that can change with stimulus. Yet, the commonality in this type of culture, emphasizes on its standards and reflections making it popular culture. It is a paragon, embracing the acceptability of different people with a similarity of behaviours standards and reflections making it popular culture. It is a paragon, embracing the acceptability of different people with a similarity of behaviour. Thus, it could be considered as a culture which would give an edge for changes through sentimental privileges and predictability in conduct as we could tangibly discern today unlike the other folk or high culture characteristics observed in the past.
Moreover, many sociology scholars have stated that this culture consumption by large masses is cultural standards and reflections making it popular culture. It is a paragon, embracing the acceptability of different people with a similarity of behaviors standards and reflections making it popular culture. It is a paragon, embracing the acceptability of different people with a similarity of behavior. Thus, it could be considered as a culture which would give an edge for changes through sentimental privileges and predictability in conduct as we could tangibly discern today unlike the other folk or high culture characteristics observed in the past. Adding to further comparison many sociology scholars have stated that this culture consumption by large masses is cultural production, giving way to being an epitome of social reproduction.
Historical conception on Popular Culture
The concept of popular culture came up in the 19th century when the world was in desperate need of opportunities and self-actualization became a part of the people’s lifestyle. One of the biggest proofs for this could be analyzing the Shakespearean plays. Each of his literary work has been in some way themed between dominance, humiliation, revengefulness and grievances towards the lower class of the society which at that time was reckoned to be known as high culture.
However, today, it is considered as the lowest and most dumbed-down culture followed in the society. One of the reasons could probably the immense criticism in the culture that was coined to be high, elite and rightful in the past because it gives rise to a horizon of culminating facts involving superficialism. This decline and downfall elated the majority of masses and their preferences were gradually gratified being exactly ironical to the culture followed in the former part of the 20th century.
Indian Popular Culture
India as a country is said to be the most religious and morally diverse country with the ethos being pious. These come out of the culture that has been deeply rooted within the minds and hearts of its people. Evolutions in various humanitarian aspects trying to affect this popular ideal has been observed to have very little heed to the oneness and respect among the multiplicity of the masses. Influencing numerous aspects of world history India has been labelled to be rich in its cultural heritage.
This has indeed set a benchmark for the Pop Culture of India to stand out among the American or European cultures which focus explicitly on the strands of independence, privacy and future orientation. Thus, it is rightfully stated that every religion finds a home in India. And that has made India stand on a global stage with all the major religions, languages and cultural charisma being highlighted in comparison with the world.
Popular culture is time and again disparaging itself to be known as a low culture. Yet, it is the popular culture that has gained more influence in recent times of the society. Was it like this in the past? And does this have any adverse effect on the society we live in as a whole? It is said that the emergence of Urbanization in society has led to a change in the formation of popular culture. The cultural diversity was felt by the masses when they shifted from small-scale homogenous societies such as villages, rural areas, and farms to cities.
Prior to this, it was observed that in the history of culture among humanity, the local folk culture was the only form of influence amidst people traditionally. They lived in a minimalistic society and it was barely conducive to call it a popular culture. Thus, the rise of the middle class was claimed as a phenomenon by the scholars and the glorious beginning of popular culture was brought out by the industrial revolution.
Escalation in Popular Culture
The major reason for this fast-spreading trend of popular culture is the influence of professional entities who act as protagonists for infusion of information to the masses and the public as a whole. These include media houses, social media, scholarly publications, OTT and many other open platforms. There might be situations where many collective opinions have come together giving a new shape to a particular aspect.
On the contrary, it could be an approach to reinforce and nourish the relationship between people who are intricately woven together with ideologies and perceptions over things, fostering some sense of intangible bonding knowingly or unknowingly among individuals in the society.
Nevertheless, there is always something called Individualism to break the chain of popular culture and this brings a fact that culture is not a fixed quintessential factor rather an ideal which indulges individualistic aspiration. Participating in a certain culture could be for popularity’s sake or even to follow the beaten track of the people around them. Surprisingly the society today is so open to acceptance that these inquisitive set of people bring in their individuality to affect the popular culture. Further making this a unique style and in-turn being adopted by others. From this cycle being ceased, the uniqueness brought forth becomes the next popular culture in the society!
 Published by Iram Rizvi
