PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE
At the end of this module, the learners should be able to:
✓ Identify theories on Popular Culture:
• Cultural Industry by Adorno and Horkheimer
✓ Understand the attitudes in culture.
✓ Identify culture and arts, and its value to the society.
v THEORY ON POP CULTURE
C. Cultural Industry by Adorno and Horkheimer
Culture Industry is a term used by social
thinkers Theodor Adorno and Max
Horkheimer to describe how popular
culture in the capitalist society functions
like an “industry” in producing
standardized products which produce
standardized people.
THEORIES ON POP CULTURE – Cultural Industry
Who is Adorno and Horkheimer?
1903–1969 1895–1973
Adorno and Horkheimer were Jewish intellectuals who fled Nazi Germany and moved to California,
where they wrote “Dialectic of Enlightenment”. This book analyzed the culture industry of American Capitalism.
THEORIES ON POP CULTURE – Cultural Industry
Adorno and Horkheimer argued
that through television, film, radio
and popular music, the cultural
industry disseminated knowledge
with great effectiveness.
THEORIES ON POP CULTURE – Cultural Industry
The Capitalist Driven Industry
Adorno and Horkheimer believed the collective output of Hollywood possessed no redeeming qualities. They call it
rubbish devoid of intellectual expression, mere twaddle. They also believe these industries possessed motives enforcing
people to accept what its applied namely to suppress imagination and yield the masses not to engage in any social and
political participation.
THEORIES ON POP CULTURE – Cultural Industry
Pop Culture is not created through artistic or intellectual merit but for the least risky “Real life is becoming
avenue for making more money. indistinguishable from
the movies” and
For them, Pop Culture is a collection of products under the cultural industry, are created, “Hollywood films are
marketed, and distributed for mass consumption only for income. responsible for the
stunning of the
mass media consumer’s
power of imagination”.
The culture industry
as a whole has molded
men as type unfailingly
reproduced in every
product… not nuanced
in any way.
- Adorno and Horkheimer
Pinocchio (1940) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBgyVY_ClzQ
Avengers End Game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcMBFSGVi1c
ATTITUDES IN CULTURE
Cultural Industry has another function in the capitalist economy—Psychological Control.
Tired Enjoys
from work relaxation
Labor is essential for being human, that is creating and having agency over your own destiny, but since labour is owned by
someone else you have to act your freedom in your leisure time alone.
Capitalism says, you are free to consume as you wish – but not to create as you wish, because that requires the privilege
of ownership. The cultural industry does its best to take that freedom away from you.
CULTURE AND ARTS
1. Economy
• National Economy
• Local Economy
• Artists
• Creative and Cultural Industries
• Savings to the Public Purse
The culture and art can attract tourism, employment,
skill development, different cultural industries
and can generated funds.
CULTURE AND ARTS
CULTURE AND ARTS
2. Health and Well-being
• Health
• Aging Population
Those who had attended a cultural place or event in
the previous 12 months were almost 60 per cent more
likely to report good health compared to those who
had not, and theatre-goers were almost 25 per cent
more likely to report good health.
CULTURE AND ARTS
CULTURE AND ARTS
3. Society
• Social Inclusion and Citizenship
• Crime
There is strong evidence that participation in
the arts can contribute to community
cohesion, reduce social exclusion and
isolation, and/or make communities feel safer
and stronger.
CULTURE AND ARTS
CULTURE AND ARTS
4. Education
• Educational Attainment
• School Curriculum
• Employment Outcomes
• Soft outcomes
• Socio Cognitive Development
Findings suggested that the creation of a
‘creative community’ amongst pupils
fostered a shared meaning through
dialogue which supported the pupils’
understanding of the EU and identity.
Let’s watch this video
The Role of Arts & Culture in an Open Society
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHJUhuiqmU0
. SEATWORK
In your own words, what do you think is the value of “Culture and Arts” to our society?
Danielle Frid (October 1, 2015) Elem
ents of Art Poster =
2SP_Qg1w_J8&t371
