Meaning of popular culture (what is it, concept and definition)

What is popular culture:

As popular culture it is called the set of artistic and folkloric manifestations that emanate directly from the belief system, values ​​and traditions of a people. As such, the concept of popular culture emerges as a distinction against official or elitist cultural expressions, created from the tastes and interests of the ruling classes.

In this sense, popular culture originates as a response to official culture, since one and the other represent different social sectors, as well as different tastes and interests, according to authors such as Mikhail Bakhtin, a student of popular culture in the Middle Ages.

As such, popular culture is characterized by being a product fundamentally created and consumed by the popular classes, composed mainly of individuals of low social extraction, that is, of the common people or the plebs.

The popular culture also considered as one of the distinguishing factors of the identity of a nation, for in it are embodied cultural values, traditions, belief systems and practices that express the uniqueness of the people that makes a country.

Some examples of popular culture are musical expressions such as jazz (especially in its early days), reggae, rap, or rock, as well as graffiti, comics, and fantasy, black, and science fiction literature.

See also the meaning of Cultural Values.

Popular culture and mass culture

Although popular culture and mass culture are terms that are often used as equivalents, this usage is incorrect. The popular culture is a compendium of artistic and folkloric events emanating directly from the people, and is rooted in the traditions, values and beliefs of people, and has been handed down from generation to generation for decades or even centuries. The mass culture, however, is that created by the cultural industry, produced on a large scale and aimed at the general public. As such, it uses marketing and advertising for its promotion and to maximize its profitability. Hence, unlike expressions of popular culture, mass culture is a standardized product, produced for the taste of the majority.

Popular culture and elite culture

The popular culture and elite culture are considered opposing factors within the cultural manifestations of a people. In this sense, the elite culture is made up of the most academic and erudite artistic expressions, aligned to the taste of the most dominant, wealthy and educated social classes. Some elite artistic manifestations are opera, classical music, ballet, among others. On the contrary, popular culture is a response to erudite culture, which comes from the common people and feeds on its value system, beliefs and traditions.