HSC SOCIETY AND CULTURE NOTES

PRELIM RECAP
COURSE CONCEPTS

Fundamental Concepts

 Persons
 Culture
 Time
 Society
 Environment

Additi onal Course Concepts

 Power
 Authority
 Gender
 Identity
 Technologies
 globalisation

RESEARCH METHODS

CONTENT ANALYSIS

Study and interpretation of written and visual material.

Advantages Disadvantages
- Representative sample of all content – - Content overload
generalisation - Time-consuming
- Good coding system can be used - Too many variables (context of film)
multiple times and adapted. - Often mistaken for a thematic study
- Quantitative and qualitative - Disregards context.
- Provide historical insight.

INTERVIEW

One on one between interviewer and interviewed. Structured, semi structured, unstructured.

Advantages Disadvantages
- Insight into thought - Interviewee reluctance to discuss some
- Use of expert opinion topics
- Different types of interview allow for - Recording details and quotes –
some flexibility potential to misinterpret
- Excellent qualitative information - You can influence the answer
- Skills required for unstructured
interview.

OBSERVATION
Watching a recording behaviour within a clearly defined area. Researcher is not part of activity being
observed.

Advantages Disadvantages
- Achievable and accessible - Observer only records what is relevant
- Both qualitative and quantitative - Observer is removed from situation
- Good for shyer researchers - Can be time consuming

PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION

Researcher is immersed in the action observed

Advantages Disadvantages
- Closer to situation - Time consuming
- More engaging - Ethical implications = to inform group
- Genuine involvement or not inform.

QUESTIONNAIRE

Tool for collecting information beyond the physical reach of the researcher.

Advantages Disadvantages
- Brief - Impersonal
- Access to large people - Can be misunderstood.
- Easy

SECONDARY RESEARCH

Information that is not your own.

STATISICAL RESEARCH

Data that comes in graphs or tables.

ETHICAL RESEARCH

 Promotes trust and comfortability -> info will be more honest and genuine.
 Participants must be fully informed and give consent.
 Must not be put in awkward situations.
 Researcher is honest and open about topic.
 Confidentiality/privacy is ensured.

Researcher prevents negative effects and is aware of needs of vulnerable groups

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LITERACY

Social and cultural literacy refers to the idea that people should possess a body of knowledge,
understanding skills that allow them to share, communicate effectively, and respect themselves and
others.
To be socially and culturally literate, one must:

 Has a sense of personal, social and cultural identity and understands that culture underpins
one’s behaviour, beliefs and values.
 Interested in all levels of societal interactions
 Empathises and appreciates diversity
 Research ethically and effectively
 Communicates effectively with diverse groups
 woke

SECTION 1: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTINUTY AND CHANGE

RELATED CORE CONCEPTS

 continuity and change

 modernisation
 sustainability
 tradition
 beliefs and values
 empowerment
 westernisation
 cooperation and conflict

THE NATURE OF SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

CHANGE IS A COMPLEX PROCESS

Social change is a complex because of the many variables involved. These includes:

TECHNOLOGY

- forces society to evolve to new technology.

- E.g. AI create ethical issues

SOCIAL CHANGE AND PROGRESSION

- Changes to legislation such as abortion rights

- Not all social change is positive, like racism. (Jim Crow)

CONTINUITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR SOCIETY

- Ensures all integral parts of a society continue to exist

- May include outdated ideals (Lack of divorce legislation in the Philippines)

CHANGE IS COMPLEX IN GENERAL

- Is neither linear nor a good thing all the time

- Can also be simple

EVOLUTIONARY CHANGE

Small changes that accumulate over time and alter society on a large scale. Like environmentalism
where small eco-friendly changes are made.

TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE
Dramatic, rapid change. Like technology, social movements, rebellions or revolutions. Like Black
Lives Matter, the Civil Rights Movement

RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

There is a high correlation between the rate of social and cultural change and resistance to that
change. When members feel that change is ‘out of control’.

- Cultural lag (William Ogburn)—cultural ideals cannot keep up with changes in society.
- Culture shock—disorientation of someone subjected to an unfamiliar culture.
- Cultural accumulation—accumulation of cultural beliefs and activities over time.
- Acculturation—social and psychological change resulting from blending between
cultures.

INFLUENCE OF CONTINUITY AND CHANGE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY AT THE MICRO,

MESO AND MACRO LEVELS

MICRO

 Continuity in the Western world – the continuing taboo of women choosing to be childless
 Change in the Western World – increase of divorce and the breaking down of the nuclear
family structure.
 Continuity in Vietnam – Continuity of culture in family lead to continuity as an influence of
the government
 Change in Vietnam – Decision to move to urban areas leads to decline in family influence

MESO

 Continuity in the Western world – revitalisation of cultures. For example, Indigenous cultures
in the Darug Nation.
 Change in the Western World – increased roles for women in the workplace
 Continuity in Vietnam – Continuity of great respect for elders, elders are still considered
 Change in Vietnam – More opportunities for jobs, results in individualism

MACRO

 Continuity in the Western world – gender pay gap

 Change in the Western World – decriminalisation of abortion in NSW
 Continuity in Vietnam – Continuity of aspects of tradition leads to continuity of culture
 Change in Vietnam – Decrease of communist thinking increases individualism

IMPACT OF MODERNISATION AND WESTERNISATION ON SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTINUITY

AND CHANGE

MODERNISATION

A process of social change whereby the society becomes technologically advanced and updates
cultural life.

In Vietnam:
 - Some effects identifiable due to the increasing modernization in Vietnam is greater
social mobility, economic growth, changing ideals on filial piety and environmental
damages
- The young and those with money benefit greatly from these changes as they have a
brighter and more comfortable future ahead of them.

WESTERNISATION

The process of western cultural aspects spreading around the world.

In Vietnam:

- Individualism over collectivism

- Introduction of doi moi (economic renovation) which is the development of a western-
style market economy.

THEORIES OF SOCIAL CHANGE AS ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN CHANGE, AND RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

WITHIN SOCIETIES AND CULTURES IN RELATION TO: STRUCTUAL CHANGES WITHIN SOCIETY, THE
PROCESSES AND AGENTS OF SOCIAL CHANGE AND THE DIRECTIONS OF CHANGE.

CONFLICT THEORY

Conflict is a natural occurrence in any society. A trigger is needed for change to occur. This trigger
could be population growth, contact with other cultures or changing environmental conditions. Marx
suggested that class caused all social conflict.

Positives Negatives
- Can explain dramatic change - Can’t explain stability or small
change

Structural changes within society:

- Social class changing positions

The processes and agents of social change:

- Triggers such as population growth

The directions of change:

- Significant lasting change

- Less institutional control
- Change is natural and always ongoing

EVOLUTIONARY THEORY

Suggests society develops in a very steady manner in unilinear pattern over a long period of time.

Positives Negatives
- Can describe change - Suggests change is always good
- Can explain some Western - Society is multilinear not linear.
perspective - A westernised view
Structural changes within society:

- Simple to complex
- Agricultural to industrial

The processes and agents of social change:

- Societies gradually change

- industrialisation

The directions of change:

- change is from simple to complex

- always good
- unilinear

FUNCTIONALIST THEORY

As societies develop, they become ever more complex and interdependent. Like the human body,
institutions depend on each other for a society to continue. Change only occurs due to pressure.

Positives Negatives
- able to explain how societies have - says change only occurs from
moved from simple to complex internal/external change.
- can explain stability - Doesn’t occur conflict

Structural changes within society:

- Structural changes of Interdependent institutions cause breakdown

The processes and agents of social change:

- Social change is by internal and external pressure

The directions of change:

- Social stability

INTERACTIONST THEORY

The way we choose to behave is based on the context of our understanding of our interactions.

Positives Negatives
- Explains micro-level change well - Can not be used for meso or
macro-world

Structural changes within society:

- Conditioning of what you see yourself to do vs what others expect of us

The processes and agents of social change:

- Symbolic interactions, attaching meaning to random things

 The directions of change:

- Change is consistent and natural

FOCUS STUDY: SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN VIETNAM

NATURE OF TRADITIONAL SOCIETY AND CULTURE

The key elements of traditional society and culture are:

 Buddhism
 Filial piety
 Confucianism: a society based on merit
 Chinese Ideology
 Ancestor worship
 Pre-French which is prior to modernism
 Traditional and rural society

The power and widespread acceptance of these traditional and cultural beliefs can be shown by
their acceptance and continuation under a communist government.

THE NATURE OF POWER AND AUTHORITY

There are various levels of authority within the macro level of Vietnam. It goes like:

Politburo (eighteen members where the true political power lies. This is where doi moi is debated)
→ National Assembly (delegates are elected for a five year term, one party communist state) →
People’s communities (provincial, district, commune)

 For a large part of the past century, Vietnam was in war for independence, along with
this is the system that reveres the older generation. The mix of the two aspects where
older people who fought for the war are respected and the already established culture
of revere for them explains Vietnam’s political stability.
 The Communist Party has relied on this traditional respect in order to maintain their
position of authority.
 There were external factors (the emerging global economy), as well as internal forces
(frustration at shitty economy and famine). The factors are a source of tension and only
relying on the continuity of tradition won’t preserve political stability.
 These tensions were resolved by the introduction of doi moi, a western style market to
improve the economy.
 The Communist party still relies on the power of traditional views to maintain their
authority, but this is weakening as a rapidly increasing population of a generation
without the emotional attachment to the struggle for independence grows.
 Despite some liberation, dissent is still not actively encouraged,
 Technology has meant that international ideas and pro-democracy is exposed.

IMPACT OF CONTINUITY AND CHANGE UPON THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS IN THE
MICRO, MESO AND MACRO LEVELS OF SOCIETY

Micro Meso Macro

Continuity Individuals: Individuals: Individuals:
- Women still - -
having primary Groups: Groups:
 responsibility for - -
children.
Groups:
- Men still being
the leader of
Change Individuals: Individuals: Individuals:
- - -
Groups: Groups: Groups:
- - -

FAMILY LIFE AND POPULATION CHANGES

FAMILY

Family has formed the corner stone of Vietnamese society and is under the most pressure in modern
family. The government recognises the importance of the role of family as a major combatant of
things like drugs, gambling and commercialism.

Agricultural Period for the Family

 Marriages were imposed by parents

 Individuals must submit to family
 Son is highlighted
 Children must work prematurely
 Family is often large

Industrial Period for the Family

 Women participate in production

 Marriages are more of a choice
 Society takes a more active role in family affairs
 Popularisation of nuclear family
 divorce

Collective Identity within the Family Structure

 the interests and destiny of individuals are rarely conceived outside of the immediate and
extended family
 considerations of the family are put before the individual
 for example, career choices to ‘save face’ for the family.

Principles and Values

 allegiance to the family

 development of a ‘good name’
 love of learning
 respect of others

Filial Piety

 children are taught that they must not forgo their interests for those of their family
 also known as hieu thao, is most essential virtue in society
  children have the debt of birth, their upbringing and education
 love for family extends to the village, where ancestors are buried.

Religious Beliefs

 the worship of spirits, with the most important being the souls of ancestors.

Roles and Positions within the Family

 respect is granted to the head of the family

 eldest son, father and grandfather hold the highest position of power

Marriage

 marriage is still regarded as an important institution in society.

 Young people now have the right to decide to marry, but it is usually still with parental
consent
 Vietnamese prefer to marry someone of equal status

Changing Gender Roles

 Men still hold on to the idea that they are superior.

 Women are often doing the same work as men but are still expected to not make certain
decisions and continue their traditional role in the home.
 Women are becoming increasingly vocal about their demands for equality
 24.4% increase of women in the National Assembly

POPULATION CHANGES

Dramatic Population Change

 In 2016 the population density was 279 persons per km 2

Social Stratification

 Most of the contemporary Vietnamese population is poor.

 Increase in social stratification due to wealth, especially in urbanised areas
 One stratification is the distinction between mental and manual labour
 A symbol of social stratification are consumer goods, like Japanese motorcycles, imported
luxury goods and expensive weddings. An oddly capitalist thing tbh.

IS ALL CHANGE NECCESARILY PROGRESS?

 Progress for some, like women, is good as they get greater equality and autonomy
 Progress for some, like old people, is not good since they don’t get the same reverent and
power as before.

HOW HAS ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGIES IMPACTED ON THE RATE AND DIRECTION OF CHANGE?

 Social Media is a catalyst for globalisation and westernisation. It has incredibly sped up
change and directs it to the threat of the breakdown of traditional cultural beliefs.

APPLICATION OF FUNCTIONALIST THEORY IN VIETNAM

 Propaganda to promote filial piety to encourage the continuity of the institution of family
and its values
  Employment of doi moi, despite being a change was used to combat social issues of famine
and achieve economic stability. This was to stabilise the institutions that are dependent on
each other.
 Doi moi demonstrates functionalist theory by leading to social stability
 Technology and industrialisation shifted the traditional values of family and the concept of
filial piety, as the young shift away from traditional values.
 This caused a change in the institution of family, especially of farming into industrialised
cities. The change in family lead to impacts to other institutions such as the workforce.
 Functionalist theory in regard to the breakdown of traditional family values and the
workplace can be applied in women being needed and present in the workplace.
 In this case, change and impact on the interdependence of institutions may be considered
not beneficial to those reluctant to change (like the elderly)
 Functionalist theory can be used well in these circumstances of gradual change, but not for
the continual and rapid change within the 21 st century where globalisation and
westernisation are at its peak.

THE NEAR FUTURE (5-10 YEARS) OF VIETNAM

CURRENT TRENDS AND PROBABLE FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF VIETNAM IN REGARD TO FAMILY AND
POPULATION

Current Trends Probable Future Directions

- Increased rural-urban migration
- Increased divorce
- Increased gender equality
- Increased consumerism
- Decreased multigenerational
households
- Decreased fertility rates
- Poverty rates will increase as population
continues to grow. The economy won’t
be able to sustain the population growth
- Increasing urbanisation may cause three
generation households to fall into further
degradation as it may shift from not only
the present two-generation household
but may fall into the western tradition of
a one-generation household, as younger
generations seek the freedom and
independence of their western
counterparts.
- Influence of westernisation will cause the
slow break down of the traditional family
values associated within the society and
see the roots of filial piety and other
traditional values be undermined by the
western influence.

IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS OF FAMILY AND POPULATION

LIKELY CHANGES

 Role of women in employment

 Filial piety as the youth are pursuing individual pathways
PROBABLE CONTINUITIES

 Increase of technology uses and employment opportunities

 Strive for independence as the change of westernisation occurs
PREDICTION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOLOGIES IN VIETNAM
  Rise of technology as a career choice for the young due to economic crisis, causing the
rejection of traditional values of women being the homemaker even further as more are
joining the workforce
 Tourism rates rise as the financial instability of Vietnam is present today and will most likely
continue through to the future, tourism can help combat this
 Governmental rejection of new technologies with the continuation of websites being
banned, causing youth to become more tech savvy to work their way around the legislations
and partake in IT career choices

SECTION 2: BELIEF SYSTEMS – BUDDHISM

RELATED DEPTH STUDY CONCEPTS

 Values
 Beliefs
 Symbols
 Customs
 Worldview
 Ritual
 Philosophy
 Secularisation
 Institutional power

THE NATURE OF BELIEF SYSTEMS AND IDEOLOGIES

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BELIEF SYSTEMS AND IDEOLOGIES

Similarities
- Both produce worldviews that can
produce dramatic conflicting
worldviews in the population, in
turn significantly impacting world
events
- Both stem from a philosophy
- Adherents take on a collective
identity
- Both have rituals, and symbols that
are key to it.
Differences
Belief Systems
- More organised and can be
distinguished into religious and
non-religious
- Belief systems can relate to both
the intangible (a god)
- Or the tangible
Ideologies
- Less organised and typically
focused on the socio, economic and
cultural ideas

THE NATURE AND ROLE OF SHARED VALUES AND UNDERSTANDING WITHIN BELIEF SYSTEMS AND
IDEOLOGIES AND HOW THIS CREATES MEANING, PURPOSE AND AN IDENTITY FOR INDIVIDUALS
AND GROUPS

 Belief systems and ideologies arise from the environment in which people live
 These shared beliefs of belief systems and ideologies provide meaning, a sense of
purpose and collective identity for individuals and groups
 Belief systems create a sense of cohesion and an atmosphere of understanding for
adherents. It can give meaning by being a sense of justice
 A lot of times, they are a response to the physical world
HOW BELIEF SYSTEMS AND IDEOLOGIES EXPRESS VALUES AND BELIEFS AND WAYS OF PERCIEVING
THE WORLD AT THE MICRO, MESO AND MACRO LEVELS

ATHEISM

A worldview denying the existence of God.

AGNOSTICISM

A humbler assertion than atheism. More so the assertion of the right to freedom of belief.

Micro: a person not believing in a specific God but going to various churches.

HUMANISM

A world view that regards humanity as more important than any other consideration (macro).
People should be concentrating on what is best for the human community, no one else.

Micro: caring only to produce goods for all of humanity, even if it damages the environment

Meso: someone doing only what is best for their local community

Macro: someone only doing what is best for their family.

FUNDAMENTALISM

Those who hold to one belief system or ideology as an absolute and refuse to see the validity of any
other position. This can be either religious or non-religious.

Micro: a capitalist person in an argument refusing to acknowledge the ideas of a communist

colleague

Meso: The Amish community being convinced that they are of true teaching.

Macro: The Fundamentalist teaching within the global Christian Church called Iglesia ni Christo that
preaches the gospel of being the ‘true church’

RITUAL EXPRESSION

 The ritual is the natural expression of a belief.

 Rituals help to maintain continuity
 Reinforces ideologies and beliefs
 Can represent transitions in the belief systems

Examples of types of rituals:

Micro: birthday as symbolic celebration in life

Meso: anniversaries for schools, rites of memorial

Macro: ANZAC Day, Christmas etc

THE NATURE AND ROLE OF HEIRACHY AND INTERNAL POWER STRUCTURES WITHIN BELIEF
SYSTEMS AND IDEOLOGIES

Hierarchies and internal power structures are integral within belief systems and ideologies as they:

 Reinforce authority
  Provide clear chain of communication
 Set the agenda, tone and teachings of an organisation
 Promote continuity of core beliefs and ideologies
 Provide structure in how relevant change will be implemented
 Has the disadvantage of potentially brewing corruption and institutionalised
discrimination.
 The Catholic Church which has the very structured heirachy and internal power
structures where women are historically at the bottom. This had lead to the lack of
rights to women throughout the world, and still in the contemporary as women in
Catholic countries like the Philippines lack the right to abortion and the ability to
divorce.

THE PROCESS OF SECULARISATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND EXTENT OF BELIEF SYSTEMS AND
IDEOLOGIES WITHIN AUSTRALIA

Secularisation is the belief that:

 Religion should not interfere the public affairs of a society

 A society is moving away from being shaped by a close alignment with a faith system
 Human ethics and the universe should be understood without reference to religion or
the supernatural
 The shifting of religion away from controlling countries is good. It is now the acceptance
of multi religion or belief rather than the competition of one belief system over the
other.
Secularisation can be seen in the diminishing relevance of religious values in everyday life in society.
This can be seen through the legalisation of gay marriage in Australia (macro)

REASONS FOR SECULARISATION IN AUSTRALIA

- Increasing pluralism (diversity and beliefs) where no single belief is dominant

- Individualism that overpowers traditional beliefs of community as a meaning for life
- Increasing materialism that overpowers spirituality
- Disillusionment with traditional religions (you and gay people and church)
- Increasing scepticism towards the intangible due to science

WHAT DOES SECULARISATION INDICATE?

 More people are comfortable to live their lives without reference to religion or God.
 More people have the value that supports free choice

FOCUS STUDY: BUDDHISM

THE PHILOSOPHY OF BUDDHISM

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND ITS UNDERLYING PRINCIPALS

 Buddhism was founded in around 560 BCE by the Indian Prince named Siddhartha
Guatama (Buddha) who was dissatisfied with his spiritually barren but wealthy life.
 Guatama discovered a growing awareness of human suffering and the need to find a
solution to it when he encountered a sick person, an old person and a dead person.
 This awareness of suffering led to the underlying principal of the Four Noble Truths
which provided the reasoning to the cause of suffering.
 He left his family to seek enlightenment and after seeing this.
  Eightfold Path is derived from the story of the Buddha since Gautama wanted to find a
solution to suffering. The Eightfold Path represents the practical way for people to
overcome the cause of personal suffering and encompass ideas of ethical conduct,
mental discipline and wisdom
 He finally reached Nirvana while sitting under the Bodhi Tree after sitting in the lotus
posture in a profound state of meditation.
 In this, he realised that nirvana and the solution to suffering should be integrated
through the development of morality, meditation and wisdom.

BELIEFS AND VALUES EXPRESSED AND THE IMPACT ON PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE
IDENTITY

Beliefs and Values Expressed:

 The Four Noble Truths about Suffering (life is pain, life is full of pain because it is full of
seeking for pleasure, one must overcome suffering by acknowledging it, to overcome
suffering by following the Eightfold Path.
 The Eightfold Path is the practical way to overcome the cause of personal suffering. It
includes right views, right resolve etc.
 The Five Precepts are the things to refrain from such as causing harm to living things or
the misuse of intoxicants.
 The Three Jewels of Buddhism: Buddha himself, Buddhist Doctrine (dharma) and the
Society of monks and nuns (sangha)

Impact on Personal and Collective Identity:

Personal Identity Collective Identity

Micro The Five Precepts impacts on an Creates a sense of cohesion for an
individual’s micro level personal identity individual.
by influencing them to be vegetarian.

Meso The Jewel of Sangha (the community),

which the ordained community
upholds a strong collective identity by
being a shared responsibility of
Buddhists.

Macro The Five Precepts can determine the
ethics that drive a person’s identity.
These ethics may be reflected in
legislation.
In Thailand, men are ordained before
they get married. This is a country wide
tradition and creates a sense of collective
culture. Reflects the importance of the
Jewel of the Sangha

THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF ADHERANTS IN THE WORLD TODAY

 Estimated there are around 300-500 million Buddhists in the world.

 Adaptability of Buddhism for Globalism is a reason for this, esp in the west.

The nature of adherents is determined by the host culture of the country. An example of change.

Theravada Mahayana Vajrayna (Tantric)

Where it was formed South East Asia Northern Asia Tibet and Nepal
What it believes  Pretty conservative.
 Interdependence of
monks and laypeople.
 Only monks can reach
enlightenment.
 Only men reach
enlightenment
 Offers  Enlightenment is
enlightenment to a achieved under the
greater number of guidance of gurus.
people.
 Self-peace through
self-effort

TRADITIONS AND CULTURE IN BUDDHISM

IMPORTANT PLACES, TEXTS AND UNIQUE LANGUAGE AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE

Important Places:

Whilst pilgrimage to these four main centres isn’t a doctrinal requirement, it is significant by creating
collective identity, fosters a spiritual discipline, expresses feelings of devotion and creates a
relationship with the historical figures associated with the pilgrimage site.

 Lumbini in Nepal
- Where Gautama was born
 Bodh Gaya in India
- The tree where he reached enlightenment
 Sarnath in India
- Where he delivered his first teaching
 Kusinagara
- Where he died

Important Texts:

 Tripitaka
 Compilation of Buddhist scriptures written down Pali, an ancient language
 Buddha said “Do not be led by the authority of religious texts”
 They still canonised him to promote continuity
 No teaching revealed by a God

THE ROLE OF SYMBOLS, RITUALS AND CUSTOMS

Symbols:

 Lotus: Represents the ability to live with wisdom and purity amongst the murky waters
 Dharma wheel: the eight spokes represent the Eightfold Path
 Bodhi Tree/ Leaf: Represents the potential for individuals to awaken
 Sauvastika: Meaning ‘good fortune’ in India as well as the sun and cycle. This symbol faces
anti-clockwise, unlike the Swastika that faces clockwise.
 Buddha’s footprint: Reminds individuals that Buddha was also human and gives us the
possibility of enlightenment.
 Buddhist flag: The six colours represent all the colours of the aura emanated from the body

Rituals:
  Meditation is the main form of ritual
 Ordination before marriage in Thailand

Customs:

No formal and specific Buddhist marriage or funeral ceremony, but a monk/nun may take part in
giving a blessing

THE IMPORTANCE OF MYTHS AND STORIES

Stories and myths are viewed as distractions for a person's quest for enlightenment - Most
significant story is the story of how Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha as it underpins beliefs
and value.

- Creates a lack of continuity for some since lack of structure

- Also creates continuity by being adaptable

Stories of women’s bad sexuality is important to some monasteries since they create power
structure.

HOW BUDDHISM DEFINES GENDER AND GENDER ROLES

 Buddhism has become increasingly a gender equality religion in modern times

 There are those who say any man or women that denies gender equality in Buddhism is
denying his or her own potential to attain Nirvana
 It is difficult to generalise the role of women in Buddhism as Buddha was clear on the need
for men to respect their wives, but in practice women were subordinate to men. They had
less access to education and limited freedom
 The role of women has become more significant in modern times, with the emergence of
the women’s movement in the 20th century
 Depends on the country

THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE IN BUDDHISM

THE ROLE OF IMPORTANT PEOPLE AND POWER STURCTURES

 No absolute hierarchy
 A monastery has an abbot (head of monastery) and a senior monk. This is because we thrive
on order.
 Structure leads to continuity
 Culturally (depending on the country), m3n have more power over women
 Most monastics and religious leaders are treated with complete reverence in Asia, even if
they are poor.
 Buddha is important but did not seek personal power.
 Leadership is created by being a teacher of the Dharma
 Important people such as Ashoka who was a violent prince who then turned Buddhist is a
good story for Buddhists as a great model.
 Important people such as the Dalai Lama’s functions as a source of wisdom and as a spiritual
figure.

THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF DISSENT

Dissent is the difference in opinion which leads to conflict.

Reasons for dissent in Buddhism:

 Buddhism being shaped by culture of country

 Is it even a religion?
 Women’s ordination and discrimination
 Commercialism (tourism vs spirituality). Think tourists feeding monks trash food and
Buddhists being okay with it for commercialism.
 No major path to enlightenment

This Dissent can lead to:

 Change/strengthen of views
 Modification could create conflict, but also a more flexible society

THE NATURE AND IMPACT OF CHANGE AND RESISTANCE TO CHANGE

Nature and Impact of Change:

 Change and impermanence is centre to Buddhism

 Shouldn’t fear change since fear is suffering
 Change causes a continual adapting and absorbing of cultures
 Leaders have given clear teaching on abortion, human rights such as BLM. Example is BLM
movement where monks protested in USA.
 Doesn’t reject Westernisation (Buddhism being popular in US), globalisation (tourism) and
technology (Monks using online funeral ceremonies during COVID)

Resistance to Change

 Male dominated monastic culture of ordination of women

 Persistence of the demonization of women’s sexuality in Monastic teaching

THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGIES AND GLOBALISATION ON CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

 No problems with technologies if they are used mindfully

 Technologies has helped the continuity of Buddhism as exemplified by the video calling as
utilised by the Sangha during COVID19 to reach out to communities.
 Technology has helped with continuity as well with the Dalai Lama having his own Facebook
page where he posts inspirational quotes to reach broader audiences.
 Technology has also led to the globalisation of change on the macro level as the Tibetan
Buddhist Oppression has come to attention through social media.
 Change is also created through technology as the macroworld is exposed to Buddhist
extremists which shifts public views.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF BUDDHISM TO WIDER SOCIETY

ACCEPTANCE AND REJECTION OF BUDDHISM AT THE MICRO, MESO AND MACRO LEVELS

Micro:

 The acceptance of mindfulness

 The acceptance and popularity of vegetarianism
Meso:

 Nan Tien temple excursions within schools show growing acceptance of Buddhism in
communities
 Rejection as there is a lack of availability of Buddhist temples as opposed to Christian places
of worship

Macro:

 Continuing acceptance pilgrimage

 Growing secularisation of people

THE RELATIONSHIP OF BUDDHISM TO ETHICAL ISSUES IN SOCIETY

Abortion:

 No single view on abortion but Buddhism teaches that a life should not be destroyed. Life is
typically believed to start at conception, like Christians.
 Decision to abort is highly personal, and again relates to the matter of intention and the
choice to reduce the amount of karma.

Same-sex Marriage:

 The Dalai Lama was “OK” with same sex marriage, however he was quite vague with support
as he said it was “up to the country’s law”.
 Buddhism’s interpretation of same-sex marriage as it is mainly related to the country of
practice. Some Buddhists may consider it as a breach of the Buddhist precept of “sexual
misconduct”.

War:

 Majorly against war due to the principals of peace keeping however in Sri Lanka, Buddhism
has been used as a political vantage to kill the Muslim population.

Climate Change:

 Some Buddhists may not care about climate change due to the doctrines of impermanence,
however Buddhist leaders in Australia have called Prime Minister Scott Morrison to act on
Climate Change as it is a moral problem that disproportionately affects poor people.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF BUDDHSIM TO PEACE AND CONFLICT IN THE WORLD

 Buddhism’s most traditional reputation is as a religion of peace

 Buddhism’s concept of peace is reflected in its key symbol and strive to reach an enlightened
state which is the individual level of peace that nothing else can achieve.
 Buddhism, whilst being based off principals of peace have contributed to conflict.
 Conflict in Buddhism is seen in Sri Lanka where Buddhism is seen as a justification of
savaging and targeting Muslim populations.

THE NEAR FUTURE (5 TO 10 YEARS)

DETERMINE CURRENT TRENDS AND SUGGEST PROBABLE DIRECTIONS FOR BUDDHISM

Current Trends:
  Greater activism by Buddhists in social issues such as BLM, Climate Change and women’s
rights.
 Diffusion into Western society and its further globalisation.

Probable Directions:

 Change its encounter with western countries to avoid the diminished meaning of Buddhists
philosophy
 Death of the current Lama will undermine Buddhism’s popularity

EVALUATE THE IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS FOR BUDDHISM OF:

Likely Changes:

 Globalisation and changing of Buddhism may diminish Buddhim’s essence

 Gender disparities within Buddhism will continually be re-examined which will help to
support women in the monastery and encourage continuity
 Growing secularisation may discourage Buddhism’s spread

Probable Continuities:

 Greater involvement in social issues will help improve reputability and continuity of
Buddhism by non-believers

PREDICT THE IMPORTANCE OF BUDDHISM TO SOCIETY IN THE NEAR FUTURE

Will be important, however growing secularisation may diminish Buddhism’s importance to society
in the near future.

SECTION 3: POP CULTURE

RELATED DEPTH STUDY CONCEPTS
  Commercialisation
 Commodification
 Continuity
 Consumption
 Change
 Conflict
 Ideology
 Institutional power
 Values

THE NATURE OF POPULAR CULTURE

The four distinguishing characteristics to of a popular culture are:

ASSOCIATED WITH COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS AND PARAPHERNALIA

Demand develops and expands due to media, marketing and dissemination processes
 Popular culture is directly related to capitalism.
 Companies/corporations make a profit from popular culture by marketing and distributing
products and paraphernalia.
 These commercial products and paraphernalia give people a means of identifying with that
popular culture. Consumers are able to directly participate in the making of pop culture
 The commodification of things is now directly related to the media. The media is a ley
socialising agent to commodification, and ultimately the creating of a popular culture

DEVELOPS FROM A LOCAL TO A GLOBAL LEVEL

Experiences global acceptance with the progression and integration of technologies

 The increase of globalisation and developments of transport and technologies has made this
global acceptance incredibly fast.
 A good example is K-pop which was specifically marketed from the local Korean level to the
international level with specific marketing techniques

ACHIEVES WIDESPREAD CONSUMER ACCESS

Broad access is assisted by media and communication technologies

 Consumers of popular culture need to be able to access it effectively or the corporations

that distribute it will not make a profit.
 Popular culture is often formulated by corporations to adapt to a variety of societies so that
it meets the needs of a global audience. In a contemporary sense, think advertising through
trends specified to teenagers through trendy apps like tiktok. (Dixie Damelio featuring in a
teen film, 2000s teen film making a reccurence in references of different medias, like Iggy
Azaelia’s ‘Fancy’ Music video and the y2k trend)
 Access has significantly improved overtime due to greater availabilities to streaming services
and cheaper things

Factors Examples
affecting
Access
Age +  Older people may be limited to access as they may not be as tech savvy.
Gender  There may be a stigma for males and older people to access teen film
 targeted to young girls
Class  People of low-socioeconomic status may not be able to afford to buy
movie tickets/indulge in streaming
Ethnicity  Dub/sub may not be available for foreign audiences/non-english speaking
backgrounds
Location  Communities geographically isolated may not be able to access
communication technologies
Institutional  Some government restrictions on the type of film made available. For
Power example, Anime movies such as Call Me By Your Name (2017) is banned in
China for homosexuality

IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND EVOLVING

Experiences continuity and change – influences society while simultaneously society influences the
popular culture

 in the interest of the producer of the popular culture to stimulate change, creating a greater
‘need’ to consume, generating further growth.
 For example, the 1985 film The Breakfast Club reflected the 80’s concerns of stereotyping
within teenagers, whilst 2009 film Jennifer’s Body and 1999 Ten Things I hate about you
reflect the punk feminist atmosphere of the time.
 If a popular culture is unable to change, evolve or adapt to current circumstances, related
businesses will no longer make a profit.
 Now, change of teen film relates to increasing diversity (see To All the Boys I’ve loved
Before).

FOCUS STUDY: TEEN FILM

THE CREATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF POPULAR CULTURE:

THE ORIGINS OF TEEN FILM

 The biggest surge of teen films begins in the 1950s, when they began to challenge the status
quo and played an important role in the youth revolution.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEEN FILM FROM A LOCAL TO A GLOBAL LEVEL

 Globalisation and technology have allowed this to succeed in dramatic circumstances.

 Teen films are largely produced in America due to the dominant culture that exists
surrounding high school and prom.
 The local themes of teen rebellion, high school prom and the American spirit have
transcended into the global audience.

CONTENT ANALYSIS
Mean Girls (2004)  Local ideas of adolescent femininity
The Breakfast Club (1985)  Local ideas of the critic of stereotyping
Ten Things I Hate About You (1999)  The American punk-feminist themes of
 the context were translated into film
and reached the macro level.
 The appropriating of The Taming of the
Shrew made these ideas even more far
reaching

THE PROCESS OF COMMODIFICATION FOR THE POPULAR CULTURE

 The immediate causes of each individual instance of commodification vary very widely.
 The commodification of leisure, in the form of film and TV, music and video games, is driven
by the availability of technology that has allowed entrepreneurs to create new tastes and
wants.
 The way in which films are advertised, from posters to online advertisements. Digital
consumption of teen films more popular than in person. Paraphernalia associated with teen
films.

THE ROLE OF MYTHOLOGY IN THE CREATION AND PERPETUATION OF THE POPULAR

CULTURE

 Mythology is ideas and beliefs that are created. They have some truth but are usually an
exaggeration of truth. Mythology exists for commercial exploitation.
 Teenagers can participate in the fun by projecting their own identity on the fun-loving
protagonist. The mythology of teen movies is part of the suspension of reality. Movies are
escapism.
 The coming of age mythology and its perpetuation in almost all teen films is an example of
how teens project themselves into the socially constructed adolescence.
 Mythologies create suspension of reality, identity, idealism and inspiration. In a sense,
mythologies either explicitly or subconsciously teach teens on what is to be expected/strived
for.
 Myths around teenagers set a social standard and the norms of adolescences and the
expectations of teenage years, so young individuals will turn to teen films in order to gain
insight into the lifestyle. Teenagers may consume teen films as it provides them with
something to believe in or relate to.

CONTENT ANALYSIS
Mean Girls (2004)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Ten Things I Hate About You (1999)

 The tension between parents and teens
are normalised “Everyone’s home life is
unsatisfying”
 The “Athlete” is the heroic gentlemen
at the start
 The myth of the outcast projected on
the characters provides teenagers who
feel like outcasts themselves a port of
relatability
 The contrast between the brash Kat
and girly Bianca perpetuate the
dichotomies of femininity.
 The mythology of the brash feminist is
perpetuated.
CONTINUITIES AND CHANGES TO THE POPULAR CULTURE

Continuities
- Story trope clichés particularly
involving love (bad/popular boy in
ten things I hate about you and
mean girls), social hierarchy and
rebellion
- America continues to dominate the
teen film industry
- Continuity to be in great demand
Changes
- Increased diversity and critique of
popular culture by an increasingly
socially aware youth causes
increased representation of
diversity (To all the boys I’ve loved
before) in order to cater to a new
market.
- Technologies will continue to aid
the globalisation of ideas and its
merging will be present in teen
films.
- Technologies such as streaming
services and social media will be
dominate and change the consume
of teen film (Netflix).
- Changed social values to be
represented with taboo topics to
be spoken
- Increased independence of teens to
consume and be critical of teen
films.

THE CONSUMPTION OF POPULAR CULTURE:

THE CONSUMERS OF THE POPULAR CULTURE AND THE NATURE OF ITS CONSUMPTION

 Due to the palatable nature of Teen films, Children, teens, adults, elderly, all genders
and ethnic backgrounds watch can easily watch teen films. However, teen films are
obviously mainly marketed towards teens.
 Older teen films like The Breakfast Club (1985) may feel give adults a sense of nostalgia
when consuming teen films as they were teens at the time and related to the ideology
and values presented.
 Children and younger teens may primarily consume films such as The Kissing Booth
which has themes that are relatively light.
 The nature of teen film’s consumption has significantly changed from simply watching a
film in a cinema perhaps once or twice, to the parasocial interaction of being able to buy
a DVD, or more recently stream a movie to be able to keep re-watching.
 Regarding the consumption of teen film, more dramatically we can see the impact of
technology.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF HEROES AND MYTHOLOGY TO MEDIA AND CONSUMPTION

 Traditionally, myths have taken the form of stories, which instruct and entertain. They
contain moral messages – lessons – which support the existing social order in society.
 Heroes and mythology assist the continuity of teen film to be consumed due to these ideals.
  Mythologies create a standard/the ideal for the coming of age seen quintessential to
adolescence
 Heroes assist in consumption by creating a cult following and as an idol
 Media portray heroes and mythologies that teens specifically, however open for all, will
readily consume due to the collective identity and sense of cohesion it creates

CONTENT ANALYSIS
Mean Girls (2004)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Ten Things I Hate About You (1999)
 The mythologies of high school
stereotypes present a collective
identity within each social group where
everyone is more or less included
 The redemption arc of each mean girl
means that the plastics are heroes in
their own way. Their comedic portrayal
contains the moral message for teen
girls.
 The tension between parents and teens
are normalised “Everyone’s home life is
unsatisfying”
 The “Athlete” is the heroic gentlemen
at the start
 The myth of the outcast projected on
the characters provides teenagers who
feel like outcasts themselves a port of
relatability
 The contrast between the brash Kat
and girly Bianca perpetuate the
dichotomies of femininity.
 The mythology of the brash feminist is
perpetuated.
 Kat is the hero for being the brash
feminist in the punk feminist
atmosphere of the time, however as
she develops as a character, she shows
the moral lesson of love and friendship.

HOW GLOBALISATION AND TECHNOLOGIES HAVE INFLUENCED CONSUMPTION

 America currently is the cultural capital to produce teen film, the influence of globalisation
and technologies have thus substantially influenced the consumption and production of this
market.
 The domination of America and overall globalisation has led to fears of cultural
homogenisation of the teen film market.
 Globalisation means that teen film has been successfully commercialised and consumed
internationally. The American ideals of coming of age and adolescence have been consumed
and perpetuated within other countries, such as Australia. This may influence the
consumption of teen film as teens from other countries may refrain from consuming certain
films that they are not able to relate to.

 CONTENT ANALYSIS
Mean Girls (2004)  Cult following
The Breakfast Club (1985)  Considered a classic
Ten Things I Hate About You (1999)  ye

THE RELATIONSHIP OF ACCESS AND CONSUMPTION TO AGE, CLASS ETHNICITY, GENDER,

LOCATION, AND SEXUALITY

 Age: teen films are primarily marketed towards teenagers due to relatability
 Class: teen films is mostly consumed by upper- and middle-class teens in western cultures.
Income allow the access that appeals to western consumers. Rich = access
 Teen film is mostly consumed in western cultures; makes
 Ethnicity: most teen films portray white middle class characters; this lack of diversity may
limit the consumption of teen films by POC. Opposing this is the rise of diverse teen films
such as To All the Boys I’ve Loved, which has met mass success and revere by POC for its
Asian lead. Representation is becoming more and more important for consumption
 Gender: teen films largely centre around female protagonists and are thus, typically targeted
to female audiences. This gender bias in marketing and plot lines may discourage males from
consuming teen films.
 Location: locations might limit the availability to consume teen films. Locations which
oppose cultural values of America may not wish or may even censor these films.
 Sexuality: LGBT+ community is still underrepresented however in the contemporary era, this
community is being represented more and more and films such as Jennifer’s Body (2009) are
gaining mass traction for the queer themes that match the contemporary atmosphere of
queer undertones (contrasting to it flopping back in 2009 when such themes weren’t so
accepted).

CONTENT ANALYSIS
Mean Girls (2004)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Ten Things I Hate About You (1999)
 Gender = the various representations
of girls from being girly to being emo.
Gender is treated in an exaggerated
way almost as a satire
 Gender roles are clear. May create
sense of cohesion for those watching.
Also critiques gender
 Sexuality and concept of virginity is
critiqued
 Kat sexy

HOW CONSUMPTION AND OWENERSHIP OF PARAPHERNALIA INFLUENCE A SENSE OF

IDENTITY

 Paraphernalia is associated with the marketing, merchandise and moneymaking aspect of a

popular culture.
 Paraphernalia reinforces the target market’s enjoyment of the film.
 Allows people to share common interests and ideas to be unified in a way that creates a
community or platform to associate with. individuals feel a sense of ownership of popular
culture.
  Paraphernalia can be tangible or intangible. Tangible can include DVD’s and shirts. Intangible
can include fanfiction. These inadvertently means that individuals contribute to the broader
ownership and community of a popular culture. Gives active participation in a culture
 Paraphernalia = outward expression of self
 Through this, consumers can participate in a community and relate to a group.
 Ultimately establishes a collective identity

THE CONTROL OF THE POPULAR CULTURE:

THE OWNERSHIP OF THE POPULAR CULTURE AND THE TENSIONS BETWEEN CONSUMERS
AND PRODUCERS

Ownership –

 Consumers own the experience and paraphernalia which contributes to the success
 Government have ownership through censorship
 Actors and individuals have limited ownership due to the ownership by companies and
writers
 Media has ownership over advertising and promoting
 Companies have ownership over distribution

Tensions between consumers and producers –

 Films such as Mean Girls and Breakfast club have had micro backlash by consumers against
producers due to the lack of diversity and the stereotypical portrayal of the few POC
characters.
 Social demands in relation to these tensions have led to the inclusivity now enjoyed today,
such as To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before with an Asian lead. In this, the ownership by
consumers have led to the control of diversity
 Content and classification between the government and producers have led to tensions of
censorship. E.g. Love Simon being banned in China and Given being banned in Malaysia.
 Companies/Media and consumers have had tension due to faulty marketing. E.g. The
marketing towards a male audience of the movie Jennifer’s Body have sparked tensions
between the queer/female community due to the faulty marketing which led to its lack of
success back in 2009

THE STAKEHOLDERS AND HOW THEY INFLUENCE POPULAR CULTURE – FAMILY, PEER
GROUPS, MEDIA, MARKETERS, GOVERNMENT

Family –

 Family can exert power on the micro level. They can influence what teen films and content is
exposed to their family.
 E.g, perhaps a more conservative family would not allow their children to be exposed to
queer based films like Love Simon
Peer Groups –

 Exert influence on what is ‘cool’ or interesting through peer pressure

 A group’s opinion of a teen film can encourage other teens to consume it as well for a
common social ground. Peer groups are also consistently represented in teen film so similar
friendship groups might want to view films that they are represented.
Media –
  Controls how teen film is viewed and can shift public opinion by either encouraging or
discouraging the consumption of a teen film.
 E.g. the mass approval by the media of films such as Mean Girls have caused the cult
following of the film. As opposed to the mass criticism of Jennifer’s Body in 2009 had led to
its flop.

Marketers –

 Exposes consumers to what they want them to purchase.

 Marketers influence popular culture by having target audiences. This can limit some people’s
consumption
 Film trailers are a significant form of marketing that influences the promotion and
consumption of a film. Netflix advertisements on Facebook and Instagram can encourage
awareness and excitement towards a film.
 E.g. The Asian lead of To All The Boys Ive Loved Before was marketed heavily in order to
garner greater attention and draw focus on the teen film industry’s growing diverstiy

Government –

 Governments can have a large influence on the consumption of a teen film as they
determine what age demographics can view the film and whether the content of a film is to
be shown in a nation.
 Control censorship.
 Given being banned in Malaysia. Love Simon banned in China

THE ROLE AND IMPACT OF OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL CENSORSHIP

Official Censorship –

 Australian Classification Board: has the power to censor movies based on content.
 ACB classifies the ratings for each movie and sets a standard in terms of what age group they
deem mature to view a particular movie.
 Governments also influence the movies that are screened in their cinemas
 May cause conflict between the underrepresented cultures and themes and the
government. Conflict of interests as suppressing freedom of expression/art
 May hinder continuity of teen film as a pop culture
 Therefore, official censorship plays a vital role in the consumption of teen film as it impacts
whether teen audiences can access a film and the contents portrayed.

CONTENT ANALYSIS
Mean Girls (2004)  Mean Girls is rated M in Australia for
mature audiences. This was because of
mature themes such as crude humour,
sexual content, comic violence and
underage drinking. These were themes
gov deemed unacceptable for younger
audiences to consume. Limits children
to watch these and be influenced in a
 perceived negative manner
The Breakfast Club (1985)  Rated M in Australia. See above.
Ten Things I Hate About You (1999)  Rated PG 13. Suggests that these
themes are acceptable, only under the
supervision of an adult. This may be a
micro-world limit access for some
children as they may not want to watch
a movie with their parents.
 However, this lower maturity rating
also means that a broader range of
youth are allowed to consume this
media, meaning that this film may
become more involved in their identity
than others.
Love Simon  Banned by the Chinese Government for
LGBTQI+ themes. Queer youth in China
are limited in seeing themselves
represented on film, this may create
conflict and struggles within their
identity.

Unofficial Censorship –

 Includes parents, media, peers, family members etc.

 Their power extends in their micro and meso world.
 E.g. parents may refuse to purchase or screen certain films they disagree with. may choose
to not financially support access to these films (not paying for Netflix). The school needing a
permission slip signed by parents in order to watch teen films.
 This can be further influenced due to cultural or religious beliefs
 E.g. male peer groups may discourage, or mock teen films marketed towards young girls,
leading to peer pressure for individuals within that group to not consumer such popular
culture.

THE INFLUENCE OF POWER AND AUTHORITY AT THE MICRO, MESO AND MACRO LEVELS

 Overlaps with previous dot point above

 there are a number of groups within the micro, meso and macro levels that have an
influence in regard to their power and ability to influence a consumer’s ability to engage in
teen film

Micro Meso Macro

Power Parents and Friends Cinema + Peer groups Social Media
Power + Authority Parents and teenagers Legislation and film
complying with rating. Banning certain
censorship laws films

THE DIFFERENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE POPULAR CULTURE:

Firstly, perceptions are our comprehension of a situation. They are a result of our selective
judgement and relate to the formations of our identity (e.g. socialisation, micro/macro worlds etc).

GROUPS THAT ACCEPT AND REJECT THE POPULAR CULTURE

Accept –

 Due to the palatable nature of teen film, its continuity is well assured and relatively well
accepted by a range of groups.
 The government: teen films are accepted by the government as they are an export earner
and industry that provides employment
 Youth market: accepted as targeted towards teens and often address contemporary issues
relevant to the changing nature of teens.
 Media: accepted as a form of popular culture provides economy. In fact, a lot media is
dominated by the teen film industry with heartthrobs such as Noah Centineo being
extremely popular. Netflix producing a stream of teen films

Reject –

 Rejection often stems from the forces of resistance such as:

o Legislation (censorship, funding)
o Protests
o Fringe groups outside of mainstream resisting what is popular
o Social movements (anti-capitalist, feminist, meninism)
 Rejection usually stems from social values. For example:
o Values against the explicitly nature of violence, sexual images, subject content
 Older generations: may reject teen film due to cultural shock and resistance to more
contemporary values of diversity and sexuality. This is evidenced in refusing permission for
children to consume teen films and some even protest.
 Politically involved audiences: may reject films such as Sierra Burgess is a Loser and After for
depicting unhealthy relationships and negative stereotypes. Tall Girl for trivialising the
concept of discrimination.
 Government: rejects teen film by censoring/banning certain movies that contain values
against the government regime.
o E.g. Thai Government rejected The Hunger Games as consumers began to draw
parallels between the Dystopian society with the Thai Government

Ultimately, the overall changes and variations of the perception of teen films correlates directly with
its rejection and acceptance. This is relationship is in due to the acceptance and rejection of the
social values portrayed within films.

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS AND THE VALUE OF THE POPULAR CULTURE TO GROUPS IN

SOCIETY

Changing Perceptions of Teen Film to Groups –

 Some perceptions of teen films like Mean girls remain consistent due to a cult following to
groups such as previous teens (millennials)
  Culture shock: generation and ethnic gap which create the shock and negative perception to
mainly western teen films. They may not understand why explicit content is included and
feel excluded from understanding.
 Teens have a positive perception of teen films as opposed to older people as they have a
sense of understanding and collective identity within the themes and ideas presented within
them.

Changing values of Teen Film to Groups –

 Teen film, which is often seen as a negative or childish, has been valued in schools with
aspects of curriculum focusing on modern adaptations of classic tests, such as 10 Things I
hate About you which is the appropriation of The Taming of the Shrew
 Teen Film’s ability to comment/critique upon controversial topics in a palatable manner has
been recently valued greatly by youths as a more serious approach to social justice issues.
This is seen in Jennifer’s Body’s recent cult following by teen girls for its approach in queer
themes that were previously unrecognised.
 The commercialised value of teen films has also been of increasing interest to the marketing
industry and to producers, especially with its growing success on online streaming platforms
such as Netflix.

Ultimately, perceptions and the values of teen film change in relation to the groups readily available
to accept them.

HOW THE POPULAR CULTURE CONSTRUCTS OR DECONSTRUCTS GENDER

CONTENT ANALYSIS
Mean Girls (2004)  Constructs gender through affirmations
of pink=girl
 The ditzy blonde, the self-absorbed girl
rivalry over a man
 Despite affirming all these gender
stereotypes, it not only passes the
Bechdel test, but also explores
femininity in a positive and developed
manner.
The Breakfast Club (1985)  John Bender (the criminal) affirms
stereotypes of masculinity through his
reckless, brash and promiscuous
attitude
 Allison Reynolds (the freak) initially
deconstructs gender through her weird
and ‘sexually promiscuous’ personality,
however her makeover at the end of
the film reaffirms femininity and
constructs the ‘goodness’ of being a
feminine girl as opposed to her
previous self.
 Brian (the nerd) and Andrew (the
athlete) are foils of each other in terms
of the portrayals of masculinity. The
nerd is lacking masculinity with no

Ten Things I Hate About You (1999)
experience with girls, whilst the athlete
is considered the gentlemen who
affirms is masculinity in his chivalry.
 Claire (the princess) is the stereotypes
feminine female who is uptight, a virgin
and pushed to be presented as self-
absorbed.
 Completely passes the Bechdel test
 Kat and Bianca are complete foils of
femininity,
 Bianca reconstructs gender by being
the typical, sweet and boy hungry little
sister.
 Kat is presented as the angry feminist
who hates men and is not feminine.
 She reconstructs gender at the end
when she is in a relationship with a
man.

THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE POPULAR CULTURE TO SOCIAL CHANGE:

HOW THE POPULAR CULTURE EXPRESSES CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL VALUES

Part of the appeal of teen film, is that it relates to the audience themselves by reflecting relevant
social values and issues present within their own lives. Contemporary social values includes:

 The impact of stereotyping

 The expression of sexuality and the taboo of sex
 Gender
 Rebellion
 Diversity

CONTENT ANALYSIS
Mean Girls (2004)  Expresses the contemporary values of
sexuality in young girls and its impact
on socialisation.
 The taboo of sex is continually
challenged as the mean girls, Cady
Heron and Regina George are hinted at
‘hooking up’ several times.
 Sexuality and sex are expressed as
apart of the adolescent experience and
are not shied away from
The Breakfast Club (1985)  The limitations and impact of
stereotyping is a key theme of this
movie.
 Gender is explored and deconstructed
 Each character explores rebellion as
apart of their own development. This is
seen in the athlete who is restricted by
his parents, and rebels against their

Ten Things I Hate About You (1999)
Jennifer’s Body (2009)
expectations.
 Kat is an open feminist whose moral
code is continually commented on.
 Kat’s rebellion against her family comes
in the form of searching for greater
success.
 Sexuality and the sexualisation of
young girls are made clear as Kat and
Bianca are both victim the demand of
sex by a man they trusted.
 Queer undertones between girls are
made without objectification.
 Sexual assault is hinted at and is central
to the message of trauma that guides
Jennifer into her ‘eating boys’

THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE IMPACT OF THE POPULAR CULTURE ON WIDER SOCIETY

Positive –

 Good entertainment for teens

 Employment availability
 Social continuity of myths and legends from the past (mean girls retelling a bantu folktale)
 Wide access to culture
 Illustrates the period adolescence for young people to identify with
 Deconstructs social values and taboos
 Provides insight into good morals
 Shows average people that can be identified with who overcome difficulties
 Romanticises the experience of adolescence which is often hard for teens
 Creates collective identity with other consumers
 Provides a sense of identity and understanding
 Can show diversity

Negative –

 May encourage teens to limit time outside and recklessly consume paraphernalia
 Young people may access teen films not appropriate for their age group. May negative
impact their socialisation
 Violent or anti-social behaviours
 False sense of reality from romanticism
 Dangerous behaviour may be encouraged (e.g. underaged drinking)
 May lead to false sense of identity.

THE WAYS IN WHICH THE POPULAR CULTURE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO SOCIAL CHANGE

Positive and negative aspects of popular culture become a part of society. Aspects teen film
demonstrates are:

 themes and morals (good vs bad, love and family, peers and friendship groups)
 large companies dominating the production of films (Paramount, etc.)
 styles of film and characters
Teen Film’s contributed to social change as:

 making us question current beliefs

 causing conflicts. Some groups may see diversity and be offended
 providing a palatable platform to address taboo issues such as queer relationships, sexuality,
gender, race, stereotyping etc.
 an accessible platform for change
 being a mechanism of social change to raise consciousness about social issues.
 Unify teenage subcultures

Overall, teen films broaden the acceptance of social change for young people

THE NEAR FUTURE (5 TO 10 YEARS)

DETERMINE CURRENT TRENDS AND SUGGEST PROBABLE FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR TEEN
FILM

 White, cis, and straight dominated casts

 Increase in commercial format of teen films (paraphernalia)
 Increase of broader diverse audiences (mainly younger) consuming teen film
 Increase in online streaming
 Continue to focus on political issues
 Slow diversifying of people represented in teen films
 Continuity of clichés

EVALUATE THE IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS FOR TEEN FILM OF:

Likely Changes –

 Specialised industries enter production. E.g. stan, Hulu and Netflix keep making their own
teen films
 Greater access due to technology and globalisation. E.g. the introduction of Netflix to
Australians
 Increase in more innovative methods of marketing. E.g. BuzzFeed and tiktok
 Greater representation of diversity

Probable Continuities –

 Themes and morals of loving yourself and self-discovery. E.g. mean girls
 American domination of the teen film industry
 Character arcs of the gay/POC best friend

PREDICT THE IMPORTANCE OF TEEN FILM TO SOCIETY IN THE NEAR FUTURE

Teen film will continue and grow to be increasingly more popular in society in the near future. Teen
film is a booming business with big companies capitalising off of it. As diverse films are more
common, POC will be able to identify and find importance in films that represent their lieves as well.
Social themes will be expressed. Mythologies heroes, contemporary values etc.