Page 0

WELCOME TO PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE

The course introduces and investigates the concept of popular culture commonly observed in the Philippines. A multidisciplinary
approach will be used to uncover the evolution of culture in the country to increase awareness of the many different popular culture
identifiers that define the Filipinos providing students with the analytical tools they need to embrace the spirit of patriotism. This course
intends to speak of the different theories that affect our daily cultural beliefs and our modern knowledge of our country’s traditions.

Course Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this course, the students are expected to:

1. Improve the students’ ability to engage and relate, critically, with popular culture texts;
2. Appraise students’ contemporary concepts on issues and trends, specifically of the Philippines, as well as the impact of
Pop Culture in their construction of identity;
3. Create awareness for genuine people’s participation in the local arena; and
4. Demonstrate content knowledge and its application to the learning process

Page 1
 ASSESSMENT PERIOD Self-Assessment & Activity Major Exam TOTAL
Module 1 50 points
Module 2 50 points
Midterm 60% 40% 100%
Module 3 50 points
Module 4 50 points
Final 60% 40% 100%

(Midterm Grade + Final Grade) / 2 = Final Grade

How Do You Use This Module?

This module is very user-friendly. Definitions, processes and samples are included as input knowledge or as a guide to assist you in completing the tasks at hand. Instructions
are made clear and straightforward. Your resourcefulness and creativity are needed to be able to answer or do the tasks well. Simply follow the directions and you will be guided
step by step as you move on page after page.

In this module, you are required to go through a series of activities in order to complete each learning outcome. Each chapter has lessons with specific learning outcomes,
Discussions, Self-Assessments, and Activities. Follow and perform the activities on your own. If you have questions, do not hesitate to ask for assistance from your instructor.

Page 2
Remember to:

▪ Read and understand the Specific Learning Outcome(s). These tell you what you should know and be able to do by the end of this
module.

▪ Work through all the information provided and complete the activities in each section.

▪ Read the discussions thoroughly. Suggested references are included to supplement the materials provided in this module.

▪ After reading every discussion, test yourself on how much you’ve learned by means of Self-Assessments. Use a White Book to write
your answers.

▪ Demonstrate what you learned by doing the Activities. You must be able to apply what you have learned in another activity or in real
life.

▪ Keep all the outputs in your portfolio as a record of your accomplishments and submit on the designated period.

Note: You need to complete this module before you can perform the next module.

Page 3
 Table of Contents
Introduction to Popular Culture --------------------------------------------------- Page 5
Examples of Popular Culture --------------------------------------------------- Page 6
Folk and High Culture --------------------------------------------------- Page 7
Formation of Popular Culture --------------------------------------------------- Page 8
Sources of Popular Culture --------------------------------------------------- Page 9
Self-Assessment 1.1 & Activity 1.1 --------------------------------------------------- Page 10
LESSON 2: MIDTERM --------------------------------------------------- Page 11
COMPONENTS OF CULTURE: Language --------------------------------------------------- Page 12
Self-Assessment 2.1 & Activity 2.1 --------------------------------------------------- Page 13
COMPONENTS OF CULTURE: Norms --------------------------------------------------- Page 14
Social Experiment Challenge for Activity 2.2 --------------------------------------------------- Page 15
Self-Assessment 2.2 & Activity 2.2 --------------------------------------------------- Page 16
COMPONENTS OF CULTURE: VALUES --------------------------------------------------- Page 17
COMPONENTS OF CULTURE: Artifacts & Self- Assessment 2.3 --------------------------------------------------- Page 18
FINAL LESSON: Theories and Approaches [Summarized] --------------------------------------------------- Page 19
Neo-Liberalism: Explained --------------------------------------------------- Page 20
Neo-Liberalism: Expound --------------------------------------------------- Page 21
Neo-Liberalism: Modernized Example --------------------------------------------------- Page 22
Myth- A form of Popular Culture --------------------------------------------------- Page 23
Myth: A quick example --------------------------------------------------- Page 24
Myth: A modernized example --------------------------------------------------- Page 25
A message from the professor --------------------------------------------------- Page 26
FINAL ASSESSMENT AND ACTIVITY --------------------------------------------------- Page 27

Page 4
Lesson 1: Introduction to Popular Culture
The term ‘popular culture’ holds different meanings depending on who’s defining it and the context of use. It is generally recognized as
the vernacular or people’s culture that predominates in a society at a point in time. As Brummett explains in Rhetorical Dimensions of Popular
Culture, pop culture involves the aspects of social life most actively involved in by the public. 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. Popular culture is also informed by the mass media.

There are a number of generally agreed elements comprising popular culture. For example,
popular culture encompasses the most immediate and contemporary aspects of our lives. These
aspects are often subject to rapid change, especially in a highly technological world in which people
are brought closer and closer by omnipresent media. Certain standards and commonly held beliefs
are reflected in pop culture. Because of its commonality, pop culture both reflects and influences
people’s everyday life (see eg Petracca and Sorapure, Common Culture). Furthermore, brands can
attain pop iconic status (eg the Nike swoosh or McDonald’s golden arches). However, iconic brands,
as other aspects of popular culture, may rise and fall.

With these fundamental aspects in mind, popular culture may be defined as the products and forms of expression and identity that are
frequently encountered or widely accepted, commonly liked or approved, and characteristic of a particular society at a given time. Ray Browne in his
essay ‘Folklore to Populore’ offers a similar definition: “Popular culture consists of the aspects of attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, customs, and tastes
that define the people of any society. Popular culture is, in the historic use of term, the culture of the people.”

Popular culture allows large heterogeneous masses of people to identify collectively. It serves an inclusionary role in society as it unites the
masses on ideals of acceptable forms of behavior. Along with forging a sense of identity which binds individuals to the greater society, consuming
pop culture items often enhances an individual’s prestige in their peer group. Further, popular culture, unlike folk or high culture, provides individuals
with a chance to change the prevailing sentiments and norms of behavior, as we shall see. So popular culture appeals to people because it provides
opportunities for both individual happiness and communal bonding.

Page 5
Examples of Popular Culture
Examples of popular culture come from a wide array of genres, including popular music, print, cyber culture, sports,
entertainment, leisure, fads, advertising and television. Sports and television are arguably two of the most widely
consumed examples of popular culture, and they also represent two examples of popular culture with great staying
power.

Sports are played and watched by members of all social classes, but (tautologously) the masses are responsible for
the huge popularity of sports. Some sporting events, such as the World Cup and the Olympics, are consumed by a
world community. Sports are pervasive in most societies and represent a major part of many people’s lives. Showing
allegiance to a team as a means of self-identification is a common behavior. Further, cheering for a sports team or a favorite athlete is a way any individual can
become part of popular culture, as I and Tim Madigan explain in our new book The Sociology of Sport.

Many people watch numerous hours of television every day. It is such a prevalent aspect of contemporary culture it is
difficult to imagine life without it. There are those who believe TV is responsible for the dumbing down of society; that
children watch too much television; and that the couch potato syndrome has contributed to the epidemic of childhood
obesity. The globally popular TV show The Simpsons provides us with an interesting perspective on television. In the
episode ‘Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming’ (#137), while doing time in prison, Sideshow Bob becomes a critic of television.
Although he was once a regular on The Krusty the Clown Show, Bob has become obsessed by television’s harmful
effect on society. Bob argues that everyone’s lives would be much richer if TV were done away with. As a result, he
devises a scheme to detonate a nuclear bomb unless all television is abolished in Springfield. Unable to locate Bob,
Springfield’s city officials meet to discuss Bob’s demands of abolishing TV. A panicky Krusty proclaims, “Would it really
be worth living in a world without television? I think the survivors would envy the dead.” Although there are people who
agree with Sideshow Bob, the masses would more likely agree with Krusty: that living in a world without television is not really living. It is even more difficult to
imagine a world without popular culture.

Page 6
Folk and High Culture

Popular culture is usually distinguished from folk and high culture. In some ways, folk culture is similar to pop
culture because of the mass participation involved. Folk culture, however, represents the traditional way of doing
things. Consequently, it is not as amendable to change and is much more static than popular culture.

Folk culture represents a simpler lifestyle, that is generally conservative, largely self-sufficient, and often a
characteristic of rural life. Radical innovation is generally discouraged. Group members are expected to conform
to traditional modes of behavior adopted by the community. Folk culture is local in orientation, and non-
commercial. In short, folk culture promises stability, whereas popular culture is generally looking for something
new or fresh. Because of this, popular culture often represents an intrusion and a challenge to folk culture.
Conversely, folk culture rarely intrudes upon popular culture. There are times when certain elements of folk culture
(eg Turkish rugs, Mexican blankets and Irish fairy tales) find their way into the world of pop culture. Generally, when
items of folk culture are appropriated and marketed by the popular culture, the folk items gradually lose their original
form.

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.)

Page 7
The Formation of Popular Culture

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 eighteenth century), the rural masses
began to migrate to cities, leading to the urbanization of most Western societies.

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 come to see themselves as a ‘collectivity’ as a result of common, or popular, forms 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.

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.

Page 8
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 Showtime and the Family Feud, 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 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, it has 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’ 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 adopted by others, it ceases to remain unique. It becomes, popular.

Page 9
Name: Date:
Course: Major: Section:
Self-Assessment 1.1 Activity 1.1

Instruction: Read each question carefully and provide an answer that suits what is
being asked.
1. How is popular culture different from folk and high culture?
Instruction: Draw an image that shows the difference between popular culture, and
folk/high culture. The image must be merged together, not separated.
Use any drawing material available to you.
Example:

2. Write down 5 examples of popular culture and 5 examples of folk and high
culture based on what you understood:
Popular Culture Folk and High Culture
a) a)
b) b)
c) c)
d) d)
e) e)
3. Give 1 Folk or High cultural activity your family’s been following for as long as
you can remember and briefly explain why you think this is considered
Folk/High culture.

4. Give 1 Popular cultural activity you and your friends have been following
recently and briefly explain why you think this is considered Popular culture.

Page 10
LESSON 2 MIDTERM

Hoi! Pare!
[1]
Ho Morning!
Musta’ng Homework
mo? Tapos kana? [2] It’s so easy!

[4]Use google
kasi…search mo [3] LoL!
No way! Di
“Baybayin”
ko nga gets yun.
Akala ko Thai
language, no pala.

[6]Yun yung character or letter system natin sa

[5] Ano ba Pilipinas noon, gusto kasi ni sir gamitin rin natin to
yun? sa class para may letter system tayu’ng sariling atin.

Page 11
COMPONENTS OF CULTURE: Language

Here in the Philippines meron tayung sariling system of writing na ginagamit natin before na-introduce yung Roman Alphabet. Gaya ng
Hangul sa Korea, at Hanzi ng China, Katakana and Hiragana ng Japan, meron tayung Baybayin.

In modern Philippine Culture, marami na ang gumagamit nito in

writing titles for events at designs ng mga T-shirt at bags. Pero bakit?

Is this important? Kailangan ba nating gamitin ito to promote

Philippine Popular Culture? Do we have to learn all this to pass the
class?

Ang pinaka “goal” natin sa subject na ito ay ang intindihin ang modern
culture ng ating bansa at maghanap ng mga maipagmalaki natin na
makakabigay sa atin ng sense of uniqueness.

Pag nakita mo yung 안녕하세요 what country comes to mind?

Hindi naman lahat satin nakakabasa nito pero alam natin na Korean to.
Diba we are able to identify them based on these symbols even though di natin
sya naintindihan? Ganon din sana tayu! This is why, in modern Philippine Culture,
this is one of the new trends. A letter system that defines the Philippines and sets
it apart from other Asian nations.

Page 12
Name: Date:
Course: Major: Section:
Self-Assessment 2.1 Activity 2.1

Instruction: Read each question carefully and provide an answer that suits what is Instruction: Gamit ang bondpaper, write your name in Baybayin with the equivalent
being asked. below it. Pagandahin mo (MUST NOT BE COMPUTERIZED!!!)

1. Do you think it’s important for us to learn how to use Baybayin? Why? Example:
(LESS THAN 30 WORDS ONLY)

2. May panahon kaya na gagamitin mo ang Baybayin? If Oo, elaborate. If

Hindi, bakit?
TAKE A PICTURE BEFORE SUBMITTING!

3. Using the sample from the previous page, try to read this and write down
the equivalent using the roman alphabet.

Page 13
COMPONENTS OF CULTURE: Norms

What are Norms?

Yung Norms ay ang mga iba’t ibang ginagawa natin IT’Z A
na sinusunud ng karamihan kagaya ng mga
kalukuhan na ginagawa natin ng mga ka tropa natin.
PRANK!!!

Ang social norms natin is usually dictated by the majority as we learned in Lesson 1.
Let’s say your classmates are doing some kalukuhan tapos dalawa lang kayu ng tropa mo, diba natural lang na
sasama kayu sa mga classmates ninyu so long as they aren’t breaking the law?
This is how new culture is formed and how trends can go viral. It’s like a magnet that keeps growing. The more
people doing it, the stronger the magnet that keeps pulling the minorities in.

Page 14
 IT’Z A
PRANK!

*sigh* She’s
one of them
So, as you can see and as you’ve probably observed. Marami na tayung mga trends na ginawa now…
Pat inga yung mga medyo quiet type na sama na rin. Ang dami ng sumasayaw at kumakanta
Sa TikTok. Meron pa nga nag vlog sa facebook na kumakain ng Pizza sa Alberto’s parang
Mukbang.
Eto, may challenge ako sa inyu!
Gumawa o makisali ng trend sa paaralan natin tapos gawin nyu itong viral.
SAYAW, KANTA, ACTING, Canteen MUKBANG. Ikaw bahala

Page 15
Name: Date:
Course: Major: Section:
Self-Assessment 2.2 Activity 2.2

Instruction: Read each question carefully and provide an answer that suits what is
being asked. DO ACTIVITY 2.2 BEFORE ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS.
1. After doing the trend or creating the trend, how did you feel? Did you
have fun? (LESS THAN 30 WORDS)
Instruction: CREATE OR JOIN A SCHOOL WIDE TIKTOK TREND WITH FRIENDS.
POST YOUR TREND ON THE GROUP PAGE The Academic Club
https://www.facebook.com/groups/407022211633470/?ref=share

2. Anong trend ba yung ginawa o sinalihan mo? At kung sumali ka lang ng

trend, kaninong tren yung sinunud mo?

Page 16
COMPONENTS OF CULTURE: VALUES

HOI!!!! San
ka galling?

Doon ako in my
grandfather’s
house.

Page 17
COMPONENTS OF CULTURE: Artifacts

In simple terms: May mga bagay na hindi masyadong mahalaga sa

ibang tao na mahalaga sayo. Gaya ng wallpaper mo na picture ng crush
mo. Para sa iba, wala masyadong kahalagahan ito, pero sayu, isa itong
ginto na di mo maibenta kahit kanino.

Yung lana ng aswang sa Naga. Para satin, walang halaga yun, but sa
aswang, artifact yun. May Lana kabang tinatago sa bahay? Sorry,
Artifact pala.

Self-Assessment 2.3

1. Base on what you’ve observed in the community, ano ba ang mga iba’t ibang values ang lagi mong nakikita? Mag sulat ng lima. (Write 5 answers).

2. Ano ano ba ang mga natutunan mo’ng magandang asal sa iyung liponan MALIBAN sa mga natutunan mon a sa loob ng iyung tahanan?

3. Mag tanong tanong ka daw sa iyung barangay o sa iyung bahay, “Ano ba ang pride and joy ng lugar natin?” Dapat makahanap ka ng tatlo (3) na artifacts sa
lugar mo.

Page 18
FINAL LESSON: Theories and Approaches [Summarized]

Sige… ilabas ang Android lang

Picture iPhone! Kailangan sakin, mahal kasi
tayu! maganda ang
kuha!
ng iPhone…

What’s that?
😅

Neo-Liberalism
sistema natin, di
natin lahat kaaya
magka iPhone…

Page 19
 1 Ang Neo-Liberalism ay ang go-to term to describe
Easy!!! Akon a the way capitalism has been administered politically
mag explain more or less since 1970s.
so you can all
understand.

It is liberal in the sense of protecting

the “free” functioning of markets

Kaso, hindi necessarily na

e-extend ang liberty ng
mga tao or guaranteeing
them equal opportunities.

Page 20
 Absolutely,
The government can
intervene through
Yes!
During the times of
the social policies
necessity, the
they implement to government should
the people to implement social
maintain the original policies to maintain
price signals, right? the control to the
people and the
market

Tama!
Wag mo’ng kalimutan,
Inequality is
inequality is not an the same for
accident of this system all, since the
but its deliberate. market doesn’t
We’re not equal for a discriminate.
reason

Page 21
 Aha! So, pag di ako
Diba! So, wag kana’ng satisfied sa girlfriend ko,
hanap ng hanap ng mag upgrade nalang
iPhone. Dapat satisfied ako ng bago, total, may
ka kong anong meron kaya naman ako.
ka. Kong kaya mo ng Hahahaha…
mag upgrade, do’n kana
Joke lang…
mag hanap.

JIRUS!!!!
Anyway…
Neoliberalism ties the rationality of the
Government to the rational action of
individuals thru an artificially created
form of behavior.

So, lahat ng eto ay talagang

nakadepende satin.

Page 22
 Para sa dagdag kaalaman :
Myth- form of Popular Culture
Myth is a system of communication that is a message.
Myth is not defined by the object of its message, but by
the way in which it utters this message.

Example: Yung mga nakukuha mo’ng chika

mula sa mga Maretes.

Page 23
Eto pa!

Sa mga movies, we know FPJ as a protagonist and a hero for the poor.
So, noong tumakbo sya sa politika, hindi politiko ang isip natin sakanya, kon’
di “Hero” dahil sa Myth na naging impression natin sakanya.

Page 24
Hoi! Meron rin
ako’ng Myth!!!
Yung Twice!!!

Eto yung Myth na ginagamit ng mga nasa industriya. They use

our perception on the people we idolize to sell us products. May
mga tao kas na feel nila close sila sa idol nila pag meron silang
similar products or nanonotice sila at nakakatulong sila pag binili
products nila. Yung iba gusto lang makigaya sa idol nila.

Page 25
 Ayun!
Ang dami na nating natalakay o na research about Philippine Popular
Culture. Marami pa sana akong gustong ipa alam sa inyu,
unfortunately we don’t have the time. Hangang dito nalang tayu!
Sagutin nyu yung last quiz and activity before sa final exam. Easy lang
naman yun. Magdala kayu ng lapis, eraser, at sharpener during the
final exam ah!

GOOD LUCK!!!

Page 26
FINAL ASSESSMENT AND ACTIVITY
Self Assessment
In a ¼ sheet of paper, write down a myth about one of your schoolmates, teachers, or friends and explain in 2 or 3 sentences how this changed your perception
on things.

Activity

In a ¼ sheet of bond paper, draw an idol who inspired you to buy products he or she was endorsing and at the back, write the product name and write down why
you bought the product in 5 sentences or more.

UNTIL NEXT TIME!!! ENJOY!!!!

-King Kyle Repollo Uy, LPT

Professor

Page 27